Start with, and do not worry about anything else, until you have gone through DeWitt's "Epicurus and His Philosophy." There is nothing like it anywhere.
I wouldn't say "don't worry about anything else" but I will add DeWitt, except is there an affordable version somewhere?
considering this note: "p 70 the sense of identity of a recruit must be "threatened by an imminent danger or showing implementation is incorrect and must be rectified by conversion, so a recruit’s social allegiance or sense of personal identity can be attacked" p 76 recruit must be self-critical (sick, poor) and then self-renewing; consider "inadequacies of old self" vs the new self (healthy, whole)"
As for myself, I can say that this is true. When I converted to Epicurean philosophy, in January of 2013, I had been considering the "inadequacies of the old self" as an atheist. I didn't want to become an ANGRY ATHEIST. I had met many angry atheists in my life, including my philosophy teacher who would rant the entire class, and I hated pope Benedict but didn't want to be an angry atheist, so conversion was a way to take on an easy, light discipline to rid myself of what I perceived was leading me in that direction.
So something to think about here is where are those "liminal" places where atheists go (online or offline?) when they want to move into becoming better versions of themselves
As far as the "types" section: many of the types given are no longer relevant but today many of the old myths are replaced by pop-culture's SUPERHERO mythology. So if we are ever to take on a campaign to promote Epicurus with fictional characters, or a meme campaign to promote our founders, the notion of a superhero might be one place to tap into pop-culture's fascination and imagery that pop culture can understand.
Also, when the book delves into the "lion' imagery aspects, that reminded me of reggae and the image of the lion (the "lion of Judah" for Rastas) which could be appropriated for Pastafarian memes
Buddhists use imagery of the Buddha in a way that attracts people also.
p 39 Epicurean Sophos resembles somewhat primitive man. DRN 5.1241, 1161, 1143-44 mentions an ancient "Golden Age"
p 40 philosopher king was doomed when wealth became a value DRN 5.1136
ORGANIZATION
42 organization is a type of mediation between theory and practice, p. 36: all "healthy people" use hedonic calculus unconsciously, ergo the method is to make conscious the hitherto unconscious practices of healthy men, ergo, another BENEFIT OF EPICUREAN EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATION is **** unity of theory and practice ***
The school has three products: 1. a philosophical ideology, 2. an activity (education), 3. "mutually advantageous friendship"
p 45 Epicurean school is first secular institution of higher education in history *
Membership consisted of: 1. beginners (gnórimoi) and 2. advanced (symfilosophontes)
Book claims that E didn’t incorporate (as a non profit or, today, a 501c3) – is this true? I always thought his Garden was a thiasos
p 52 Epicurus gave a community to unrooted / rootless, marginalized intellectuals, 56-7 unorthodox sexuality p. 63 quote: **** Kepos was like a well-organized state **
E believed in private property
p 65 E mostly recruited long-term students of philosophy
RECRUITMENT
Two Recruitment tactics existed in antiquity: active pursuit (most common with other schools) or passive flight (Epicurean tactic, PD 14 cited). p. 48 Pyrrho served as a model in this. He "stayed away, talked to himself and was alone at leisure".
p 50 there was a private collection of books that members only read (so perhaps this was seen as one benefit of membership: access to advanced literature?)
