It appears to me that Elli's suggestion of "occupied" as the final word of this doctrine is more accurate than Bailey's "...without allowing himself leisure."
However the "leisure" reference is the translation we see everywhere.
This is a thread to discuss which is more accurate.
Bailey:
Epicurus Wiki:
http://wiki.epicurism.info/Vatican_Saying_14/
The pivotal word here is ασχολούμενος.
Here is the entry for the root verb ασχολεω at Perseus Digital Library for two dictionaries.
Two pertinent definitions seem to be "to be engaged in one's own business; performance of a public function." I would agree with Elli's "occupied." The word seems to imply that one is engaged in their own business, focused on their work to the exclusion of other pursuits. Not necessarily that they're not taking time for leisure purposefully, but that they're "pre-occupied" with the daily grind.
For more, here's the entry for ασχολος.
And for ασχολία.
Take a look at those and please share your thoughts.
Not necessarily that they're not taking time for leisure purposefully, but that they're "pre-occupied" with the daily grind.
Occupied by activities which pull one away from the fullness of enjoying life - these could be activities of the mind or actual activities which feel unfulfilling. If your mind is always processing all the little things you need to do next, in a subtle kind of "worry"..."I've got to do this, I've got to do that"...and these thoughts make it difficult to savor the present moment. It is almost as if joy is a very subtle experience and the complexities of civilization are so much more noisy and make it difficult to look for and see joy. If you combine this one with Vatican Saying 11, then it fleshes it out a bit more (at least in my mind).
Revisiting Vatican Saying 14 ...
...rushing around without considering that life has a finite length of time.
If what you do is always done with the thought that you have wisely chosen what you are doing and you know (and remember) that you only have a finite amount of time, then no matter what you do it will be more "meaningful".
And also adding in consideration of VS11, which speaks about doing things either in a state of stagnation (sleepy) vs. a frenzied state. Stagnation could be like automatic pilot, and just repeating the same slow actions.
Yes the take-away from VS 11 seems to be a reminder to always hold in mind the goal of tranquil activity -- that we want to be tranquil without becoming listless, and we want to be active without becoming agitated.
On the original topic, I wanted to point out the fun connection that the word for "school" is the same as "leisure" -- and the word in question is the negation of leisure -- i.e., occupation. This is why the translations diverge a bit at this point.
On the original topic, I wanted to point out the fun connection that the word for "school" is the same as "leisure" -- and the word in question is the negation of leisure -- i.e., occupation. This is why the translations diverge a bit at this point.
Is this perhaps coming up because of the differences in ancient Greek language vs modern Greek language?
Also, could it imply "being busy and therefore not getting around to studying the true nature of things" and then coming to one's death without really "understanding" life...but perhaps I am tweeking this a bit too far. ???
This very good article talks about "The 'Busy' Trap", written back in 2012, and perhaps relevant for some people still today. And this article helps shed some light on VS14, bringing a modern twist.
On the original topic, I wanted to point out the fun connection that the word for "school" is the same as "leisure" -- and the word in question is the negation of leisure -- i.e., occupation. This is why the translations diverge a bit at this point.
This came up in last night's Zoom, and if I remember correctly that Bryan said that one's work was what one had to do to provide oneself with essentials to stay alive, but when one wasn't working it was thought that they should be "in school" studying philosophy.
Bryan would you translate VS14 differently compared to the Epicurus Wiki translation?
Bryan I've resorted to using Google:
The Ancient Greek word ἀσχολούμενος (ascholoumenos) is a middle/passive present participle meaning "being busy," "occupied with," or "engaged in an activity." [1, 2]
Key Linguistic Breakdown
- Grammatical Form: It is the masculine singular present middle/passive participle of the verb ἀσχολέομαι (ascholeomai), which means "to have no leisure" or "to be busy." [1]
- Literal Roots:
- ἀ- (a-): The privative prefix meaning "not" or "without."
- σχολή (skholē): Meaning "leisure" or "free time." (This is the ironic root of our English word "school", because the ancient Greeks viewed education and philosophical study as an activity meant for one's free leisure time). [1]
- Literal Meaning: Combined, the word literally translates to "one who is without leisure time." [1]
In everyday Ancient Greek context, if you were ascholoumenos, you were actively tied up with work, an obligation, or business affairs.
