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. What amount of effort should be put into pursuing pleasure or removing pain? 22

      • Kalosyni
      • June 26, 2025 at 4:22 PM
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    4. Cassius

      June 26, 2025 at 4:22 PM

    2. Is All Desire Painful? How Would Epicurus Answer? 25

      • Cassius
      • June 15, 2025 at 9:23 PM
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      2.6k
      25

    4. TauPhi

      June 15, 2025 at 9:23 PM

    2. Driving Away Bad Habits "Like Evil Men Who Have Long Done Us Great Harm" (Including Addictions)

      • Cassius
      • April 23, 2025 at 4:17 PM
      • Cassius
      • April 23, 2025 at 4:17 PM
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      256

    2. The Argument That the Good Of Animals is Not the Same As The Good of Human Beings

      • Cassius
      • March 3, 2025 at 3:10 PM
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      362

    2. "Peace and Safety" vs. "Conflict and Danger" 7

      • Cassius
      • February 2, 2025 at 9:00 AM
      • Cassius
      • February 2, 2025 at 3:47 PM
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      1.3k
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    4. Cassius

      February 2, 2025 at 3:47 PM

    2. When Epicureans Choose Pain / When Epicureans Treat Pain As Good 4

      • Cassius
      • December 22, 2024 at 8:51 AM
      • Cassius
      • December 22, 2024 at 11:50 AM
    3. Replies
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      937
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    4. Don

      December 22, 2024 at 11:50 AM

    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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      4.8k
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    4. Cassius

      December 8, 2024 at 2:08 PM

    2. Questions re Pleasure 2

      • Matteng
      • November 9, 2024 at 5:35 AM
      • Matteng
      • November 9, 2024 at 3:50 PM
    3. Replies
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      1.6k
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    4. Matteng

      November 9, 2024 at 3:50 PM

    2. A Fable on Unattainable Expectations 6

      • Pacatus
      • October 16, 2024 at 5:12 PM
      • Pacatus
      • November 22, 2024 at 11:32 AM
    3. Replies
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      Views
      1.7k
      6

    4. Don

      November 22, 2024 at 11:32 AM

    2. The Normal Curve of Pleasure 5

      • kochiekoch
      • July 23, 2024 at 5:59 PM
    3. Replies
      5
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      2.1k
      5

    4. kochiekoch

      July 23, 2024 at 5:59 PM

    2. Health of the Body and Happiness of the Soul -vs- "The Goal is Pleasure" 4

      • Kalosyni
      • September 9, 2024 at 6:56 AM
    3. Replies
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      2.3k
      4

    4. Cassius

      September 9, 2024 at 6:56 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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      5.7k
      22

    4. Kalosyni

      July 1, 2024 at 1:24 PM

    2. Scientific Support for Psychological Hedonism 19

      • kochiekoch
      • April 23, 2024 at 8:04 PM
    3. Replies
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      5.3k
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    4. Little Rocker

      April 23, 2024 at 8:04 PM

    2. Given The Stress That Many Greek Philosophers' Placed On "Virtue" or a perfect view of "The Good" As The Ultimate Goal, To What Extent Would An Epicurus Have Considered That Approach An "Unnatural and Unnecessary Desire?" 4

      • Cassius
      • February 26, 2024 at 4:51 PM
      • Cassius
      • February 26, 2024 at 10:48 PM
    3. Replies
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      2.3k
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    4. Don

      February 26, 2024 at 10:48 PM

    2. If We Agree For The Sake of Argument That "The Perfect Should Not Be The Enemy of The Good," then let's ask "What *Should* We Consider To Be The Proper Relationship Between The Perfect And The Good?" 8

      • Cassius
      • February 26, 2024 at 4:43 PM
      • Cassius
      • February 29, 2024 at 12:22 AM
    3. Replies
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      3k
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    4. Don

      February 29, 2024 at 12:22 AM

    2. Maximum pleasure as absence of all pain: a philosophical question concerning neuroscientific and Epicurean outlook toward the feeling of pleasure 10

      • shahabgh66
      • January 26, 2024 at 7:24 PM
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    4. DavidN

      January 26, 2024 at 7:24 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
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      4.4k
      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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      3.5k
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    4. Kalosyni

      December 14, 2023 at 9:52 AM

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

      • frank1syl
      • December 13, 2023 at 10:19 PM
    3. Replies
      33
      Views
      8.5k
      33

    4. BrainToBeing

      December 13, 2023 at 10:19 PM

    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
      24
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      6.7k
      24

    4. Cassius

      November 29, 2023 at 9:56 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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      9.3k
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    4. Cassius

      February 19, 2024 at 12:29 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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    4. Rolf

      April 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM

    2. List of Epicurean philosophical remedies

      • Kalosyni
      • November 8, 2023 at 10:52 AM
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      850

    2. Wikipedia on "Pleasure"

      • Kalosyni
      • October 18, 2023 at 6:24 PM
    3. Replies
      0
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      762

    2. Explaining Perspectives - Chart Of Whole Organism vs Discrete Feelings

      • Cassius
      • October 17, 2023 at 8:52 AM
      • Cassius
      • October 17, 2023 at 8:52 AM
    3. Replies
      0
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      701

    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
      29
      Views
      7.2k
      29

    4. Cassius

      October 7, 2023 at 8:22 PM

    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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      5.9k
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    4. Cassius

      October 6, 2023 at 10:24 AM

    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
    3. Replies
      104
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      25k
      104

    4. Pacatus

      October 22, 2023 at 3:28 PM

    2. A Pleasant Life instead of Pleasure 7

      • EricR
      • August 4, 2023 at 8:14 AM
      • EricR
      • August 5, 2023 at 8:27 PM
    3. Replies
      7
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      2.7k
      7

    4. Kalosyni

      August 5, 2023 at 8:27 PM

    2. Desiderata 2

      • Pacatus
      • August 2, 2023 at 7:02 PM
      • Pacatus
      • August 2, 2023 at 7:45 PM
    3. Replies
      2
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      1.2k
      2

    4. Pacatus

      August 2, 2023 at 7:45 PM

Unread Threads

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    2. Best Lucretius translation? 12

      • Rolf
      • July 1, 2025 at 1:59 PM
    3. Replies
      12
      Views
      608
      12

    4. Eikadistes

      July 1, 2025 at 1:59 PM

    2. Philodemus' "On Anger" - General - Texts and Resources 19

      • Cassius
      • June 30, 2025 at 8:54 AM
    3. Replies
      19
      Views
      6.1k
      19

    4. Don

      June 30, 2025 at 8:54 AM

    2. The Religion of Nature - as supported by Lucretius' De Rerum Natura 4

      • Kalosyni
      • June 23, 2025 at 12:36 AM
    3. Replies
      4
      Views
      664
      4

    4. Godfrey

      June 23, 2025 at 12:36 AM

    2. New Blog Post From Elli - " Fanaticism and the Danger of Dogmatism in Political and Religious Thought: An Epicurean Reading"

      • Cassius
      • June 20, 2025 at 4:31 PM
    3. Replies
      0
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      1.6k

    2. New Translation of Epicurus' Works 1

      • Eikadistes
      • June 16, 2025 at 6:32 PM
    3. Replies
      1
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      539
      1

    4. Cassius

      June 16, 2025 at 6:32 PM