p 69 recruitment takes place in a space that is liminal and initiatory p 70 the sense of identity of a recruit must be "threatened by an imminent danger or showing implementation is incorrect and must be rectified by conversion, so a recruit’s social allegiance or sense of personal identity can be attacked" - according to the author's "conversion theory". In Epicurus, the recruit ** himself ** goes to a place of liminality and the Epicureans concerned themselves with the psychology of conversion. p 76 recruit must be self-critical (sick, poor) and then self-renewing; consider "inadequacies of old self" vs the new self (healthy, whole), ergo conversion focuses on the medicinal aspect of philosophy
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CONVERSION:
p 77 Epicurean gods also retired but still have an effect on humans. 82 the idea is to create "motivation" to adopt a new cognitive system, ergo pleasant impressions are used, the idea is to *** internalize them and to become a source of pleasure to oneself (p. 83) ***, to become like the Epicurean gods. A sage must naturally attract new followers. 85 mental interference can cause false thoughts or motivations, ergo without a correct mental constitution or disposition (diathesis), an individual is not receptive. (Diogenes also says we can control this disposition and it’s our most important source of happiness – PD 20)
TYPES
In XVII, E statue is described as a Hercules-like culture hero in his throne, a culture bringer, a Mahatma (or great soul), a sage, a healer or shaman-psychotherapist-medicine man (his image has been compared to Asklepius of Melos, which indicates a self-conscious presentation as a healer
Father-figure: both Lucretius and Philodemus (mentions "parricide") refer to Metrodorus and Hermarchus as fathers, not just E.
Hero: facial similarity to Hercules Farnese, p. 223-4 compared to Hercules who slays physical monsters, E. slays the monsters of the soul. Fusion of stoa and Cynicism took place in the 1st Century AD. Hercules embodied ponos (effort, sacrifice, shares semantic roots with pena/pain), autarchy, independence, free action, free love, scorn of civilization (p 228); ergo author argues Hercules comparison goes back to a 3rd Century anti-Cynic polemic
E as Savior: statue shows sympathy and awareness of the viewer. Model: Asclepius, fourth Century. Father-God’s warmth and sympathy for man grows in collective imagination after Alexander the Great / as civic gods grew cold / Asclepius cult grows, statue looks into the eyes of the worshiper, Asclepius heals the body whereas E heals the soul
Savior theme posits that society is always corrupt. Epicureans don’t try to change society, we create philosophical communities which must coexist with the dominant culture. Our legitimacy is not an imperative, but an existential fact (that is, we do not NEED to justify our inherent right to exist)
p 41 philosophy and politics are irreconciliable; ergo we choose personal salvation and group solidarity instead of utopian politics (Epicureans were a social club with economic ties) ***
Megalophychos or great mind, Mahatma: great in all virtues and self sufficient, indifference to fortune, love of friends. Lion-like, deep-set eyes
E as God: Throne was seat of Hegemon and of divine power. Throne was holy object itself; author says E was the "magnanimous new Father-God of wisdom, culture, and salvation"
THEORY OF CONVERSION
Epicurean "theory of motivation" – painful perceptions are suppressed, whereas we are motivated by pleasant ones to preserve and imitate them so that we can become a source of pleasure to ourselves.** (autarchy in pleasure)
ergo, by disseminating pleasing images of wisdom (a blessed and happy sage) everywhere, they were sending IMAGES to do the work of recruitment for them (this is a requirement of the passive model of recruitment)
"fetishism" – an image can say 1,000 words. Author argues that Greeks DID engage in fetishism
Archetypes are unconscious, collective, numinal (examples: gods, masks, rituals); art represents them as a high point of existence. E. is that, plus culture-bringer, divine healer, perfected Self. Jungian archetypes: p. 8 extraverted thinking – sensation – intuition type, with feeling the inferior function
Liminality / initiation:
E's statue attacks our shaky allegiance to the dominant culture; adds liminality via syncretism (appropriation or integration of symbols–here: Joseph Campbell theories); liminality shifts our social and personal identity, is real, objective; affects future interpretation of facts and of the world.
E’s name = HELPER; adds to the imagery
"Poemagogic (= inducing and symbolizing the ego’s creativity) image" = E statue, or archetype, both of which mirror and induce a creative transformation of the self. This is revitalizing. He is a fusion of the Wise old Man and the (Father-) God image archetypes, both images which delimit the beginning and the end of individuation process, ergo aid conversion in adults who are conversion-ready.
EPICUREAN AESTHETICS (a neglected subject)
Compare the ideas of "Sculpted word" with Nietzsche’s claim that ART gives meaning, or that we can CREATE meaning via art. Compare w Michel Onfray's "Sculpture de soi".
