Posts by Cassius

My answer on 2/26/19 to someone asking "where to start reading?"

How much background in philosophy in general do you have? We can fine tune the suggestions much better if we know that. In the meantime I want to say that in my view the best book for a person new to philosophy to read is Norman DeWitt's "Epicurus and His Philosophy." Don't pay an exorbitant price for it - any library has it, and you can buy digital versions for a reasonable price, and if you search hard enough you can find PDFs online.

Another excellent free online source is Frances Wright's "A Few Days In Athens," which is a fictional story that does an excellent job of introducing someone to Epicurus (that is in fact the theme of the story - introducing a new student to Epicurus). https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3…D20frGAxNzYhgfP

I don't have the time to develop this point as I would like to at this moment, but I want to stress that unless you are recently arrived from Mars, you are going to bring with your reading of Epicurus many preconceptions which need to be put aside in order to judge Epicurus fairly. The dominant philosophy of the world today is a mishmash of stoicism / platonism / aristotelianism / judaism / christianity which is virtually inescapable. You are conditioned to view all issues through that lens, and most people see what they expect to find when they are reading Epicurus.

The advantage of reading A Few Days In Athens or DeWitt's book is that both sources explain the background of the issues that were present in Epicurus' day, and how he answered them.

Unless you read a work like that, which explains the situation, it is very difficult to get a balanced picture by going straight to the letters of Epicurus, or even to Lucretius, which is a much longer and therefore more thorough presentation.

An excellent test for whether you are getting a balanced perspective is the treatment given by a writer of Epicurus' views on pleasure. If you come away with the idea that the writer is telling you that pleasure is nothing more than the absence of pain, and that the best life is therefore gained by suppressing pain in any way possible, and that the simplest life is always the best, then you should look elsewhere (to DeWitt or Wright) for a more balanced perspective.

Another excellent test is to look for how many references a writer makes to "pleasure" in discussing Epicurus. You will find that writers who are ultimately some version of Stoic will de-emphasize the word pleasure, and talk mostly about "happiness" or "ataraxia" or even "flourishing" -- and these writers too are perverting Epicurus to fit their own perspective of the best life.

There are many good books that have many excellent points about Epicurus, and I specifically include Hiram's book and Haris' book (both members here) as good for practical application of the full theory. But neither of these attempt to provide the full sweep of the theory in a manner that an ancient Epicurean would probably approve, and you won't get in English anywhere but DeWitt, and to a lesser extent from Wright.

Thanks Oscar! I will check into the file upload limit.

Looks like this link will get it off Google books -- should have looked there first! Thanks!

I am still hanging a little at FB, but boy you and I do think alike on the general strategy!!

A friend today pointed me to this link to find an old book:

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.…;view=1up;seq=6

Does anyone have "partner access" (perhaps through a university library) where they could download the full PDF and provide me access to a copy. The book is of course long out of copyright, but the site only allows one to read it, or download it page by page, and I would like to get a local copy for bookmarking important sections.

Interestingly I see this title page refernces St. Evremont -- would that be friend of Ninon De L'Enclos?

Oscar you are full of good ideas!

- Yes the goal of sending on the Twentieth is a great idea!

- Yes the discussion of the Frederick quote is also a great idea. I think one of the major attractions here is that we can have extended and in-depth discussions of hard-to-find points like that, so that is an excellent example of something to include!

March, 2019

"Not just a philosophy, but a way of life!"

** Welcome to this month's edition of the best email newsletter for Epicureans around the world. If you know of other newsletters, or Epicurean news that we aren't covering, please send us an email!

** Our home base for discussion, where you can find links to major Epicurean news and websites across the internet is https://www.epicureanfriends.com/. Our goal is to better understand and apply the wisdom of Epicurus, and in the words of Lucian, "strike a blow for Epicurus - that great man whose holiness and divinity of nature were not shams, who alone had and imparted true insight into the good, and who brought deliverance to all that consorted with him!" For more background, check here and also here. For those who use Facebook, we also cover news from the Epicurean Philosophy Facebook page. For interim updates between editions of this newsletter, check out EpicurusToday.com for daily updates.

** We are frequently asked for help in connecting with a local Epicurean group. At present there are only a few established groups in the world, notably in Greece and Australia. If you are interested in connecting with Epicureans in your local area, please check this Regional Epicurean Group Forum for help in organizing and finding local connections. The forum is divided into sections for each area of the world, and also contains hints for using Meetup.com as a method of getting started.

