Posts by Kalosyni

As I read over this, I have a mixed feelings about this. I think that many here love the beauty of words...as in Lucretius writings, and so also with "A Few Days in Athens" (which I haven't read yet) ...this display of the beauty of word choice is laudable, but with its words comes a complexity and lengthiness that some others may not necessarily enjoy as much, since the language is not like the simplicity of current times. This is a lot like how some people might enjoy a Shakespeare play, which I have at times done so myself, though my brain "hurts" afterward from the struggle of trying to fully understand everything.

So Cassius...Do you feel that you want to maintain the integrity of the word choice and keep a kind of respect for the original work...or do you feel the message behind the words is more important? (in which something entirely new and much shorter in length could be written...a play, and credit would be given as based upon "A Few Days in Athens".

To put it out there where I stand...is that I prefer a straightforwardness in the presentation of thoughts and ideas, and generally enjoy a simplicity of language. And I do understand everyone has their individual preferences.

Quote from Cassius

Ha I just came across another way of stating the telos of the forum:

The goal of Epicureanfriends.com is to be a friend to the friends of Epicurus

And this supports the Principle Doctrines 27 and 28:

27) "Of all the things that wisdom provides for the complete happiness of one's entire life, by far the greatest is friendship."

28) "The same judgement produces confidence that dreadful things are not everlasting, and that security amidst the limited number of dreadful things is most easily achieved through friendship."

The point being that the continuation and modern expansion of the Epicurean philosophy must navigate through and in the midst of the religious landscape of modern times.

it would seem these two world views are like oil and water and do not mix

Quote from Cassius

Epicurus taught a full worldview, in which "pleasure" is only one part, and not what is generally conveyed by "hedonism" at all. As I see it, Epicurus used "pleasure" as a catch-all term for all agreeable feelings, mental and bodily, and on that level "pleasure" is a sweeping term that corresponds to and opposes "virtue" (as that is set up by the stoics and platonists) and "piety" (as that is set up by all those religions who suggest we should worship supernatural gods).

--human as a naturally evolved material animal, coming from pleasure and going ever onward toward pleasure

-----------vs-------------

--human as dualistic (body & spirit) created by god(s) and who must toil for perfection and to strive to please god(s)

It would require a dedicated few to work together.

Now, in a more sober mind (of non-alcoholic ginger-ale) I do realize that it would be wise for me to put more time into studying Epicureanism, so as to be sure that I understand it correctly. I think it would very important to understand the key differences between Epicureanism and Stoicism, as well to understand the differences of understanding between the telos of EpicureanFriends.com vs. the telos of the most common scholarly understanding.

oops...regarding flyers...people could put up flyers in their cities at coffeehouses or libraries, or colleges, announcing the zoom meeting...and how to sign up

Another idea...(under the enjoyment of a Christmas Eve "Three Creeks - FivePine Chocolate Porter)...

...A once a month Zoom meeting that is not on the 20th. It would definitely be geared toward people who have very little understanding. Maybe 2, 3, or even 4 people could each give a short presentation on material and then those same people would discuss it, and then, at the very end open it up to questions. The flyers would need to be very specific as to what it is and whom would benefit (free thinkers and science-minded folks) and people would need to register through Epicurean.com

And on a different week of the month maybe have an hour long very informal planning meeting for "core" people were we would come up with ideas for future meetings and events, and also check in to say 'hi' to each other (yet I see that some might have upcoming busy schedules).

A weekly meeting is great idea. Yet I would suggest waiting to start it till the second week in January.

I can see how a weekly event might be better geared toward "novices" rather than for "sages"... I myself would probably fall into the middle area of "devotee" (neither novice nor sage) but would greatly benefit from weekly meetings.

The 20th could be always in honor of sages and contain more advanced material, which novices and devotees could learn from, but they might take more of a "listen and learn" while the sages discuss more complex philosophy. Yet perhaps the 20th would be only for devotees and sages, and novices would be referred to join the weekly meeting. But maybe this labeling is complicating things...just throwing out some ideas. After all, how does one determine if someone is a devotee? or a sage?

Happy Holidays everyone!

Here is a short YouTube video which evokes a feeling of ancient times and ancient festivals with music and dance:

I just listened to this podcast. Some thoughts...

