Ethics - General Discussion

In this section we discuss Epicurean Ethics and how to live as an Epicurean in a world where there are no supernatural gods and no life after death.

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  2. Private Section - Includes Level 03 And Above Discussions and 20th Zoom Meeting
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  5. Physics - The Nature of the Universe
  6. Canonics - The Tests of Truth: The Five Senses, Anticipations, and Feelings of Pleasure and Pain
  7. Ethics - How to Live As An Epicurean
  8. Epicurean Historical Figures - Biographies of Epicureans from Epicurus To The Present
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  11. Comparisons With Non-Epicurean Philosophies
  12. History, Locations, and Customs Relevant to Ancient Epicureans
  13. Epicurean Symbolism in Art, Music, Literature, and Poetry

    2. Perspectives On "Proving" That Pleasure is "The Good" 205

      • Todd
      • December 19, 2022 at 4:34 PM
      • Todd
      • November 28, 2023 at 1:28 PM
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    4. Eoghan Gardiner

      November 28, 2023 at 1:28 PM

    2. Would You Rather Live For A Week As (1) Epicurus During the Last Week of His Life or (2) An Anonymous Shepherd Laying In The Grass In The Summertime With No Pain At All? 104

      • Cassius
      • September 6, 2023 at 2:36 PM
      • Cassius
      • October 22, 2023 at 3:28 PM
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      104
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      23k
      104

    4. Pacatus

      October 22, 2023 at 3:28 PM

    2. "Absence Of Pain Is Pleasure" - How Would You Articulate That To Someone? 37

      • Eoghan Gardiner
      • April 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM
    3. Replies
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      Views
      10k
      37

    4. Rolf

      April 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM

    2. Pleasure, Desire and Limits 36

      • Godfrey
      • July 20, 2022 at 8:34 PM
    3. Replies
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      12k
      36

    4. Godfrey

      July 20, 2022 at 8:34 PM

    2. Why Minimizing All Desire Is Incorrect (And What To Do Instead) 34

      • Kalosyni
      • December 8, 2024 at 2:08 PM
    3. Replies
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      4.3k
      34

    4. Cassius

      December 8, 2024 at 2:08 PM

    2. Mental pleasure/pain more intense and longer lasting than physical pleasure/pain 33

      • frank1syl
      • December 13, 2023 at 10:19 PM
    3. Replies
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      Views
      7.9k
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    4. BrainToBeing

      December 13, 2023 at 10:19 PM

    2. Imagery On The Interplay Between "Pursue Pleasure" and 'Avoid Pain" 33

      • Cassius
      • March 28, 2023 at 9:09 AM
      • Cassius
      • March 31, 2023 at 10:10 AM
    3. Replies
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      8k
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    4. Don

      March 31, 2023 at 10:10 AM

    2. Is All "Ataraxia" Equal? 30

      • Cassius
      • November 18, 2023 at 7:47 PM
      • Cassius
      • February 19, 2024 at 12:29 PM
    3. Replies
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      8.9k
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    4. Cassius

      February 19, 2024 at 12:29 PM

    2. Is pleasure as the natural goal of life falsifiable? 30

      • waterholic
      • December 8, 2022 at 6:08 AM
      • waterholic
      • February 10, 2023 at 11:02 PM
    3. Replies
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      Views
      9.4k
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    4. Don

      February 10, 2023 at 11:02 PM

    2. On "Desires" And Their Relationship To Pleasure 30

      • Godfrey
      • September 10, 2020 at 2:53 PM
      • Godfrey
      • September 12, 2020 at 7:44 PM
    3. Replies
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      11k
      30

    4. Cassius

      September 12, 2020 at 7:44 PM

    2. If Death Is Nothing To Us, Then Life Is Everything to Us 29

      • Cassius
      • October 7, 2023 at 12:06 AM
      • Cassius
      • October 7, 2023 at 8:22 PM
    3. Replies
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      Views
      6.7k
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    4. Cassius

      October 7, 2023 at 8:22 PM

    2. We Need A Game Show With A Lightning Round Question: "Happiness or Pleasure? - Why?" 28

      • Cassius
      • February 2, 2023 at 8:16 PM
      • Cassius
      • February 5, 2023 at 3:43 PM
    3. Replies
      28
      Views
      7.1k
      28

    4. Little Rocker

      February 5, 2023 at 3:43 PM

    2. Are You Epicurean Or Hieronymian? 26

      • Cassius
      • October 1, 2019 at 2:08 PM
      • Cassius
      • June 30, 2022 at 5:44 AM
    3. Replies
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      13k
      26

    4. Cassius

      June 30, 2022 at 5:44 AM

    2. Tips On Offsetting Pleasures Against Pains 24

      • Cassius
      • November 28, 2023 at 8:27 AM
      • Cassius
      • November 29, 2023 at 9:56 AM
    3. Replies
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      6.2k
      24

    4. Cassius

      November 29, 2023 at 9:56 AM

    2. Explaining In Summary Form How A Man In Extreme Pain Can Be Said To Be "Happy" 22

      • Cassius
      • April 20, 2024 at 5:38 AM
      • Cassius
      • July 1, 2024 at 1:24 PM
    3. Replies
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      Views
      5.4k
      22

    4. Kalosyni

      July 1, 2024 at 1:24 PM

    2. How has the word epicurean come to mean excess? 22

      • ThinkingCat
      • May 19, 2023 at 6:50 PM
    3. Replies
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      7.2k
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    4. Cassius

