Latest Lucretius Today Podcast
Episode 346 — "Epicurean Defense Of The Senses Against Plato's Cave Analogy"
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Cassius
PostAugust 14, 2026 at 5:19 PM It is clear to me that the topic of this thread is a continuing issue that needs regular discussion. Here's the original quote from Bentham in which he compares music and poetry to push-pin. He never says that they are objectively of equal value, he is… -
Matteng
August 14, 2026 at 4:35 PM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.Post[…]
Cassius thank you, your post improves my understanding.
Ok, yes seeing the cup as the whole life makes more sense.
"more reason for joy than for vexation - having a positive balance of pleasures over pains"
I first thought: oh that is an opposite… -
Cassius
August 14, 2026 at 8:50 AM Replied to the thread Episode 346 - EATAQ28 - Epicurean Defense Of The Senses Against Plato's Cave Analogy.PostLucretius Today Podcast Episode 346 is now available: "Epicurean Defense of The Senses Against Plato's Cave Analogy" -
[media]https://www.spreaker.com/episode/73983540/media -
Cassius
August 14, 2026 at 8:44 AM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.PostYou are asking great questions Matteng and each of them require detailed response. This is quick start:
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No, nothing requires you to get the most pleasure you can out of life. Nature allows you free will and you can sit in a cave and eat bread and water… -
Matteng
August 14, 2026 at 8:10 AM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.PostPacatus Nice comparison, see it the same. Life as obvious basis than health and the peak Eudaimonia.
Is it needed that the Cup „must“ be full ? I think we not only fill the cup with Pleasure but also and that can be an important point: adjust the… -
Pacatus
August 13, 2026 at 3:25 PM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.Post[…]
What if we reframed Maslow’s “needs” (re the chart below) as Epicurean desires? Which might fall under the category of (1) "natural and necessary,” which (if any) under (2) “natural but not necessary,” and which (if any) under (3)… -
Kalosyni
August 13, 2026 at 7:54 AM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.PostWe had a very good discussion in last night's Zoom on this topic - "completeness of pleasure". It would be great if Bryan Martin Godfrey kochiekoch Cassius could add important comments that were said during last night, to this thread.… -
Robert
August 12, 2026 at 9:59 PM Replied to the thread Desires necessary for Happiness..Post[…]
Thanks, Matteng . I appreciate your perspective on this. Perhaps it's also worth taking into account the political environment of his time.
This is a bit tangential, but my understanding is that, for several centuries after the fall of Mycenae,… -
Matteng
August 12, 2026 at 1:43 PM Replied to the thread Desires necessary for Happiness..PostEpicurus is frequently criticized because he allegedly advised against political engagement.
But he teached against unnecessary desires like fame not to engage for better circumstances.
Epicureans engage in politics when necessary. Why should one engage… -
Kalosyni
August 12, 2026 at 11:24 AM Replied to the thread Welcome EpicuriousDavid!.PostOkay, thanks for letting me know. That is something I want to continue to work on. Cassius' self-paced guide linked above may be much more in depth and covering all aspects, so hope that is of interest. -
Cassius
August 11, 2026 at 11:23 PM Replied to the thread Theme Updates For the Website.PostThanks again for the comment Patrikios. I think now the other colors are updated so that those major boxes are now matching the respective theme colors. Would not have picked that up without your comment. -
Cassius
August 11, 2026 at 11:21 PM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.PostA related question on the issue of fullness-as-a-bucket-list (which I am rejecting) would be:
- How many years must a person live to have lived a "full life"? If Epicurus had died at 25, which for the sake of argument had allowed him to get his school… -
Cassius
August 11, 2026 at 10:52 PM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.PostIn fact as another thought in the same direction I would pose the following questions to anyone - whether or not they have read the first word of the Arenson book.
Probably the most famous reference to the term "fullness of pleasure" comes from the… -
EpicuriousDavid
August 11, 2026 at 10:46 PM Replied to the thread Welcome EpicuriousDavid!.Post'Onlune class epicurus' is what i typed into google. I don't exactly remember which page I was directed to at the time, currently this is the top result:
Self-Paced Course - Introduction to the Philosophy of Epicurus -
Cassius
August 11, 2026 at 10:43 PM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.PostThanks for this reply Matteng because when I see your reaction I see that there is more I need to say -
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I read the way you are applying fullness and I think I can see exactly why you are thinking in that direction.
But I don't think that's the direction… -
Cassius
August 11, 2026 at 10:23 PM Replied to the thread Theme Updates For the Website.PostI see what I failed to do on Inspire Green. I think I've fixed that now, and I will fix the other Inspire colors too. Unfortunately the Lucrretius Today box probably stays blue, but the rest of it should work well -
Godfrey
August 11, 2026 at 8:43 PM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.Post[…]
Absolutely!
