Recent Updates From Across EpicureanFriends.com
New Graphics: Are You On Team Epicurus? | Comparison Chart: Epicurus vs. Other Philosophies | Chart Of Key Epicurean Quotations | Accelerating Study Of Canonics Through Philodemus' "On Methods Of Inference" | Note to all users: If you have a problem posting in any forum, please message Cassius
Recent Activities
-
Kalosyni
April 15, 2026 at 8:56 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Aeneadum!.PostWelcome to the forum Aeneadum
The greatest motivation for quiting addictions is realizing that the pain outweighs the pleasure. Also, the strong desire to feel healthy again, and the strong desire to do what is necessary to maintain long-term health… -
Cassius
PostApril 15, 2026 at 8:12 AM Martin - Is this saying that a single atom in an infinite void would not move, but require the presence of at least one other atom for there to be attraction capable of resulting in movement?
If so that might reconcile how gravity results in motion but… -
Martin
April 15, 2026 at 7:46 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Aeneadum!.PostWelcome Aeneadum! -
Martin
PostApril 15, 2026 at 7:39 AM Here is my comment to Patrikios' thought experiment:
Placing the object outside Earth’s gravity would not be enough because then it could be in the Sun's gravity. Placing it outside the Sun’s gravity would still not be enough because then it could be… -
Cassius
PostApril 15, 2026 at 7:31 AM […]
In case Wbernys' reference to "reviews like this" is not clear, it's a reference to the "Antigone" article by Spencer Klavan linked in my previous post.
Very good analysis Wbernys - and in this context I don't see any issues with that youtube link,… -
Cassius
PostApril 15, 2026 at 7:25 AM Thank you Martin! -
Cassius
April 15, 2026 at 7:23 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Aeneadum!.PostVery well stated response Wbernys -
Also, as to this:
[…]
Those are quotations we don't see very often. Do you have citations to those that readers can follow to verify them? -
Martin
PostApril 15, 2026 at 6:36 AM Here are my answers to Cassius' questions:
Gravity is one of four fundamental forces which can be considered as independent and their own entities in easy-to-understand models. There is a unified theory for the other three forces. Moreover, there are… -
wbernys
April 15, 2026 at 1:29 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Aeneadum!.Post[…]
Nope, sorry. My father has quit cigarettes after a long time though. I think the first tenet that we are powerless over out addiction would be completely rejected and is actually harmful. Recognizing that we do have power over our lives is… -
wbernys
PostApril 15, 2026 at 1:08 AM Reviews like this are why i don't bother reading anything critical of Epicurus anymore, NOT because i think their CANNOT be good criticisms of Epicurus, but because they always state something that is direct opposite of what he says in his doctrines… -
Aeneadum
April 14, 2026 at 10:39 PM Replied to the thread Welcome Aeneadum!.PostHas any one here used Epicurus as their Higher Power in a 12 step setting, or know of anyone who has?
(I would hope no one simply points out that the Tetrapharmakon contradicts the many mentions of a God in the 12 Steps. In practice, many atheists apply… -
Godfrey
April 14, 2026 at 10:00 PM Replied to the thread Emily Austin's "LIving For Pleasure" Wins Award. (H/T to Lowri for finding this!).PostDoes this apply to widowers, too?
