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Cassius June 30, 2026 at 6:17 AM

Replied to the thread Welcome Max Duboff.
Post

Thanks Max. Here's one way to get at some of these issues:

If there are only two feelings, pleasure and pain, which seems well established in the texts by Diogenes Laertius and by Torquatus in On Ends, then where does "Tranquility" fit into that scheme,…
Max DuBoff June 30, 2026 at 1:11 AM

Replied to the thread Welcome Max Duboff.
Post

Thanks for this note, Cassius! Yes, I'm very glad for your opinionated-ness, as you put it. And I wanted to share my papers as part of that project: I'm very interested in your feedback (including objections), and I don't consider my interpretations of…
Cassius June 29, 2026 at 9:19 PM

Replied to the thread Welcome Max Duboff.
Post

Thanks for the kind words Max and it's a pleasure to hear from you.

No doubt you've been reading somewhat on the forum and you've seen that we are a somewhat "opinionated" website, actually trying to build a community true to the ancient model and not…
Don June 29, 2026 at 8:06 PM

Replied to the thread Welcome Max Duboff.
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Welcome aboard!
Martin June 29, 2026 at 5:08 PM

Replied to the thread Welcome Max Duboff.
Post

Welcome Max!
Max DuBoff June 29, 2026 at 4:50 PM

Replied to the thread Welcome Max Duboff.
Post

Thank you so much! Glad to be here. In addition to what I said to Cassius (posted above), I'll add that I found Epicureanism through general reading in classical philosophy, and I was attracted to it because of the focus on both theoretical and practical…
Cassius June 29, 2026 at 2:49 PM

Replied to the thread Welcome Max Duboff.
Post

Welcome Max and glad to have such a distinguished person with us!
Cassius June 29, 2026 at 2:36 PM

Replied to the thread Welcome Max Duboff.
Post

Dear Cassius,

I'm confirming that I registered for an account on Epicurean Friends. I mainly did so to let members of the community know about some scholarly articles I have forthcoming: one on why/how an Epicurean can die for a friend, and another on…
Cassius June 29, 2026 at 2:35 PM

Posted the thread Welcome Max Duboff.
Thread

Welcome Max DuBoff

There is one last step to complete your registration:

All new registrants must post a response to this message here in this welcome thread (we do this in order to minimize spam registrations).

You must post your response within 24…
Joshua June 28, 2026 at 11:31 AM

Replied to the thread Episode 340 - EATAQ22 - Not Yet Recorded.
Post

As Kalosyni informed us the other day, there has been a recent development regarding Philodemus' library at Herculaneum, and for the first time a complete scroll has been digitally unrolled from beginning to end.

A link to a PDF containing the Greek…
DaveT June 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM

Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.
Post

I was re-reading this interesting thread and would like to make a couple of observations. I have no trouble accepting that avoiding pain can be a prime method, even a goal, of finding pleasure. This would be true either by an isolated act, or…
Cassius June 27, 2026 at 4:04 PM

Posted the thread Episode 340 - EATAQ22 - Not Yet Recorded.
Thread

Welcome to Episode 340 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the…
Pacatus June 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM

Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.
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Interesting: that’s very different from the main New Testament Greek word translated as “forgive” – ᾰ̓φῑ́ημῐ.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%80…9#Ancient_Greek

Another word, ἀπολύω, is used once in the NT (at Luke 6:37) as “forgive.” It is also…
Bryan June 26, 2026 at 8:09 PM

Replied to the thread Epicurean Virtue.
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[…]

Certainly true!

In fact, if Plutarch is correct, Epicureans were even known to say, “Let even this have forgiveness” more literally it means "Let even this have a mutual understanding" which is a certainly a helpful mantra to have in mind for…
Pacatus June 26, 2026 at 3:03 PM

Posted the thread Infinitism in epistemology.
Thread

In another thread, about infinite regress needing to be terminated in the concept of a causal god, Cassius said: “While not exclusively Zeno-derived, various thinkers used infinite regress arguments to argue for a divine unmoved mover. Epicurus…
Pacatus June 26, 2026 at 1:19 PM

Replied to the thread Your Experience with Philosophical and Practical Contemplations Through the Lens of Epicurean Philosophy.
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Just in terms of contemplation tools, I conjured up, over time, this virtual version of a Roman lararium (a home shrine). The central figure is my paternal grandmother, Mae, flanked by images of Epicurus (Mae is likely the most Epicurean person I’ve…
Don June 26, 2026 at 1:03 PM

Replied to the thread Welcome Noah Calderon.
Post

Don't hesitate to ask questions. Even if they've been answered before, it is always instructive and helpful to revisit topics some may take for granted. In having new conversations, new insights can occur.