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Matteng
August 11, 2026 at 5:28 PM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.PostFullnes of Pleasure makes sense for me. It is not about avoiding all pain but to fullfill necessary bodily and mental desires. An unfullfilled necessary desire is a pain.
Only problem could be vulnerability ?
The vessel doesn‘t stay full, would a small… -
Patrikios
August 11, 2026 at 5:24 PM Replied to the thread Theme Updates For the Website.PostI tried the Inspire Green, which is easier on my eyes on my iPad. However the heading box for LT podcast didn’t show.
Overall, I like the clean header feel. Good job 👍 -
Kalosyni
August 11, 2026 at 1:50 PM Replied to the thread Overview of Epicurean Philosophy - Quick Visual.PostI added this to the second image: "What is pleasurable is defined as any feeling which is free from pain, since through philosophical reasoning we come to see that there is no neutral feeling state that exists. Types of pleasure range from removal of… -
Martin
August 11, 2026 at 12:49 PM Replied to the thread Welcome EpicuriousDavid!.PostWelcome David! -
Cassius
August 11, 2026 at 11:54 AM Replied to the thread Overview of Epicurean Philosophy - Quick Visual.PostIt is very helpful to develop many different versions of these graphics as a way of making them better and better and we want to encourage that.
At the same time, we have to be careful of overwhelming the web structure with lots of large MB graphics.
… -
Kalosyni
August 11, 2026 at 11:40 AM Replied to the thread Overview of Epicurean Philosophy - Quick Visual.Post -
Kalosyni
August 11, 2026 at 11:34 AM Uploaded the image Three Key Aspects of Epicurean Philosophy.Image/Video
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Cassius
August 11, 2026 at 9:21 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Andy!.PostAndy if it is something you can talk about I feel sure it would be interesting to hear more about your project. -
Cassius
August 11, 2026 at 9:17 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Andy!.PostAndy tells us --
Hi Cassius,
my background is in archaeology and cultural/natural heritage. I'm currently working on a project that focuses (at least partly) on Epicurus and I thought the forum might be interesting and useful.
Regards,
Andy -
Kalosyni
August 11, 2026 at 9:13 AM Replied to the thread Welcome EpicuriousDavid!.PostEpicuriousDavid You wrote: "I was brought to the forum specifically by searching for 'Epicurus online class', your website showed up and looked very interesting."
I am curious to know what forum pages your early search took you to? (if you still have… -
Cassius
August 11, 2026 at 7:58 AM Replied to the thread Welcome EpicuriousDavid!.PostWelcome EP -- My only printed editions of Cicero are second-hand copies of the Loeb volumes I picked up years ago, so I don't know about the Cambridge version.
- I think the Long & Sedley version is highly useful, but I found my first copy only several years
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EpicuriousDavid
August 11, 2026 at 1:31 AM Replied to the thread Welcome EpicuriousDavid!.PostIf I am interested in reading Torquatus' Presentation in a physical printed media form, is the Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy edition of Cicero On Ends a decent way to do so?
I already have a copy of AA Long and DN Sedleys The Hellenistic… -
Robert
August 10, 2026 at 10:26 PM Replied to the thread Overview of Epicurean Philosophy - Quick Visual.PostKalosyni , I think it's great. I tested it on my Facebook with a private post, and the dimensions seemed to work well. I think it's a useful tool for introducing the philosophy to others.
My only hesitation has to do with the color scheme. I had my… -
Titus
PostAugust 10, 2026 at 4:48 PM […]
This is just what came to my mind as a possible definition of "simplicity". A more detailed version could sound this way: Achieving a reasonable goal with the means it takes to meet this goal sufficiently. On the other hand, not spending resources… -
Cassius
PostAugust 10, 2026 at 1:21 PM I think Titus' post is very much on point but I would not want someone to misinterpret this part:
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The "as much as necessary but as little as possible" is presumably tied to "tasks" which probably means things that you don't want to do and which… -
Cassius
August 10, 2026 at 12:43 PM Posted the thread Welcome Andy!.ThreadWelcome Andy
One more step is required to complete your registration, and three things are required reading before you post.- WELCOME THREAD: Please comment in this thread below to acknowledge your new account and to state that you agree to abid by the
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Titus
PostAugust 10, 2026 at 9:47 AM […]
That's exactly what I'm talking about.
