Episode 292 - TD22 - Is Virtue Or Pleasure The Key To Overcoming Grief?

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    Welcome to Episode 292 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world.

    Each week we walk you through the Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where we discuss this and all of our podcast episodes.

    This week we continue our series covering Cicero's "Tusculan Disputations" from an Epicurean viewpoint.

    Today we continue in Part 3, which addresses anger, pity, envy, and other strong emotions. Today we'll continue into Section XVI, where we compare Epicurus' views on dealing with grief to those of other schools.


  • Cassius July 30, 2025 at 12:07 PM

    Changed the title of the thread from “Episode 292 - TD22 - Not Yet Recorded - Cicero Continues His Attack On Epicurus” to “Episode 292 - TD22 - Is Virtue Or Pleasure The Key To Overcoming Grief?”.
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    To further support Joshua's argument that starts at 16:00, I wanted to share these two quotes:

    Plutarch, Non Posse, 28, p. 1105D: "If then 'The memory of a friend that has died is pleasant from every standpoint' as Epicurus said, indeed already it is possible to understand how much they deprive themselves of joy: believing they [passively] receive and [actively] pursue appearances and films of dead companions – in which neither mind exists, nor sensation – while they are not expecting to be truly united again with them (and to see their beloved father, and beloved mother, and even their helpful wife)."

    Seneca, Letters to Lucilius, 63.7 (apparently quoting Epicurus): "For me, the thought of departed friends is sweet and pleasant: for I had them as though I would lose them – and I have lost them as though I still have them."

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    Brilliant juxtaposition about prudence at 37:00! That needed to happen and you did a great job!

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