Posts by Hiram
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Feel free to send blog submissions to me at hclasalle@gmail.com
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Welcome again Oscar
Here’s my tip jar/patron page:
That goes to supporting the fees for societyofepicurus.com page. Also, feel free to ask for specific content if you donate. For 2019, I am trying to create awareness and encourage discussions about Epicurean economics, because I feel that this is an under-developed area that deserves more attention. My last 20th message was the first conversation starter on the subject.
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Do you feel such an inclination? What are your thoughts?
Sincerely,
Oscar
Welcome to the group! Here:
Epicureanism as a Religious Identity - https://theautarkist.wordpress.com/2015/06/13/epi…gious-identity/
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I think it would be an interesting artistic exercise to attempt to create an "Epicurean Deity" based solely on the philosophical description, devoid of the polytheistic accretions.
I could not find a smiling Venus or Aphrodite when I searched on google, but I found a SMILING Lakshmi, which is the Hindu version.
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It is clear that this was not discussed in antiquity, and that ancient sources point to not one definite answer but many possible ways of thinking about this, based on specific conditions.
I'm strongly inclined to consider this in terms of American society today, and/or perhaps European societies today, only for practical reasons and reasons of familiarity.
The only way that this consideration would apply only to our friends is if we had a small Epicurean Community Bank (or a wealthy benefactor willing to experiment), but this is not the case.
So I think this needs to be considered in terms of the MUTUAL ADVANTAGE for all citizens today in these societies, because that is the guideline we are given in the sources, so we are left to consider and calculate the factors & variables ourselves based on that criterion.
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I'm writing and thinking on Epicurean economics and am curious to know; Do people here have any opinions on universal basic income?
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In my opinion there is no room for Zeus or Jupiter in modern Epicurean iconography or thought as it would be the same as glorifying Indra or Ba'al of foreign pantheons. It would simply be hypocritical and a denial of PD.1.
my understanding is that PD1 is meant to DENY the common beliefs about the gods, and replace them with wholesome ones, to correct them. Every religion has its superstitions and errors: EP is meant to reform religion so that it produces pure, effortless pleasure.
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At SoE there is a page with most of the PD memes
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Homophobes and theocrats in government.
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"For instance, there is no slavery today, so living off the labor of others is not doable today." < Not doable as directly as slavery, but the way capitalism works (especially as to "interest") sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.
True. And so we can say that avoidance of (excessive, unnecessary) debt is then an important component of autarchy today.
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Yes, as to Hiram's article, I need to spend more time with those fragments. Hiram tends to give his presentations without as many footnotes as I like to use, especially when texts are fragmentary. When I check to see how fragmentary many of these are, I find it hazardous to put too much stock in what is left. It seems to me that in many cases we don't know if what is left is being characterized as the Epicurean position, or is in fact them citing the opposing view before refuting it. ...
Just as important as the content of those scrolls--or perhaps MORE--is what would those conversations look like TODAY, and that should be the point of studying these scrolls.
For instance, there is no slavery today, so living off the labor of others is not doable today. Also, many of the professions discussed in the scroll no longer exist or have relevance: equestrian? miner? Very few people make a living like they did in antiquity. The only two ones that translate today are making money from teaching philosophy (if you're extremely lucky) and living off rental property income.
So the more important question today is what would be today's "natural measure of wealth" in OUR society, what are the noble professions or ways to earn a living today, etc. We don't have to study philosophy like an exercise in the study of a history of itself. We can do philosophy by making it relevant at every point … and (considering the recent economic crisis of 2008 and the upcoming automation of labor) the teachings on autarchy are probably one of the most gratifying and important aspects of EP and one of the most neglected!
I'm personally gonna write a bit more on Epicurean economics this year, but I really think we should give up the fossilized approach to EP and get used to thinking for ourselves critically about the details of our economic doctrines, which are absolutely relevant and useful, and even necessary, today. They're not museum pieces.
"We should at once philosophize, laugh, and take care of our economics" - Epicurus
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