Glad to have you aboard.
Cassius June 26, 2026 at 12:44 PM

Replied to the thread Welcome Noah Calderon.
Post

[…]

Please don't hold back questions or thoughts! That's largely what we are here for and you've read plenty to have lots to say! Thanks for sticking with us!
Godfrey June 26, 2026 at 12:23 PM

Replied to the thread Your Experience with Philosophical and Practical Contemplations Through the Lens of Epicurean Philosophy.
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[…]

Well said!
Pacatus June 26, 2026 at 12:21 PM

Replied to the thread Your Experience with Philosophical and Practical Contemplations Through the Lens of Epicurean Philosophy.
Post

Kalosyni : Thanks for this thread, and the prompting blog.

For me, these days, it's mostly how (a) to abide in some serenity and ease in the midst of all the turmoil in the world (some of which directly affects people I know), (b) while appreciating…
Noah Calderon June 26, 2026 at 10:51 AM

Replied to the thread Welcome Noah Calderon.
Post

Hello everyone and especially the mod team. I just wanted to add a post here because it has been a year (and I don't want to be mistaken as inactive, even though I haven't posted).

Over the past 12 months I have read Norman DeWitt's Epicurus and His…
Noah Calderon June 26, 2026 at 10:35 AM

Has solved the quiz Norman DeWitt's Epicurus and His Philosophy.
Quiz
Kalosyni June 26, 2026 at 8:56 AM

Posted the thread Your Experience with Philosophical and Practical Contemplations Through the Lens of Epicurean Philosophy.
Thread

I just posted this:

epicureanfriends.com/wcf/blog/entry/81/ This thread can be used for comments or thought on personal contemplation through the lens of Epicurean philosophy.
Kalosyni June 26, 2026 at 8:48 AM

Wrote the blog article Contemplation Through the Lens of Epicurean Philosophy.
Blog Article

Contemplation Through the Lens of Epicurean Philosophy
Epicureanism is about much more than savoring our meals. Epicurean philosophy calls us to engage the mind in rational thinking, but are we missing some important aspects of rational contemplation that…
TauPhi June 25, 2026 at 9:22 PM

Replied to the thread New Advancement on Reading Herculaneum Scrolls.
Post

Here's more detailed publication:

https://scrollprize.org/firstscroll

Exciting times for Epicurean philosophy are coming and they're coming fast.
Cassius June 25, 2026 at 8:07 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

Thanks wbernys you are right - I have fixed it now.
wbernys June 25, 2026 at 4:45 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

Hey Cassius , did you use the wrong quote?

You're quoting my own quotation of Diogenes but then talking about logical argument about pleasure being the highest good. Unless I'm missing the point.
Cassius June 25, 2026 at 4:39 PM

Replied to the thread Episode 339 - EATAQ21 - Stoic Views of Knowledge And The Emperor's New Clothes.
Post

Episode 339 of the Lucretius Today Podcast is now available. This week our episode is entitled: "Stoic Views of Knowledge And The Emperor's New Clothes."

[media]https://www.spreaker.com/episode/72603581/media
Cassius June 25, 2026 at 3:36 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

I don't see it to be consistent with Epicurus either, but it IS a good illustration (apparently) of how someone can use persuasive logic and reach disastrously wrong conclusions.

And I think that's why Epicurus held that it is not necessary (or perhaps…
Pacatus June 25, 2026 at 2:43 PM

Replied to the thread There is One Reality but it is "Perspective Dependent".
Post

The Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset develops his perspectivist view, at least implicitly (been too long since I read him), from the existentialist dictum “existence precedes essence” – i.e., we can only posit some “essence” of things…
Pacatus June 25, 2026 at 12:50 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

In thinking on this from Todd , I recalled (from Kurt Lampe’s The Birth of Hedonism: The Cyrenaic Philosophers and Pleasure as a Way of Life) that the same logic was attributed to a later Cyrenaic philosopher, Hegesias. Lampe refers to…
Cassius June 25, 2026 at 9:53 AM