[…]
We cannot control everything. Especially, when it comes to founding a family. Personal relationships with other persons (in this case: spouse/kids/grandparents etc.) are often hard to manage in a way that is… -
Robert
August 9, 2026 at 11:18 PM Replied to the thread Opening Discussion of Kelly Arenson's "Health And Hedonism In Plato And Epicurus".Post[…]
Yes, I agree that no one should be overly confident about their take on this issue. We're just missing too many texts. It's tantalizing to read that passage in Diogenes Laertius and see his references to various works by Epicurus and Metrodorus--texts… -
DaveT
August 9, 2026 at 8:33 PM Replied to the thread The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure.PostHoping this is the right thread.
I listened to a very interesting interview: https://www.worldsciencefestival.com/videos/whats-b…rything-you-do/
The interview of Brian Greene with Sheldon Solomon on his career studying: What's Behind Everything We Do. In a… -
Kalosyni
August 9, 2026 at 12:05 PM Replied to the thread Overview of Epicurean Philosophy - Quick Visual.PostAnd to highlight....A pleasurable life is a life of good spirits and well-being. -
Kalosyni
August 9, 2026 at 11:32 AM Posted the thread Overview of Epicurean Philosophy - Quick Visual.ThreadHere is a quick visual which presents an overview, and this will need a bit further development with text sources added to back up the points. I've oriented this into "actionable" aspects which is a simplified o overview for those who are new to the… -
Kalosyni
August 9, 2026 at 9:21 AM Replied to the thread Theme Updates For the Website.PostI'm using the "Default Woltlab Style (Dark and Light)" theme which is different than the "Inspire" theme, because the drop-down menu functions better on my android tablet. I notice that the layout of the announcement box (Latest Lucretius Today Podcast)… -
Cassius
August 8, 2026 at 10:21 PM Replied to the thread Opening Discussion of Kelly Arenson's "Health And Hedonism In Plato And Epicurus".PostOh - Robert - I meant to say one more thing:
The overwhelming feeling I have at the moment in my reading of this book is what an incredible waste of time all this debating about katastematic and kinetic is. I am very impressed with the book and I think… -
Cassius
August 8, 2026 at 10:00 PM Replied to the thread Episode 346 - EATAQ28 - Epicurean Defense Of The Senses Against Plato's Cave Analogy.PostIn today's episode since we are continuing to talk about about the Stoics unwillingness to defend ALL sensations as true, I want us to remember to include:
Cicero, Academica ("Academic Questions"), Book II ("Lucullus"), Chapter XXV (C.D. Yonge's 1853… -
Cassius
August 8, 2026 at 9:16 PM Replied to the thread Opening Discussion of Kelly Arenson's "Health And Hedonism In Plato And Epicurus".Post[…]
I think she is wrestling with the issues we have been discussing -- she's aware of the argument that katastematic pleasures are somehow superior, but she is not going to accept the definition of katastemtic that equates those pleasures with basically… -
Robert
August 8, 2026 at 7:19 PM Replied to the thread Opening Discussion of Kelly Arenson's "Health And Hedonism In Plato And Epicurus".PostI've had the chance now to delve into this book--so far I've read chapters 5-8, and I'll next go to the beginning and pick it up from there. I tabled Chapter 4 temporarily as I didn't feel an immediate need to revisit the problems posed by De Finibus.
… -
Kalosyni
August 8, 2026 at 2:03 PM Replied to the thread "Meet-and-Greet" Zoom- August 3rd, 8pm ET & August 9th, 12:30pm ET, 2026.PostWe've sent out the Zoom link for tomorrow, looking to seeing you there! -
Noah Calderon
August 8, 2026 at 5:36 AM Replied to the thread "Meet-and-Greet" Zoom- August 3rd, 8pm ET & August 9th, 12:30pm ET, 2026.PostHi, I would love to attend tomorrow if it's possible. Thanks! -
Robert
August 7, 2026 at 9:33 PM Replied to the thread Desires necessary for Happiness..Postwbernys My take was probably too simplistic, so thank you for presenting a more nuanced view.
We sometimes hear the term "public service" used in connection with politics--that is, people who take up political careers like to describe themselves as… -
Cassius
August 7, 2026 at 7:00 PM Posted the thread Theme Updates For the Website.ThreadAfter far too long we now have available a "dark mode" version of the "Inspire" theme - the default site style.
If you'd like to try it go to the bottom of any page and you'll see a "Change Style" link.
That will take you to a page that looks like this:
… -
wbernys
August 7, 2026 at 5:02 PM Replied to the thread Desires necessary for Happiness..Post[…]
I don't entirely agree with your comment, i think Epicurus did care about the polis to some extent, even if it carried obligations, Epicurus did say we should enter politics in emergencies for example. He's largely against aiming for political power,…
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