(ancient) Epicurean aesthetics theories: Philodemus on music, poetry, etc. what else can be extrapolated from them? Ph. said that art can be therapeutic ONLY if WORDS of true philosophy are able to heal through them. Under what other conditions? Clearly the sculptures were of great importance and communicated ataraxia. Are they meaning-endowing?
p 199 explains that there IS an Epicurean sculpture type or standard. It is based on the (previous, broader, Greek) philosopher statue style: seated, full beard, wear a himation, hold book-roll in one hand
p 39 Epicurean Sophos resembles somewhat primitive man. DRN 5.1241, 1161, 1143-44 mentions an ancient "Golden Age"
p 40 philosopher king was doomed when wealth became a value DRN 5.1136
ORGANIZATION
42 organization is a type of mediation between theory and practice, p. 36: all "healthy people" use hedonic calculus unconsciously, ergo the method is to make conscious the hitherto unconscious practices of healthy men, ergo, another BENEFIT OF EPICUREAN EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATION is **** unity of theory and practice ***
The school has three products: 1. a philosophical ideology, 2. an activity (education), 3. "mutually advantageous friendship"
p 45 Epicurean school is first secular institution of higher education in history *
Membership consisted of: 1. beginners (gnórimoi) and 2. advanced (symfilosophontes)
Book claims that E didn’t incorporate (as a non profit or, today, a 501c3) – is this true? I always thought his Garden was a thiasos
p 52 Epicurus gave a community to unrooted / rootless, marginalized intellectuals, 56-7 unorthodox sexuality p. 63 quote: **** Kepos was like a well-organized state **
E believed in private property
p 65 E mostly recruited long-term students of philosophy
RECRUITMENT
Two Recruitment tactics existed in antiquity: active pursuit (most common with other schools) or passive flight (Epicurean tactic, PD 14 cited). p. 48 Pyrrho served as a model in this. He "stayed away, talked to himself and was alone at leisure".
p 50 there was a private collection of books that members only read (so perhaps this was seen as one benefit of membership: access to advanced literature?)
p 69 recruitment takes place in a space that is liminal and initiatory p 70 the sense of identity of a recruit must be "threatened by an imminent danger or showing implementation is incorrect and must be rectified by conversion, so a recruit’s social allegiance or sense of personal identity can be attacked" - according to the author's "conversion theory". In Epicurus, the recruit ** himself ** goes to a place of liminality and the Epicureans concerned themselves with the psychology of conversion. p 76 recruit must be self-critical (sick, poor) and then self-renewing; consider "inadequacies of old self" vs the new self (healthy, whole), ergo conversion focuses on the medicinal aspect of philosophy
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF CONVERSION:
p 77 Epicurean gods also retired but still have an effect on humans. 82 the idea is to create "motivation" to adopt a new cognitive system, ergo pleasant impressions are used, the idea is to *** internalize them and to become a source of pleasure to oneself (p. 83) ***, to become like the Epicurean gods. A sage must naturally attract new followers. 85 mental interference can cause false thoughts or motivations, ergo without a correct mental constitution or disposition (diathesis), an individual is not receptive. (Diogenes also says we can control this disposition and it’s our most important source of happiness – PD 20)
TYPES
In XVII, E statue is described as a Hercules-like culture hero in his throne, a culture bringer, a Mahatma (or great soul), a sage, a healer or shaman-psychotherapist-medicine man (his image has been compared to Asklepius of Melos, which indicates a self-conscious presentation as a healer
Father-figure: both Lucretius and Philodemus (mentions "parricide") refer to Metrodorus and Hermarchus as fathers, not just E.