Replied to the thread New Advancement on Reading Herculaneum Scrolls.
Post

Wow that is a good catch in the news!
Kalosyni June 25, 2026 at 9:46 AM

Posted the thread New Advancement on Reading Herculaneum Scrolls.
Thread

I just see that this is in the news:

[…]

https://www.reuters.com/science/comple…ime-2026-06-25/
Cassius June 25, 2026 at 7:20 AM

Replied to the thread Happy Birthday General Thread.
Post

After a long run with this thread, we are going to disable it unless and until we figure out how to stop including people who are long inactive on the thread. That will reduce the number of less-than-useful notifications all users receive.
Don June 25, 2026 at 6:57 AM

Posted the thread There is One Reality but it is "Perspective Dependent".
Thread

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXr5ngFCJ…2VoenJlN2czNA==

It's been a while since I posted anything from Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett. This short video reinforces that "there is one really" but she provides an interesting perspective on whether we really…
Todd June 24, 2026 at 8:10 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

That is probably true.

My point was more that "good" or "bad" have to be attached to concrete choices, not abstractions. Life is good (necessary) for experiencing pleasure. Death is bad for that, but it might be good if you only care about avoiding…
Cassius June 24, 2026 at 7:58 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

I could defend that being a related question in the sense that if you think life is not worth living in general then you're not likely to think it's a good idea to bring more children into the world. Strictly speaking I agree they are not the same…
Todd June 24, 2026 at 7:41 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

To me, this is not the same question. As I understand it, the question is specifically regarding one's own life or death.

[…]

Are you saying Epicurus teaches life and death are of equal value? If so, I would strongly disagree with that interpretation.
Don June 24, 2026 at 7:12 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

Oh! Yeah, don't watch the whole video on that link I posted. If you do go over there, definitely skip ahead to 49:30 for just the short section of the discussion of life vs death.
Todd June 24, 2026 at 7:02 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
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[…]

This would be my first reaction also.
Cassius June 24, 2026 at 6:58 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

But sadiy and tragically, some don't, and they carry out what Lucretius mentioned some do .... which is why i don't accept the persuasiveness of PH -- but let's not get sidetracked on that.

[…]

I'm glad you made that comment because I was not…
Kalosyni June 24, 2026 at 6:53 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

This question could come up when considering whether to have children or to not have children. If the state of living is more valuable on a philosophical level, then you might be pressured to have children because of that. But if "life" vs "not life"…
DaveT June 24, 2026 at 6:52 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

Nice try Cassius but NO. I listened to part of the "debate" and came away with a yawn. I checked out the Wiki pages of both men, too and decided they both prove why many Hellenist philosophers denigrated rhetoricians :). It looked like they were…
Todd June 24, 2026 at 6:48 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

Yes, in a sense...but maybe the sense in which I see it is not the sense in which you meant it...

The desire to pursue pleasure (and thus life) is so deeply embedded in the human psyche, that even people who have convinced themselves that they should …
Todd June 24, 2026 at 6:00 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

It's important to understand your objective.

In this kind of debate, you are often not really trying to convince the person you're arguing with. You are rather trying to convince others who are (or will be) observing the debate.

And in that case, I…
Cassius June 24, 2026 at 5:25 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

I think you are right. Logic can be used in support of the idea that life is better than death, but it can also be used for the reverse. Ultimately it is not logic but FEELING which is the key element.
Todd June 24, 2026 at 5:22 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

It is quite possible to arrive at this conclusion without any logical inconsistencies. For example, if you believe your telos to be removal of pain, then it would be perfectly consistent to see death as a shortcut to that end. In that case, death…
Cassius June 24, 2026 at 4:18 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

Another excellent use of self-contradiction, showing that they are either not a consistent thinker or being intentionally misleading.

Presuming they are more on the "not consistent thinker" edge of the range, for reasons that we might choose to find…
Todd June 24, 2026 at 4:02 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

[…]

Such a person must be alive in order to say that, thus demonstrating their preference for being alive, and contradicting their claim.
Cassius June 24, 2026 at 3:38 PM

Replied to the thread What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Said To Him That The Value of Being Dead and Being Alive Are Equal?.
Post

I'm not trying to seed this just to start conversation but I can predict who among us might have some interest in this topic so I am going to go ahead and prod:

Pacatus ? Patrikios ? DaveT ?

These are just three that come to mind, but I think…

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Cassius June 30, 2026 at 6:17 AM

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Contemplation Through the Lens of Epicurean Philosophy

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