-
Cassius
April 14, 2026 at 9:07 PM Replied to the thread Emily Austin's "LIving For Pleasure" Wins Award. (H/T to Lowri for finding this!).PostFor some reason this following verse escaped my attention til now and I thought i would drop it here:
I guess we better be careful about recommending Emily Austin's book to widows!1 Timothy 5-6: But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she
… -
Cassius
PostApril 14, 2026 at 8:08 PM As we continue to discuss some of these issues I want to restate what I think are ultimate issues in Epicurean physics from which no retreat makes sense:
The first issue is whether matter is INFINITELY divisible. Epicurus says no in part because of the… -
Cassius
PostApril 14, 2026 at 5:50 PM There is also this that Klavan has written on Epicurus:
https://antigonejournal.com/2025/05/epicureanism-then-and-now/
And here is how Claude summarizes his views:
Here is a detailed account of Spencer Klavan's evaluation of Epicurean philosophy, drawn from… -
Cassius
PostApril 14, 2026 at 5:47 PM Eikadistes apparently the preface contains commentary - not sure about other parts. In the podcast I linked he's very clear about his evaluation, but I'm not sure how much of that is actually in the book. Sounds like he's written other books that also… -
Eikadistes
PostApril 14, 2026 at 5:34 PM It looks like its primarily a compilation of Epicurean core texts and related texts. (It looks like the editor had a similar intention in mind as did I with The Hedonicon). Klavan also includes a few interesting selections of Newton, Hume, Adams,… -
Cassius
April 14, 2026 at 4:51 PM Replied to the thread Welcome BrandenOz!.PostBranden thanks again for bringing the Klavan book to my attention. This is worth it's own thread so I have split those comments out here:
Klavan's "Gateway To Epicureanism" (Note: The Title Is Part Of A "Gateway" Series - The Author Himself Is Strongly… -
Cassius
PostApril 14, 2026 at 4:50 PM Thanks again Brandon. I just finished listening to the podcast linked below in which Klavan was interviewed about this book. Worth mentioning first is that Klavan thinks that Epicureanism is something he would like to "demolish" and "eradicate." (Most of… -
Brandenoz
PostApril 14, 2026 at 2:32 PM Klavan ended the preface of the book somewhat on a negative tone towards Epicureanism, I felt, but otherwise made a great case for the physics-based approach and on how 'We are all Epicureans Now' in many ways. The reason I wanted to read it is because… -
Cassius
PostApril 14, 2026 at 1:52 PM This is very timely so thank you again for the book reference. I am working on two articles now and I am going to at least briefly review this so I can address some of what apparently appears here.
I see that Klavan appeared on a podcast last year… -
Cassius
PostApril 14, 2026 at 1:26 PM I see this about that book at Barnes and Noble (underline added)
In this convenient volume, the classicist Spencer A. Klavan presents core selections from Epicurus’ own writings and those of his most famous ancient disciple, the poet Lucretius. Listen… -
Cassius
PostApril 14, 2026 at 1:17 PM Hmmm that is interesting. Never heard of that and see that it is new... From Regnery the "conservative" publisher who also published Josh Hawleys book attacking Epicurus. And I am not familiar with Spencer Klavan either....
Was the book mostly positive… -
Brandenoz
PostApril 14, 2026 at 1:02 PM Hello, and thanks for having me. I especially was drawn into the graphic on the home page showing Epicurean physics + canonics = ethics. A book I was reading structured Epicurean ethics in that same way and I thought that made a lot of sense. The book… -
Cassius
PostApril 14, 2026 at 12:38 PM Excellent questions Patrikios. Thanks for asking them and it seems to me thought experiment is a useful way to approach the problem.
It's possible "modern physics" might have one answer, but even if it's different -- and I'm not sure it would be -- it… -
Cassius
April 14, 2026 at 12:34 PM Replied to the thread Welcome BrandenOz!.PostWelcome Branden - You path here from Stoicism is not a lot different from my own, though I preferred Cicero to Seneca. As to the Buddhist question we have several here who know much more about that than I do, so I'll let them chime in.
Glad to have you… -
Cassius
April 14, 2026 at 12:33 PM Replied to the thread Welcome BrandenOz!.PostBrandenOz tells us:
Hi Cassius,
I got into philosophy through Ryan Holiday's lighter works on Stoicism. Then from there, I read the three Roman Stoics he talks about, Marcus, Epictetus, and Seneca. I knew right away that I liked Seneca and through his… -
Cassius
April 14, 2026 at 12:31 PM Posted the thread Welcome BrandenOz!.ThreadWelcome Brandenoz
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… -
Patrikios
PostApril 14, 2026 at 12:08 PM
Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com
Here is a list of suggested search strategies:
- Website Overview page - clickable links arrranged by cards.
- Forum Main Page - list of forums and subforums arranged by topic. Threads are posted according to relevant topics. The "Uncategorized subforum" contains threads which do not fall into any existing topic (also contains older "unfiled" threads which will soon be moved).
- Search Tool - icon is located on the top right of every page. Note that the search box asks you what section of the forum you'd like to search. If you don't know, select "Everywhere."
- Search By Key Tags - curated to show frequently-searched topics.
- Full Tag List - an alphabetical list of all tags.