Hero: facial similarity to Hercules Farnese, p. 223-4 compared to Hercules who slays physical monsters, E. slays the monsters of the soul. Fusion of stoa and Cynicism took place in the 1st Century AD. Hercules embodied ponos (effort, sacrifice, shares semantic roots with pena/pain), autarchy, independence, free action, free love, scorn of civilization (p 228); ergo author argues Hercules comparison goes back to a 3rd Century anti-Cynic polemic
E as Savior: statue shows sympathy and awareness of the viewer. Model: Asclepius, fourth Century. Father-God’s warmth and sympathy for man grows in collective imagination after Alexander the Great / as civic gods grew cold / Asclepius cult grows, statue looks into the eyes of the worshiper, Asclepius heals the body whereas E heals the soul
Savior theme posits that society is always corrupt. Epicureans don’t try to change society, we create philosophical communities which must coexist with the dominant culture. Our legitimacy is not an imperative, but an existential fact (that is, we do not NEED to justify our inherent right to exist)
p 41 philosophy and politics are irreconciliable; ergo we choose personal salvation and group solidarity instead of utopian politics (Epicureans were a social club with economic ties) ***
Megalophychos or great mind, Mahatma: great in all virtues and self sufficient, indifference to fortune, love of friends. Lion-like, deep-set eyes
E as God: Throne was seat of Hegemon and of divine power. Throne was holy object itself; author says E was the "magnanimous new Father-God of wisdom, culture, and salvation"
THEORY OF CONVERSION
Epicurean "theory of motivation" – painful perceptions are suppressed, whereas we are motivated by pleasant ones to preserve and imitate them so that we can become a source of pleasure to ourselves.** (autarchy in pleasure)
ergo, by disseminating pleasing images of wisdom (a blessed and happy sage) everywhere, they were sending IMAGES to do the work of recruitment for them (this is a requirement of the passive model of recruitment)
"fetishism" – an image can say 1,000 words. Author argues that Greeks DID engage in fetishism
Archetypes are unconscious, collective, numinal (examples: gods, masks, rituals); art represents them as a high point of existence. E. is that, plus culture-bringer, divine healer, perfected Self. Jungian archetypes: p. 8 extraverted thinking – sensation – intuition type, with feeling the inferior function
Liminality / initiation:
E's statue attacks our shaky allegiance to the dominant culture; adds liminality via syncretism (appropriation or integration of symbols–here: Joseph Campbell theories); liminality shifts our social and personal identity, is real, objective; affects future interpretation of facts and of the world.
E’s name = HELPER; adds to the imagery
"Poemagogic (= inducing and symbolizing the ego’s creativity) image" = E statue, or archetype, both of which mirror and induce a creative transformation of the self. This is revitalizing. He is a fusion of the Wise old Man and the (Father-) God image archetypes, both images which delimit the beginning and the end of individuation process, ergo aid conversion in adults who are conversion-ready.
EPICUREAN AESTHETICS (a neglected subject)
Compare the ideas of "Sculpted word" with Nietzsche’s claim that ART gives meaning, or that we can CREATE meaning via art. Compare w Michel Onfray's "Sculpture de soi".
(ancient) Epicurean aesthetics theories: Philodemus on music, poetry, etc. what else can be extrapolated from them? Ph. said that art can be therapeutic ONLY if WORDS of true philosophy are able to heal through them. Under what other conditions? Clearly the sculptures were of great importance and communicated ataraxia. Are they meaning-endowing?
p 199 explains that there IS an Epicurean sculpture type or standard. It is based on the (previous, broader, Greek) philosopher statue style: seated, full beard, wear a himation, hold book-roll in one hand
LETTER OF EPICURUS TO HERODOTUS
72-73 (on whether time is prolepsis)
[72] G Another important question is that of time. Here we cannot apply any more the method of examination to which we submit other objects, where we study with reference to a give subject; and which we refer to the preconceptions which exist in ourselves. We must seize, by analogy, and going round the whole circle of things comprised under this general denomination for time - we must seize, I say, that essential character which causes us to say that time is long or short. It is not necessary for that purpose to seek for any new forms of expression as preferable to those which are in common use; we may content ourselves with those by which time is usually indicated. Nor need we, as certain philosophers do, affirm any particular attribute of time, for that would be to suppose that its essence is the same as that of this attribute. It is sufficient to seek for the ingredients of which this particular nature which we call time is composed, and for the means by which it is measured. [73] G For this we have no need of demonstration; a simple exposition is sufficient. It is, in fact, evident, that we speak of time as composed of days and nights, and parts of days and nights; passiveness and impassability, movement and repose, are equally comprised in time. In short it is evident that in connection with these different states, we can conceive a particular property to which we give the name of time. (Epicurus lays down the same principles in the second book of his treatise on Nature, and in his Great Abridgment.)
