Ethics - How To Live As An Epicurean

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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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107
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1.3k
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What amount of effort should be put into pursuing pleasure or removing pain?
Patrikios July 6, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Is All Desire Painful? How Would Epicurus Answer?
TauPhi June 15, 2025 at 9:23 PM

Pleasure Is The Guide of Life

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11
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201
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"Pleasure" vs "Pleasant Experiences"
Cassius February 6, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Why isn't "satisfaction" the guide of life?
Julia December 24, 2024 at 10:17 AM

Absence of Pain - By Pleasure We Mean All Experience That Is Not Painful

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29
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175
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The Absence of Sin
Don April 22, 2025 at 8:03 AM
The "Lacking Nothing Of Their Natural Severity" Reference in the Letter to Idomeneus
Cassius February 9, 2025 at 8:56 PM

Emotion In Epicurean Philosophy

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0
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0

"Good" and "Evil" Consist Only in Sensation

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47
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306
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Venus and Mars - "Good" vs. "Evil"?
Cassius June 23, 2025 at 3:27 PM
A List of Objections To Epicurus From A Modern Christian - Hyde's "From Epicurus To Christ"
Bryan February 1, 2025 at 6:10 PM

Only Two Feelings - Pleasure and Pain - The Term Pleasure Includes Tranquility, Meaningfulness, Katastematic, Kinetic, Etc.

The Term Pleasure Includes Bodily as well as Mental Pleasures Such As Tranquility, Meaningfulness, Katastematic, Kinetic, Etc. Likewise The Term Pain Includes All Bodily and Mental Pains.
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36
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673
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Confusion: "The feelings are only two"
Rolf May 28, 2025 at 1:09 PM
The “Absence of Pain” Problem
Al-Hakiim von Grof April 29, 2025 at 9:41 PM

Pain Is Manageable - It Is Short If Intense, Endurable If Long, And Terminable By Death

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2
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27
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Does The Wise Man Groan and Cry Out When On The Rack / Under Torture / In Extreme Pain?
Cassius July 1, 2025 at 8:50 AM
What is terrible is easy to endure
Kalosyni October 18, 2024 at 9:11 AM

Life Is Desirable, But Unlimited Time Contains No Greater Pleasure Than Limited Time

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6
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30
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David Sedley's "Epicurean vs Cyreniac Happiness"
Cassius February 26, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Key CItations - The Limit of Quantity of Pleasure Is Reached When All Pain Is Eliminated
Cassius October 4, 2023 at 12:20 PM

Happiness and its Relationship to Pleasure

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6
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71
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Epicurean Philosophy In Relation To Gulags and the Rack
Pacatus April 30, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Is the Epicurean Always Happy?
Little Rocker June 3, 2024 at 5:27 PM

Virtue (A Means for Pleasure, Not an End in Itself)

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16
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48
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What is Virtue and what aspects of Virtue does an Epicurean cultivate?
Kalosyni March 13, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Key Citations On Confidence
Don March 13, 2024 at 10:41 PM

Justice (Including Security And Social Structures)

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30
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289
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Toward A Better Understanding of Epicurean Justice And Injustice (With Examples of "Just" and "Unjust")
Pacatus November 20, 2024 at 4:35 PM
Justice & Corruption
Pacatus November 14, 2024 at 4:23 PM

Friendship

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16
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129
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Friendship discussion (moved from 20th conversation)
Pacatus April 29, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Gleaning Information About Epicurean Friendship From Cicero's "On Friendship"
Cassius February 2, 2025 at 7:21 AM

Gratitude

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3
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4
Last Posts
Positive psychology article of the science of gratitude
Don November 27, 2024 at 8:27 PM
Key Citations On Gratitude
Cassius October 4, 2023 at 11:41 AM

Courage and Confidence

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0
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0

Temperance, Benevolence, Considerateness

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0
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0

Wisdom, Prudence, and Honesty

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0
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0

Choice And Avoidance ("Natural And Necessary"; "Natural and Unnecessary", Etc.)

