Posts by Martin

Welcome back, Todd!

Welcome Martyo26!

If the body does no more release water by urine, about the only other way to get rid of significant amounts of water is to stop dehydrating the content of the large intestine. Therefore, dysentery makes sense as a consequential symptom. That method does not have the fine regulation of the kidneys and likely leads to dehydration. Dehydration can easily be fatal. Alcohol is likely to accelerate death then. The evidence with respect to Epicurus committing suicide may not be conclusive enough but it cannot be dismissed either.

The alcohol would worsen the dehydration and may have multiple other effects under that condition.

Just one detail to add to the list of ancient texts indicating suicide as an option for Epicureans under extreme circumstances:

On his last day, Epicurus drank undiluted wine. With the dysentery he was in, this might have been suicide at least in the sense of accelerating the upcoming death.

There was a presentation with more details on this speculation that Epicurus himself might have committed suicide at one of the Epicurean symposia in Greece a few years ago, but I could not find it in my collection of references now.

At first sight, Mommsen points out inconsistencies/problems with the reconstruction of the meaning but does not come to a conclusion within the German/Greek text quoted in #103.

By the way, August Mommsen is an example of cutting-edge research carried out by high school teachers in Germany around the 19th century. Georg Ohm is maybe the most famous example. He experimentally showed the law which was later named after him.

At that time, at least some teachers at high schools in Germany were called professor.

Welcome Faunus!

Welcome Warjuning!

Germany.

Welcome Michal Handzel!

Welcome Clark!

We need olive trees!

Welcome ccarruth42!

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For example, atoms cannot be observed directly; their existence and properties must be determined by deduction, and the principles thereby deduced serve as standards for assessing truth.

As mentioned a few weeks ago, this formulation is wrong. If you use only deduction, you are limited to logic and mathematics. Induction is necessary to justify a theory from which you want to deduce something about reality. At Epicurus time, direct observation of atoms was not possible, and we have no texts which show how Epicurus produced his axioms about existence and basic properties of the atoms. He might have obtained them by starting with a theory based on Democritus' atomism and alternating between checking how well the theory can explain all relevant observations and improving the theory. Democritus und his predecessors might have used a similar interplay between observations and precursor theories.

Prior to 20th century quantum mechanics or a thorough understanding of classical thermodynamics (which happened only after quantum mechanics), hard determinism appeared to be the most fitting to a materialist world view. I certainly would have fallen for the same trap. Embracing the swerve would have left a loophole for the church. Hard determinism rather than the swerve was going "all the way" at that time.

Epicurean non-belief creed

First draft:

I do not have any beliefs.

I know some stuff.

I know that some of my knowledge may be wrong.

I know that there is a lot more stuff which I do not know.

I know that there is stuff of which I do not even know that I do not know of it.

This very partial knowledge does not compel me to any belief, because so far, I have acquired any knowledge needed to enable a pleasurable life, and I am confident to keep this attitude until death terminates my existence.

In order to die as we lived in pleasure, we should avoid taking pain killers because practicing pain management by mental methods prepares us for a still mostly pleasurable experience when we suffer a painful death.

Just before death, we may be very confused. Therefore, we should practice focusing on pleasure at times when we are confused (preferably mental pleasures to avoid accidents in that state of confusion) such that we can assure pleasure to the end when we die.

From 6 PM EST onward, I should be able to join on most Fridays.

Welcome Jim!

Second Life seems to be close to what Cassius aims at.

A neighbor of mine uses it regularly to meet friends who live in Scotland. In addition to joking around, he plays virtual orchestra with them.

I am Maetes4 in Second Life. However, Maetes4 has hardly done anything in the first few months and has been in a coma for the last several years since then. I just checked: It seems there is an "Epicurus Beach" in Second Life but it seems that that one refers only to hedonistic activities and not the philosophy. Moreover, there are 3 "Epicurean" sims or whatever, but they are for adult rated and other entertainment. There is no Epicurean Garden or Kepos yet. If there is sufficient interest among us, we can consider building one and see how many people come in to explore the place. However, while playing is for free, building a place might cost something.