Welcome Cornelius Peripateticus! (A name we'll consider genericly rather than as being a dedicated Aristotelian!)

Welcome Cornelius Peripateticus !

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Please say "Hello" by introducing yourself, tell us what prompted your interest in Epicureanism and which particular aspects of Epicureanism most interest you, and/or post a question.

This forum is the place for students of Epicurus to coordinate their studies and work together to promote the philosophy of Epicurus. Please remember that all posting here is subject to our Community Standards and associated Terms of Use. Please be sure to read that document to understand our ground rules.

Please understand that the leaders of this forum are well aware that many fans of Epicurus may have sincerely-held views of what Epicurus taught that are incompatible with the purposes and standards of this forum. This forum is dedicated exclusively to the study and support of people who are committed to classical Epicurean views. As a result, this forum is not for people who seek to mix and match Epicurean views with positions that are inherently inconsistent with the core teachings of Epicurus.

All of us who are here have arrived at our respect for Epicurus after long journeys through other philosophies, and we do not demand of others what we were not able to do ourselves. Epicurean philosophy is very different from most other philosophies, and it takes time to understand how deep those differences really are. That's why we have membership levels here at the forum which allow for new participants to discuss and develop their own learning, but it's also why we have standards that will lead in some cases to arguments being limited, and even participants being removed, when the purposes of the community require it. Epicurean philosophy is not inherently democratic, or committed to unlimited free speech, or devoted to any other form of organization other than the pursuit of truth and happy living through pleasure as explained in the principles of Epicurean philosophy.

One way you can be assured of your time here will be productive is to tell us a little about yourself and your background in reading Epicurean texts. It would also be helpful if you could tell us how you found this forum, and any particular areas of interest that you already have.

You can also check out our Getting Started page for ideas on how to use this website.

We have found over the years that there are a number of key texts and references which most all serious students of Epicurus will want to read and evaluate for themselves. Those include the following.

"Epicurus and His Philosophy" by Norman DeWitt

The Biography of Epicurus by Diogenes Laertius. This includes the surviving letters of Epicurus, including those to Herodotus, Pythocles, and Menoeceus.

"On The Nature of Things" - by Lucretius (a poetic abridgement of Epicurus' "On Nature"

"Epicurus on Pleasure" - By Boris Nikolsky

The chapters on Epicurus in Gosling and Taylor's "The Greeks On Pleasure."

Cicero's "On Ends" - Torquatus Section

Cicero's "On The Nature of the Gods" - Velleius Section

The Inscription of Diogenes of Oinoanda - Martin Ferguson Smith translation

A Few Days In Athens" - Frances Wright

Lucian Core Texts on Epicurus: (1) Alexander the Oracle-Monger, (2) Hermotimus

Philodemus "On Methods of Inference" (De Lacy version, including his appendix on relationship of Epicurean canon to Aristotle and other Greeks)

"The Greeks on Pleasure" -Gosling & Taylor Sections on Epicurus, especially the section on katastematic and kinetic pleasure which explains why ultimately this distinction was not of great significance to Epicurus.

It is by no means essential or required that you have read these texts before participating in the forum, but your understanding of Epicurus will be much enhanced the more of these you have read. Feel free to join in on one or more of our conversation threads under various topics found throughout the forum, where you can to ask questions or to add in any of your insights as you study the Epicurean philosophy.

And time has also indicated to us that if you can find the time to read one book which will best explain classical Epicurean philosophy, as opposed to most modern "eclectic" interpretations of Epicurus, that book is Norman DeWitt's Epicurus And His Philosophy.

(If you have any questions regarding the usage of the forum or finding info, please post any questions in this thread).

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome Cornelius, who has sent me the following information about himself. He sounds fascinating and familiar with the forum rules, so for the time being we'll consider his name to indicate that he likes to exercise his legs, rather than as a statement of dedication to Aristotle!

Cornelius tells me:

Quote

Hi, I'm Francesco, an Italian student at the University of Rome in Primary Education (essentially, I'm studying to become an elementary and preschool teacher). Having attended liceo classico (a high school in Italy that requires rigorous study of Greek and Latin language and texts), since my sophomore year (around age 16) I've been extremely fascinated by Epicurus's thought and how it was later reworked in a profoundly artistic way by Lucretius. I distinctly remember how my first reading of the Epistle to Menoeceus genuinely brought me to tears at the end, with Epicurus's final exhortation urging his friend, "Take and practice these teachings, and you will be a god among mortals, for to this is comparable the joy of one who enjoys immortal goods."

I've had a difficult life, especially since early adolescence, and Epicurus, somewhat similarly to Lucretius's description, has always been a beacon of light in my life (along with several other thinkers, but Epicurus was certainly the first to strike me in this way). I still find the idea behind Tetrapharmakon, the detachment from harmful, "artificial," and purely "comfortable" goods and pleasures that only generate a profound dose of pain in man (and society as a whole), to be avant-garde. I find the Samian master's exhortation to pursue a simple life of simple pleasures, as well as his definition of pain and pleasure, enlightening, however simple it may seem to the contemporary eye. Even today, in moments of suffering or difficult decisions, I find myself repeating what has become a mantra for me: "Not all pleasures should be pursued because they can lead to greater pain, just as not all pains should be avoided because they can yield unforgettable pleasures." I believe there are no thinkers like Epicurus who have shaped my way of looking at the world, ethics, and personal care, except Jean Jacques Rousseau (whom I won't discuss, however, because I've clearly read the forum rules: I don't intend to express contemporary political opinions, nor "ontological" or "ideal" human life-state opinions); it's no coincidence that the (brilliant) starting idea of Epicurean philosophy was to care for a people like the Greeks, who had lost their identity as "free citizens of the polis" and become vassals and subjects of the Macedonian kingdom.

I believe his was the first explicit form of dissemination of applied philosophical thought, applied not so much as a search for truth but as a form of large-scale therapy open to anyone, for living a healthier life, physically, mentally, and even "spiritually" (by which I mean the balance that develops between the individual and the surrounding world once Epicurus' teachings have been properly assimilated, and to which I do not attach a religious value). I was immediately struck by the name of the forum, given the importance Epicurus placed on the concept of friendship, and I thought I could finally find a space where, even if only passively, I could meet like-minded people and perhaps find insights on how best to apply Epicurus' thought to everyday life.

Unfortunately, although I am surrounded by friends who are classicists like me, they are all mostly Stoic in their thinking, so, although there are points of connection between the two lines of thought, the conversation very often reaches an impasse. I apologize for the rather long introduction, even though a short one was requested, but I got carried away by what Horace would call "lactea ubertas," and I hope you'll forgive me for that.