** Let's also review how to find links to active Epicurean websites. In addition to the links at EpicurusToday.com, an updated list is maintained here at EpicureanFriends. If you are someone who is studying Epicurus and trying to apply his lessons in your life, you're well aware of the emphasis on friendship and on communicating with like-minded people. Wherever you are, even if there is no local group yet, please stop in at one of the on-line websites and introduce yourself. The best way you can help yourself and the Epicurean websites is to ask questions, comment, criticize, praise, and otherwise give us your feedback so we can get to know you better. At EpicureanFriends you are welcome to subscribe anonymously, and as long as you follow the rules of the group your postings are welcome. Reading a book or even a website is no substitute for personal interactions with other Epicureans. If you meet someone who isn't friendly and interested in talking about Epicurus, then you aren't talking to an Epicurean!

HERE ARE SOME OF THE RECENT TOPICS OVER THE PAST MONTH THAT YOU MAY WISH TO CHECK:

** It is well know that Frederick the Great, one of the most famous kings of Prussia, was a fan of Lucretius (and therefore of Epicurus). With the help of German-speaking members at EF, we tracked the source of a very interesting Frederick quote: "Christianity is an old metaphysical fiction, stuffed with fables, contradictions, and absurdities: It was spawned in the fevered imaginations of the Orientals, and then spread to our Europe, where some fanatics espoused it, where some intriguers pretended to be convinced by it, and where some imbeciles actually believe it." Anti-Christian statements are a dime a dozen, and disbelieving Christianity or simply being an atheist is no guarantee whatsoever that a person has an affinity for Epicurus. When we see the connection that someone both rejects conventional religion and praises Epicurus, however, we're dealing with something special that students of Epicurus should know about. If you know of other historical figures who modern Epicureans should know about, please be sure to let us know. The full thread documenting the background of the statement by Frederick the Great is here.

** The local Epicurean Garden in Athens Greece is one of the most active groups in the world. They conduct very elaborate yearly seminars at least once a year, and their leading members regularly produce articles. Unfortunately for those who are not bilingual, many of them are only in Greek, but we recently received news that (A) the Athens group will be working in collaboration with the Greek branch of UNESCO, and under the auspices of the Mayor of Athens and of the Mayor of Pallini, to organize the 1st Panhellenic Meeting of Happiness "Happiness is a Human Right" in order to discuss philosophically and scientifically about happiness and present the Declaration of the right of happiness in the European Union. On the 20th of March (International Day of Happiness) the Group will announce the details of the 1st Panhellenic Meeting of Happiness which will take place on April 14. The English language page of the website of the Athens Garden, where more information will be announced is here. As an example of some of the work from the Athens Garden, check out this slide presentation on Bioethics here.

** One of our active posters at EpicureanFriends, DVO, started a thread on "Best Ways To Introduce Teachings." DVO has a special interest in Utilitarianism and how those ideas may relate to Epicurean philosophy, and the thread contains lots of interesting discussion about where to start and how Epicurus relates and differs from the Utilitarians.

** The subject of Epicurus' views on the Greek Gods of his time, and on the existence of gods in general, is always a contentious subject. One variation on that topic being discussed now is "Imagery of Gods / Gods Among Men" focused mainly on how modern Epicureans should consider and and use images of divinity in Epicurean philosophy. Even if you reject the view that true atomic-based entities exist somewhere in space, it's clear that talk of god-like beings was a subject regularly discussed in Epicurean philosophy, if for no other reason than as a symbol of the best possible life. This thread may help advance your own thoughts about that aspect.

** Two commentators whose views of Epicurus are regularly discussed are Bertrand Russell and Martha Nussbaum. Both are frequently cited, yet neither were explicitly Epicurean themselves, and their views of Epicurus should not be accepted uncritically. Threads were started recently on both to collect citations illustrating their personal views, so that those can be kept in mind when evaluating their opinions of Epicurean philosophy. The thread on Bertrand Russell is here and on Martha Nussbaum is here.

** One of our most popular sections at EpicureanFriends is the forum Epicurean-Friendly Art and Music. The forum is divided into sections according to genres of music. We already have a good collection of links to YouTube versions of Epicurean-friendly music, and we will always be looking for more. Please drop by and add your own suggestions for others to appreciate.

** Over the last month we have been adding new graphics/memes on the Forty Principal Doctrines, with the goal of preparing one or more for each of the forty. Check out the ones we have prepared so far at this link or go directly to the EF gallery section here.

** One of the graphics/memes you most definitely don't want to miss is Nate's "Allegory of the Oasis" which has been revised and updated in recent months. The characters and events illustrated in this graphic are a great way to think about and discuss key points of Epicurean philosophy. We want to continue to thank Nate for his work in preparing this.

** As we begin to close this month's newsletter, let me call to your attention the main ways of navigating the EpicureanFriends website. If you are new to the site, be sure to first check out the material on the home page. Once you are familiar with that, you'll probably want to bookmark the Dashboard to go straight to new forum posts on future return visits. We have recently added a new link - the New! button that appears at the start of the top menu. Click that New! button and you'll go directly to the latest updates in all sections of the website. if have catching up to do and would like to see the topics that have been most active beginning of the forum, click here.

** In addition to the other links mentioned above, if you are an active Facebook user, please check out the Epicurean Philosophy Facebook Group. You will probably also want to follow the Epicurus Page on Facebook as well as the various pages of the Society of Friends of Epicurus.

** Thanks to all who have participated at EpicureanFriends.com over the past month. It can't be emphasized enough that proper application of Epicurean philosophy demands that we have Epicurean friends, so we urge you to join one of the many Epicurean venues and study Epicurus with like-minded people - and then you too will be well on your way to becoming a god among men!

As always, if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please let us know at the forum.

Live Well!

Cassius Amicus

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Quote from Oscar

Not denying any of that Cassius, you're totally right about that. We can't ignore or forget that.

I think one of the major conclusions of Epicurean philosophy, based as it is on atomism and the absence of a central directing force, that there will be many individual interpretations of pleasure and that we make a serious mistake if we think that "one size fits all" in pleasure, and therefore in any ethical question. Of course we take this knowledge and apply it and realize that since everyone is not the same, we have to deal with others accordingly, and organize our lives around friends rather than strangers/enemies, etc. The implications are deep and very foreign to those of us brought up in a universalist / christian environment, and there is much to explore.

Oscar I take it that you are implying that you are an artist yourself. I am very much looking forward to seeing what you produce!

Oh one more comment there: Obviously there are many facets to Epicurean philosophy, but one that is most personal to me is its conflict with Judeo/Christianity, which in my view is one of the main forces of ruination in the world. That conflict came into being in the Greco/Roman period, and the question of "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem" will always be for me a key to unwinding the controversy.

That's great Oscar! Thanks for any suggestions you have! I definitely want to attack these issues from as many perspectives as possible.

As much as I love the picture of Pericles giving his oration (used in my nearby graphic of PD5), that one is probably already overused, and I really need a new source of public-domain pictures from the Greco-Roman period. (Other imagery that works as well is also good, but much of the public domain stuff is going to be "classical.)

I use Wikimedia as one source, but I am sure that there are many books on google docs or other online sources which have good illustrations and are now in the public domain. For example, I've personally seen that many older texts on Latin and Greek grammar frequently have good illustrations. If anyone knows of examples of such sources we could use for future graphics I would appreciate your posting links here so we can meme away without fear of copyright issues down the road.

**Visualizing Principal Doctrine 5** This doctrine is commonly cited by those who wish to equate Epicurus with Stoicism, and to argue that both are essentially the same because they value "virtue." The text is: "It is not possible to live pleasantly without living wisely, honorably, and justly. Nor can one live wisely, honorably, and justly without living pleasantly. But those who for any reason do not live wisely, honorably, and justly cannot possibly live pleasantly."

If we look at the full context, however, we see how living virtuously fits in with every other aspect of Epicurean ethical doctrine, as a tool for the achievement of pleasurable living. This is the wider explanation and full application of the doctrine as provided by Torquatus in Cicero's "On Ends":

"Here is indeed a royal road to happiness — open, simple, and direct! For clearly man can have no greater good than complete freedom from pain and sorrow coupled with the enjoyment of the highest bodily and mental pleasures. Notice then how the theory embraces every possible enhancement of life, every aid to the attainment of that Chief Good which is our object.

Epicurus, the man whom you denounce as a voluptuary, cries aloud that no one can live pleasantly without living wisely, honourably and justly, and no one wisely, honourably and justly without living pleasantly.

For a city rent by faction cannot prosper, nor a house whose masters are at strife; much less then can a mind divided against itself and filled with inward discord taste any particle of pure and liberal pleasure. But one who is perpetually swayed by conflicting and incompatible counsels and desires can know no peace or calm. Why, if the pleasantness of life is diminished by the more serious bodily diseases, how much more must it be diminished by the diseases of the mind! But extravagant and imaginary desires, for riches, fame, power, and also for licentious pleasures, are nothing but mental diseases. Then, too, there are grief, trouble and sorrow, which gnaw the heart and consume it with anxiety, if men fail to realize that the mind need feel no pain unconnected with some pain of body, present or to come. Yet there is no foolish man but is afflicted by some one of these diseases; therefore there is no foolish man that is not unhappy.

Moreover, there is death, the stone of Tantalus ever hanging over men’s heads; and superstition, that poisons and destroys all peace of mind. Besides, they do not recollect their past nor enjoy their present blessings; they merely look forward to those of the future, and as these are of necessity uncertain, they are consumed with agony and terror; and the climax of their torment is when they perceive too late that all their dreams of wealth or station, power or fame, have come to nothing. For they never attain any of the pleasures, the hope of which inspired them to undergo all their arduous toils. Or look again at others, petty, narrow-minded men, or confirmed pessimists, or spiteful, envious, ill‑tempered creatures, unsociable, abusive, brutal; others again enslaved to the follies of love, impudent or reckless, wanton, headstrong and yet irresolute, always changing their minds. Such failings render their lives one unbroken round of misery. The conclusion is that no foolish man can be happy, nor any wise man fail to be happy. This is a truth that we establish far more conclusively than do the Stoics. For they maintain that nothing is good save that vague phantom which they entitle Moral Worth, a title more splendid than substantial; and say that Virtue resting on this Moral Worth has no need of pleasure, but is herself her own sufficient happiness.

(Translation by Harris Rackham, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, vol. XVII, 1931)

Does the failure of every moment of life to be complete pleasure mean that a person is not living wisely, honorably, or justly? Would it be true that no effort to visualize this doctrine can be true because any human example, no matter how wise, honorable, or just he or she may have been, still experienced pain at times?

No - that would be a misreading of the doctrine. Note that Epicurus used words to the effect that "It is not possible..." and "cannot possibly...." Because there is no fate or providence in Epicurean philosophy or the world in reality, it is not possible to guarantee results. Negative interventions of other people and natural events can and should be minimized to the extent possible, but they cannot be totally avoided. As Epicurus said in the letter to Menoeceus:

...[W]e do not choose every pleasure whatsoever, but will often pass over many pleasures when a greater annoyance ensues from them. And often we consider pains superior to pleasures when submission to the pains for a long time brings us as a consequence a greater pleasure. While therefore all pleasure because it is naturally akin to us is good, not all pleasure is should be chosen, just as all pain is an evil and yet not all pain is to be shunned. It is, however, by measuring one against another, and by looking at the conveniences and inconveniences, that all these matters must be judged. Sometimes we treat the good as an evil, and the evil, on the contrary, as a good.

The full set of graphics for Principal Doctrine 5 can be found here:

https://www.epicureanfriends.com/wcf/gallery/in…e-list/192-pd5/

That would be great -- and I think I have figured out how to set up a list from which people can add and subtract themselves to receive the newsletter.

Before I send another one next week I'll want to think about whether there is any ability to subscribe or unsubscribe to the newsletter email. I don't think the software allows me to do anything less than send to "all users." It's probably a decent bet than anyone who subscribes is willing to receive a weekly newsletter. but I'll look into the ability to maintain a mailing list, or perhaps use something like mailchimp.

Thanks again Oscar. I have just pulled the trigger on sending a short newsletter email to everyone who is a registered user. Could you let me know how that worked and if you received it?

I don't want to do these more than once a week lest it be too much, so I hope I didn't butcher this first one !

THIS WEEK IN EPICUREAN PHILOSOPHY AT EPICUREANFRIENDS.COM - 02/23/19

** For several years ending in 2015, I published a weekly report on news from the world of Epicurean Philosophy. Since then, my home base has shifted to https://www.epicureanfriends.com, but not til tonight have I issued an updated newsletter. This brief message is a start in that direction. Copies of this post, will be stored in this threadfor future reference.

** Tonight's newsletter is just a short post to get back in the newsletter swing and to test how to send them through the forum software. I hope this email finds you well, and that if you haven't visited EpicureanFriends.com lately, you will do so again soon.

** The last year has been a period of slow but measurable growth. We have over 100 subscribed members now at EpicureanFriends.com, and we're steadily building a base of people who don't see Facebook as the answer for the kind of dedicated community we really want to build. The real test of viability is that we have a small but steady core of people who are regularly checking in and participating, and our threads are quickly becoming longer and more substantive than those at Facebook. For a forum which doesn't show up well in Google and doesn't have dedicated advertising, that is a good start.

** These few comments are all I have for this first re-started newsletter. Thanks to all who participated at EpicureanFriends.com, and as always, if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please let us know at the forum.

Live Well!

Cassius Amicus

Ah, yes -- take a look here: [Historical Records] from The Epicurean Philosophy Facebook Group

I started my activist phase almost ten years ago, mostly on facebook, and at one point I was sending out a weekly summary of the most important posts and developments on the facebook forum, with additional commentary and links to other places for Epicurean resources. I think some of those newsletters are probably stored here in this new forum too.

I now see from the forum software people the rudimentary procedure for sending a newsletter. I am going to test that in just am moment.

Oscar take a look at this page: https://www.epicureanfriends.com/wcf/index.php?…ation-settings/

Are you currently receiving any email notifications at all? Come to think of it I am not myself, except for notification of new users. Let me look into the default settings.

Also, at times past I put together a "newsletter" format at my wordpress blog, http://www.NewEpicurean.com, but I have not done that for several years. I need to look at restarting that and seeing what can be done through the forum software.