      May 19, 2023 at 6:50 PM

    2. As to the Term "Hedonic Calculus" or the "Calculus of Advantage" 22

      • Cassius
      • February 27, 2022 at 7:26 AM
      • Cassius
      • March 1, 2022 at 12:03 PM
    3. Replies
      22
      Views
      6.7k
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    4. Godfrey

      March 1, 2022 at 12:03 PM

    2. Scientific Support for Psychological Hedonism 19

      • kochiekoch
      • April 23, 2024 at 8:04 PM
    3. Replies
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    4. Little Rocker

      April 23, 2024 at 8:04 PM

    2. Would There Be Benefit In Adapting the "Benjamin Franklin Journaling Model" To Our Discussion of Practical Exercises? 16

      • Cassius
      • July 12, 2021 at 12:26 PM
    3. Replies
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      6.5k
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    4. A_Gardner

      July 12, 2021 at 12:26 PM

    2. Valueless Virtue in Modern Stoicism 16

      • Matt
      • January 10, 2019 at 8:48 AM
      • Matt
      • January 22, 2019 at 6:28 PM
    3. Replies
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    4. Condorcet

      January 22, 2019 at 6:28 PM

    2. My 2024 Resolution: Get A More Accurate Picture of Epicurean Pleasure To The World Rather Than "Tranquility" or "Live Unkown"(Comment on Irish Times Article) 15

      • Cassius
      • January 1, 2024 at 7:03 AM
      • Cassius
      • January 27, 2024 at 5:25 PM
    3. Replies
      15
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      4.2k
      15

    4. Eikadistes

      January 27, 2024 at 5:25 PM

    2. Fundamental Issues In Hedonism 15

      • BrainToBeing
      • December 14, 2023 at 9:52 AM
    3. Replies
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      3.3k
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    4. Kalosyni

      December 14, 2023 at 9:52 AM

    2. Epicureans On Kingship 15

      • Cassius
      • August 2, 2022 at 10:16 AM
      • Cassius
      • October 10, 2022 at 5:11 AM
    3. Replies
      15
      Views
      4.7k
      15

    4. Sid

      October 10, 2022 at 5:11 AM

    2. Epicurean Freedom. Enslavement by culture. The mob. 15

      • Harrington Andros
      • May 14, 2018 at 12:11 PM
    3. Replies
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      8.8k
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    4. Hiram

      May 14, 2018 at 12:11 PM

    2. Epicurean Golden Rule? 14

      • Pacatus
      • September 30, 2024 at 9:17 AM
    3. Replies
      14
      Views
      4.1k
      14

    4. Don

      September 30, 2024 at 9:17 AM

    2. An Epicurean "Sanity Check" 14

      • Cassius
      • February 2, 2019 at 11:55 PM
      • Cassius
      • February 5, 2019 at 8:20 AM
    3. Replies
      14
      Views
      6.9k
      14

    4. Cassius

      February 5, 2019 at 8:20 AM

    2. Practical Pleasure-Pain Perspectives: How Different is 99% Pleasure From 100% Pleasure? 13

      • Cassius
      • October 5, 2023 at 12:06 PM
      • Cassius
      • October 6, 2023 at 10:24 AM
    3. Replies
      13
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      5.6k
      13

    4. Cassius

      October 6, 2023 at 10:24 AM

    2. How would you respond to an existentialist who says "You Epicureans have chosen pleasure as your meaning but it's not universal" do Epicureans hold that pleasure is the universal Good? 13

      • Eoghan Gardiner
      • June 15, 2023 at 12:36 AM
    3. Replies
      13
      Views
      3.8k
      13

    4. Root304

      June 15, 2023 at 12:36 AM

    2. Epicurus And Pleasure As The Awareness Of Smooth Motion 13

      • Cassius
      • February 6, 2024 at 12:24 PM
    3. Replies
      13
      Views
      3.2k
      13

    4. Cassius

      February 6, 2024 at 12:24 PM

    2. Natural versus Unnatural 12

      • Matt
      • December 30, 2020 at 8:54 AM
      • Matt
      • January 10, 2021 at 12:33 PM
    3. Replies
      12
      Views
      5.2k
      12

    4. Cassius

      January 10, 2021 at 12:33 PM

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    2. Does The Wise Man Groan and Cry Out When On The Rack / Under Torture / In Extreme Pain? 10

      • Cassius
      • June 17, 2025 at 4:59 PM
    3. Replies
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      784
      10

    4. Cassius

      June 17, 2025 at 4:59 PM

    2. New Translation of Epicurus' Works 1

      • Eikadistes
      • June 16, 2025 at 6:32 PM
    3. Replies
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      1

    4. Cassius

      June 16, 2025 at 6:32 PM

    2. Superstition and Friday the 13th 6

      • Kalosyni
      • June 16, 2025 at 3:40 PM
    3. Replies
      6
      Views
      338
      6

    4. Eikadistes

      June 16, 2025 at 3:40 PM

    2. Epicurean Emporium 9

      • Eikadistes
      • June 16, 2025 at 3:37 PM
    3. Replies
      9
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      1.7k
      9

    4. Eikadistes

      June 16, 2025 at 3:37 PM

    2. The Religion of Nature - as supported by Lucretius' De Rerum Natura 2

      • Kalosyni
      • June 16, 2025 at 11:42 AM
    3. Replies
      2
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      291
      2

    4. Kalosyni

      June 16, 2025 at 11:42 AM