It is from the infinite that the worlds are derived, and all the finite aggregates which present numerous analogies with the things which we observe under our own eyes. Each of these objects, great and small, has been separated from the infinite by a movement peculiar to itself. On the other hand, all these bodies will be successively destroyed, some more, and others less rapidly; some under the influence of one cause, and others because of the agency of some other. (It is evident, after this, that Epicurus regards the worlds as perishable, since he admits that their parts are capable of transformation. He also says in other places, that the earth rests suspended in the air.)
LETTER OF EPICURUS TO HERODOTUS
37-38
[37] G This method being useful even to those who are already familiarised with the laws of the universe, I recommend them, while still pursuing without intermission the study of nature, which contributes more than anything else to the tranquillity and happiness of life, to make a concise statement, or summary of their opinions.
First of all then Herodotus, one must determine with exactness the notion comprehended under each separate word, in order to be able to refer to it, as to a certain criterion, the conceptions which emanate from ourselves, the ulterior researches and the difficulties; otherwise the judgment has no foundation. One goes on from demonstration to demonstration ad infinitum; or else one gains nothing beyond mere words. [38] G In fact, it is absolutely necessary that we should perceive directly, and without the assistance of any demonstration, the fundamental notion which every word expresses, if we wish to have any foundation to which we may refer our researches, our difficulties, and our personal judgments, whatever in other respects may be the criterion which we adopt, whether we take as our standard the impressions produced on our senses, or the actual impression in general; or whether we cling to the idea by itself, or to any other criterion.
We must also note carefully the impressions which we receive in the presence of objects, in order to bring ourselves back to that point in the circumstances in which it is necessary to suspend the judgment, or even when the question is about things, the evidence of which is not immediately perceived.
When these foundations are once laid we may pass to the study of those things, about which the evidence is not immediate. And, first of all, we must admit that nothing can come of that which does not exist; for, were the fact otherwise, then everything would be produced from everything, and there would be no need of any seed
I decided to gather all my notes re: the prolepsis article in order to help others studying this source. (Edit: The Tsouna article is downloadable here.)
prolepsis - prenotion or anticipation is a passive process by which the mind recalls an impression from the senses; prolepseis are "enargeis" or self-evident just like the sense impressions, although there is room for debate on "the question of where they derive their self-evident character from". Tsouna names two interpretations of prolepsis:
In the past we've used the term PRE-COGNITIVE to describe prolepsis, but the sources use ALOGOI, which means NON-RATIONAL, and this is the closest thing to our assertion that there is no interpretation, no opinion (p. 168, paragraph that starts "Recall ...")
She also says that prolepsis was an empiricist answer to MENO'S PARADOX. Not sure what this is but the source cited is DL 10.33 (Diogenes Laertius)
Ts. says that (some?) Epicureans argued that "all reason derives from the senses" ?
p. 170 what we have prolepsis of: animals, natural things; abstractions like justice, truth, utility; responsibility and agency (psychological things); atoms, gods (non-perceptibles)
p. 171 some things are per se (atoms and void), others exist as attributes, of which some are inseperable, permanent or fixed attributes, and others temporary or contingent (accidents) **** Prolepsis is only of the inseparable attributes. This is the closest thing to "essences" in materialism.