If you feel pain in your body from an illness...and not knowing what it is, because it is undiagnosed...and in addition if you fear death greatly, then the mental fear will make the pain much worse.

When you feel sexual pleasure in your body, but if you feel ashamed about it, the pleasure will be muted if you fear that God will punish you for it.

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20 Minutes

That’s the amount of time you should spend outside in nature, like a neighborhood park, three times a week. Hopman led a new study that concluded that something as painless as a 20-minute stroll through a city botanical garden can boost cognition and memory as well as improve feelings of well-being. “But,” she said, “we found that people who used their cell phone on the walk saw none of those benefits.”

Other research discovered that 20 minutes outside three times a week is the dose of nature that had the greatest effect on reducing an urban dweller’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Excerpt from the above article

Welcome ayraj and thanks for sharing!

Quote from ayraj

I'm also interested in any rituals or "best practices" anyone has for making Epicureanism a part of everyday life

My own practice is when I wake up (or in the early part of the morning) I think about what I will do that day to bring in joyful, pleasant experiences...actions or activities that bring cheer, pleasure, and well-being.

Also, I see my study of Epicureanism as an enjoyable practice. I feel that there are many layers to understanding the philosophy, and it takes time for it to develop.

I am sure others might have more to say about personal rituals.

I listened to this podcast last night. In response to the short discussion on torture:

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Torture is one of the most extreme forms of human violence, resulting in both physical and psychological consequences. It has been used for thousands of years and it is still occurring throughout much of the world. The right to freedom from torture is a universally recognized human right and one of the foundations of international law. Torture, as well as cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, is banned in all times and cannot be justified.

The most precise definition of torture is outlined in the UN Convention Against Torture, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), which defines it as “Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.”

5 Reasons Why Torture Does Not Work and Can Never Be Justified

Torture is one of the most extreme forms of human violence, resulting in both physical and psychological consequences. It has been used for thousands of years…

www.humanrightscareers.com

In practice of PD3 and PD8...A blog post for how to dance with excessive sugar cravings...excerpt:

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I have tried at times to completely eliminate sugar from my diet. This may work for some people, but doesn't work for me. (Maybe my brain chemistry is permanently wired to enjoy sugar - life is just not very fun without it). It is important to realize that there is a bodily limit to the enjoyment of sugar that can be found, but just as with alcohol each person must discover this limit for themselves. This limit is what I call the "sugar yuck factor", when sugar no longer feels pleasureable. This requires one to be especially sensitive to the feelings which arise within the body while eating more sugary treats than one "should". (This excessive feeling can be felt when eating too much homemade cookie icing). This is a great way to "reset" the sugar cravings, but it must also be combined with choosing to buy healthier foods and avoiding bringing home large quantities of sugary treats. One focuses the mind on learning to desire foods which are healthy and good for the body, and which increase feelings of vigor and vitality. I still choose to eat sweet treats on occasion, but I do so in moderation. Also keeping in mind, if one eats a treat every day it isn't as pleasureable as spacing out the treats over time. It's up to every individual to determine their own sugar limit, and to do so with respect for maintaining the pleasureable feeling of health of the body.

https://epicureanphilosophyblog.blogspot.com/2021/12/in-def…joy-it.html?m=1

In Defense of Desire and How to Enjoy It

First I should say a bit about what I came out of before studying Epicureanism. For ten years I studied Buddhism and I attended a Zen Budd...

epicureanphilosophyblog.blogspot.com

Feeling very "Epicurean"...Here are some pictures of the gingerbread house I made.

Quote from Don

I don't find "temperance" in Epicurus's writings. Is it mentioned anywhere other than by "Torquatus"?

It is implied by this:

"And Diocles, in the third book of his Overview, says that they all lived in the most simple and economical manner; "They were content," says he, "with a small cup of light wine, and all the rest of their drink was water." -- Diogenes Laertius : Life of Epicurus

Welcome!

I also came out of Buddhism. There are a few things that I continue to hold onto from my past Buddhist practices, and other things that I've let go.

Good luck in your Epicurean studies!

I don't remember that part (and it doesn't look like I can fast forward to that point).

Possibly addictions are used to deal with the anxiety and stress that arises from chasing after vain and unnecessary desires. But most of "mainstream" modern life is an un-ending parade of the vain and unnecessary.

These Principle Doctrines should be helpful with regard to hedonic calculus: