Posts by Cassius

I just noticed that we have the following two forums ("Ethics - How To Live as An Epicurean" and "Applications For Day To Day Living") which probably should be consolidated into one, so we'll do that in the very near future. When posting, the General Discussion section is always acceptable for day-to-day general developments, and we can re-file to subforums later if needed. However many of the substantive posts our regulars make will fit into one of the three categories "Physics," "Canonics," or "Ethics." These cover very wide areas, so when you are posting and your topic fits into one of those three, please consider posting in the the "general" section of one of those three topics. Most people coming to the forum should expect to understand that Physics, Ethics, and Canonics are the way things are generally divided, and posting in this way will help those who are first focused on only one of the three to find what they are looking for.

Good point as to the context of the statement in the letter to Herodotus. The word "simple" has a huge number of connotations and it would be good (as stated in the first post) to flesh out which ones are and are not relevant to Epicurus. I think a lot of people tend to associate the word first and foremost with something rhyming with ascetic, but that's not at all the only option. Dictionary.com

adjective

simpler, simplest.

1. easy to understand, deal with, use, etc.: simple tools.

   a simple matter;

   simple tools.

   Synonyms: lucid, unmistakable, understandable, intelligible, clear

2. not elaborate or artificial; plain:

   a simple style.

   Synonyms: unembellished, neat, natural

3. not ornate or luxurious; unadorned:

   a simple gown.

4. unaffected; unassuming; modest:

   a simple manner.

5. not complicated:

   a simple design.

6. not complex or compound; single

7. occurring or considered alone; mere; bare:

   the simple truth;

   a simple fact.

8. free of deceit or guile; sincere; unconditional:

   a frank, simple answer.

   Synonyms: ingenuous, guileless, artless

9. common or ordinary:

   a simple soldier.

10. not grand or sophisticated; unpretentious:

    a simple way of life.

11. humble or lowly:

    simple folk.

12. inconsequential or rudimentary.

    Synonyms: unnecessary, nonessential, trivial, trifling

13. unlearned; ignorant.

    Synonyms: stupid, untutored

14. lacking mental acuteness or sense:

    a simple way of thinking.

15. unsophisticated; naive; credulous.
16. simpleminded.
17. Chemistry.

    1. composed of only one substance or element:

       a simple substance.

    2. not mixed.

18. Botany. not divided into parts: a simple stem.

    a simple leaf;

    a simple stem.

19. Zoology. not compound:

    a simple ascidian.

20. Music. uncompounded or without overtones; single:

    simple tone.

21. Grammar. having only the head without modifying elements included: Compare complete ( def 5 ).

    The simple subject of “The dappled pony gazed over the fence” is “pony.”

22. (of a verb tense) consisting of a main verb with no auxiliaries, as takes (simple present) or stood (simple past) ( compound ).
23. Mathematics. linear ( def 8 ).
24. Optics. (of a lens) having two optical surfaces only.

Our main plan for 2025 will be to continue on the same track we are on as to maintenance of the Forum, Lucretius Today Podcast, Wednesday Meetings, Twentieth Commemorations, and special projects like our recent Livestream. As to the livestream in particular, I want to see those done regularly, probably in an easier-to-do format. I also want 2025 to be the year we make more progress in getting a self-paced learning program off the ground at http://www.epicuruscollege.com.

Beyond that - and other than the general desirability of more of the same, does anyone have other suggestions or ideas that they would like us to consider pursuing here at EpicureanFriends?

Consider this a general feedback / suggestion thread, almost as a "wish list" of things you would like to see us pursue in 2025. Can't promise that we can get to all of them, but we know we'll miss 100% of the targets we don't identify.

So if you have suggestions you'd like us to consider, please post in this thread.

In preparation for this coming weekend's recording of episode 265, I thought I would see if anyone had any suggestions for texts to include on the specific topic of the competition between virtue and pleasure for the title of "highest good."

While the letter to Menoeceus and the Principle Doctrines (for example, PD05) mention specific virtues like justice and honor and wisdom, I am looking for texts that specifically contrast the competition between "virtue" as a category vs "pleasure" as a category for the top role.

Diogenes Laertius' inscription contains the "shouting" fragment that the end of life is pleasure and not virtue, and Torquatus goes on at length about this precise competition.

I think one of the Jefferson letters makes the specific point too.

Those give us most of the material we need, but if anyone remembers anything else referencing virtue vs pleasure on the category level that we should be sure to include, please add to this thread.

There's lots of material in praise of pleasure from which we can choose as needed, and many references to particular virtues like justice. But if anyone remembers any specific comparisons of pleasure vs virtue in any of the secondary literature (other works of Cicero, works of Plutarch, or Philodemus, etc,) please post in the thread and i will add it to the discussion outline here.

Thanks!

We speak frequently about translating words from the Greek, but much less frequently about Greek numbering. This subject came up in tonight's Wednesday Zoom meeting and Bryan has graciously forwarded me the information below about how the Greeks recorded numbers. All of us know the Arabic system and most of us know some Roman numerals, but this is to start a thread on the Greek numbering system. I am not at first thought able to name any immediate philosophical implications of how the Greeks counted, but I bet there are some. Thanks again to Bryan for this material:

The Greek system seems simple compared to what the Romans were doing. It is closer to our decimal system, although still more rigid.

Wow yes great video! I didn't see the scene you're referring to where the top of the mountain was reconstructed but I gather there is at least one fresco showing the top of the mountain to be MUCH taller!

Episode 264 of the Lucretius Today Podcast is now available: "Bread and Water??!! Debunking The Myth Of Epicurean Asceticism." For a slideshow version of this talk, click the "Featured Videos" link on our home page.

I hope you'll keep notes and eventually find time to prepare something on some of these physics issues Bryan. I just posted Don's "Bread and Water" as a separate podcast episode and I think a shorter focused talk format works very well - as it would for some focused physics issues.

We're about to release this special episode of Lucretius Today, with Don's talk on the myth of Epicurean asceticism. I'm pleased with this format and think you'll enjoy it. It works well to have a shorter format on a single topic, and we'll do more of these in the future. These are a good complement to our longer-format shows on key doctrines of Epicurus that we are in the process of preparing now.

And after this episode Don may be forever-after known as "The Great Debunker!"

So these "Fellows" are who?

And I see - you are saying that because the statement is interpreted as a demeaning reference to other human beings (outsiders to the religion?), there was a reluctance to attribute it to Jesus (?)

Ha!

Good reminder of these lines - hard to find better practical Epicurean advice than this:

Latin
inter spem curamque, timores inter et iras
omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum:

English (Loeb Classics)

Amid hopes and cares, amid fears and passions,
believe that every day that has dawned is your last.

Also: just as the title of this thread was abbreviated to "pearls before swine," I realize now that I tend to completely forget that that is only 50% of the allusion.

As to the second part, people seem to be acclimated to accept unthinkingly that pigs are "unworthy" creatures. Aside from that being an extremely debatable assumption in general, in my most recent encounter with two large pigs running wild I found them to be friendly and totally unthreatening.

But as to the mostly-forgotten first part, they've largely lost the war on that one. Dogs are almost universally beloved at least here in the West, and dogs' perceptiveness as to the true value of the "sacred" seems to me to be a lot better reasoned than that of many humans.

From now on I will be remembering the "dogs" part as much or more than the "swine" part.

Prior discussion:

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Episode 197 -LucretiusToday Interviews Dr. Marcelo Boeri

Welcome to Episode 197 of the Lucretius Today Podcast. Today we are very privileged to present to you an interview with Dr. Marcelo Boeri, Professor of Ancient Philosophy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Dr. Boeri is originally from Buenos Aires, and after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Salvador in 1995, he has worked extensively in the field of Ancient Greek philosophy ever since, lecturing at many distinguished universities around the world.

We are greatly…

Cassius

October 22, 2023 at 7:36 AM

Prior discussion:

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Article and Short Video By Don On The Location of The Garden of Epicurus in Athens

youtu.be/qYkkX67TZd8

Thanks to Don for all the hard work on the article and for presenting a condensed version by video. The article can be downloaded here:

epicureanfriends.com/wcf/filebase/file/67/

Cassius

April 22, 2023 at 8:49 AM

Prior discussion took place here:

Thread

Seven Steps With Epicurus - A Slide Presentation

epicureanfriends.com/wcf/attachment/3636/

As part of our collaborative work toward an "Epicurean Week" we have come up with a series of "power-point" slides which introduce the philosophy in seven simple steps. The formulation here may change over time as we fine tune this as part of our course materials. This will eventually be expanded into a "7 Weeks with Epicurus". Questions and comments are welcome. Click here for the presentation or you can just click on the graphic above to begin the…

Cassius

April 4, 2023 at 9:31 AM

Prior discussion of this interview took place here:

Thread

Episode 166 - The Lucretius Today Podcast Interviews Dr. David Glidden on "Epicurean Prolepsis"

Welcome to episode 166 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the only 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 too find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where you will find a discussion…

Cassius

March 18, 2023 at 7:35 AM

Discussion of our interviews with Dr. Austin occurred In Episodes 156 and 157 of the Lucretius Today Podcast.

You can access the original podcasts and show discussions in the following links:

Thread

Episode 156 - Lucretius Today Interviews Dr. Emily Austin - Part One

Welcome to episode 156, a special two-part Episode of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the only 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 too find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where…

Cassius

January 10, 2023 at 12:58 AM

Thread

Episode 157 - Lucretius Today Interviews Dr. Emily Austin - Part Two

Welcome to episode 157, part two of a special two part Episode of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the only 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 too find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at…

Cassius

January 19, 2023 at 10:13 AM

Related Thread (this video originally appeared in post 39 of this thread:

Thread

Propositional Logic, Truth Tables, and Epicurus' Objection to "Dialectic"

Martin has pointed out what appears to be an excellent opportunity to put together a special presentation on Epicurean views of "formal logic" and its relationship to reality. The opportunity comes from our mention in an earlier thread of the following statement by Torquatus in Cicero's On Ends:

epicureanfriends.com/wcf/attachment/2222/

Again, the thread reference was here, and below is a copy of Martin's post: RE: Issues In The Meaning And Definition of Logic



…

Cassius

September 5, 2021 at 10:52 AM

Prior Thread is here:

Thread

New Music Created by Michele Pinto and Andrea Celidoni - Free As Epicurus - The Epicurus Rap!

Great work @michelepinto and Andrea!


youtu.be/66yOo7bZ0mA

Cassius

August 10, 2020 at 10:20 AM