VS 63 and why we do not pursue only "necessary" desires.
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10
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222
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Why pursue unnecessary desires?
Joshua May 8, 2025 at 12:17 AM
The Importance Of The Perfect Not Being Allowed To Be The Enemy of The Good
Bryan May 2, 2025 at 11:44 AM

To Live Unknown or To Engage With Society

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12
Posts
77
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Articles concerning Epicurus and political involvement
sanantoniogarden July 1, 2025 at 2:29 PM
What "Live Unknown" means to me (Lathe Biosas)
TauPhi July 14, 2024 at 12:38 PM

The Tetrapharmakon

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5
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119
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Diving Deep Into The History of The Tetrapharmakon / Tetrapharmakos
Cassius May 14, 2025 at 1:19 PM
P.Herc. 1005 from Les Epicuriens (A First Draft Translation)
Bryan May 1, 2025 at 8:36 PM

Epicurean Life Strategies for Modern Times

For discussion of daily life as an Epicurean.
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101
Posts
961
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Johari windows useful in Epicurean philosophy? (thread started by Adrastus)
Eikadistes July 6, 2025 at 11:06 AM
What place does "simple" have in Epicureanism?
Adrastus July 6, 2025 at 9:41 AM

Answering the "Quest For Meaning" In Epicurean Terms

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6
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80
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An Anti-Epicurean Article - "The Meaning of Life Is Not Happiness" (For Future Reference)
Pacatus November 19, 2024 at 12:17 PM
The "meaning crisis" trend. How do you answer it as an Epicurean philosopher?
Patrikios September 28, 2024 at 5:46 PM

Creating Joy Through Pleasure

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0
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0

Health And Diet

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17
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149
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Highly Palatable Foods and Over-eating
Kalosyni April 24, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Health Benefits of Dancing
Kalosyni April 7, 2025 at 6:37 PM

Dealing with Emotions of Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Sadness

Threads
22
Posts
115
Last Posts
Special Emphasis On "Emotions" In Lucretius Today Podcast / Tusculan Disputations - Should Everyone Aspire To Emulate Mr. Spock?
Cassius June 29, 2025 at 3:39 PM
BASIC-ph Model of Coping
Kalosyni April 23, 2025 at 6:57 PM

Dealing With Death, Dying, And Old Age

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20
Posts
188
Last Posts
Epicurus And The Dylan Thomas Poem - "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"
Adrastus July 9, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Did Epicurus Commit Suicide Due To His Disease? (Merger of Two Threads On When Voluntary Death Makes Sense)
Cassius July 6, 2025 at 8:56 AM

Stress, Time Management, and Personal Productivity

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7
Posts
23
Last Posts
Minimalism to remove stress caused by too much stuff
Joshua May 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Box Breathing and Prolepsis
kochiekoch December 2, 2024 at 9:32 AM

Material Goods and Money Management

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3
Posts
32
Last Posts
Natural Wealth and Natural Goods in Epicureanism
Don August 14, 2022 at 9:04 AM
Philodemus' "On Property Management"
Cassius July 21, 2022 at 11:56 AM

Self-Sufficiency - Including Gardening, Farming, Agriculture

Threads
4
Posts
60
Last Posts
Interesting website that connects people to work-stay vacations - farms
sanantoniogarden July 1, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Dealing With Electric Grid Disruption
Julia May 13, 2024 at 4:22 AM

Romantic Love, Relationships, and Marriage

Threads
24
Posts
195
Last Posts
An Epicurean Understanding of Valentine's Day: Love, Romance, and Free-will
Kalosyni February 13, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Article "Asexuality and Epicureanism" by Max DuBoff on blog of the American Philosophical Association
Martin December 20, 2024 at 8:30 PM

Parenting and Childhood Education

No! Epicurus was not uneducated: the real philistines are those who ask us to go on studying till old age the subjects that we ought to be ashamed not to have learned as children.
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2
Posts
3
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Recreate an Ancient Scroll - For kids (and crafters)
Kalosyni October 21, 2023 at 11:39 AM
Epicurean Philosophy for Parents
Cassius February 22, 2021 at 9:14 AM

Remembering The Past

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1
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5
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The Art of Remembering
Don March 31, 2024 at 8:57 PM

Living In The Present

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1
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1
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Key Citations On Living In The Present
Cassius October 4, 2023 at 12:15 PM

Hope For The Future

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1
Posts
1
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Key Citations On Hope
Cassius October 4, 2023 at 12:14 PM

Unread Threads

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