Part 3. Gods
the only "innate" prolepsis, according to Tsouna, is of the gods, which seems to me like an awkward accommodation. The source for gods' innateness is Cicero's De Natura Deorum (ND).
p 174 idealists think the Epicurean gods are moral ideals constructed by the mind; realists think the gods are real and have ethical significance
Epicurus says there's clear knowledge (enarges gnosis) of the gods, however
p 176 my problems with gods as prolepsis. a. There is NO universal concept of the gods as blessed, or as existing. A huge proportion of the populations does not believe in gods or a god, and a huge proportion imagines god as mad, wrathful or evil; also as suffering (the Catholic god), or as a warlord (in the case of the terrorists' god). In p. 180, Tsouna agrees that Epicurus is not likely to have appealed to "universal agreement" or to innate conception of the gods.
p. 178 mentions innate PROPENSITY, this is a non-empirical (David Sedley) interpretation of the gods.
LUCRETIUS seems to have been the idealist innovator, says Voula. "hupolepsis" instead of prolepsis. It's also true that Lucretius was far more hostile to religion than the founders AND says that no prolepsis can come from dreams (because there is no direct sensual apprehension when we dream). Although we have updated modern accounts of how dreams originate, this argument stands. As elsewhere, Lucretius gives an anthropological account of the origins of the gods.
Voula has her own third interpretation of the gods.
p 184 (sentence that starts "Thirdly"...) Epicurus never mentions prolepsis MUST be empirical, instead focuses on its utility (my thoughts: natural and necessary "knowledge", or knowledge that leads to nat. nec. pleasures); ergo there may be things that are useful, advantageous to believe in but may not exist as material things? Instead, these would be cultural "artifacts", "art", justice, "gods", are gods a kind of aesthetic product?
4. Focusings, epibole
epibole - "mental focusing" is defined as an active, voluntary act of attention, concentration. p 186 We must pay attention to them to derive non-evident insights or truths.
Morel argued that prolepsis required ACTIVE ASSENT and apprehension of an internal impression. He argued that epibole was inseparable and indispensable feature of prolepsis because: Herodotus 38, Menoeceus 124, PD 24
It is not an aspect of prolepsis but a distinct and separate act from anticipations. V argues this convincingly by explaining that anticipations are PASSIVE while epiboles are ACTIVE: it's the mind or thought that "casts itself forth", focuses, projects itself. In p. 190 - refutation of Morel's Kantian view using the semantics, the terms epi-ballein (active: throw, cast upon) versus pro-lepsis (receptive: seize, in advance), plus in prolepsis there is enargeia or clear apprehension initially, from the senses.
One note on Nietzsche's insistence that it is we who create truth and meaning: epibole has a meaning-making function, and should interest us for that reason, perhaps this is a feature of Epicurean philosophy that deserves further investigation and ellaboration.
(Fourth leg of canon claim--in Diogenes Laertius 10.31: "epibole tes dianoias"--supposedly substantiated here) - V claims that later Epicureans, and specifically Philodemus, sets EPIBOLAI as a separate criterion of truth in "On signs ..." Fragment 1.13-14
Time and again, Letter to Herodotus 37-38 is mentioned (we should study this in more detail) - discusses ***the job of prolepsis*****. p 191 prolepsis helps with *** "indemonstrable truths that serve as reference points to theoretical inquiry". *** Also, here in Herodotus (which is an Epicurus, original and early source) epibolai are distinct from the Canon's criteria in 38
Words are empty when there is no correspondent preconception. (this may or may not be different from "inconceivability" discussed in "Signs and inferences"), ergo prolepsis can be conceived of as the meaning of a word
The three-tiered view on Epicurean semantics is an attempt to liken Epicurean semantics to Stoic semantics, which recognizes the "sayables" as real.
The two-tiered view, which is more empirical and material (as no "reality" is assigned to the meaning, as it is not made of atoms) is expressed by Sextus and Plutarch, but Tsouna says this is the most likely Epicurean conception of semantics, because Epicurus wants us to focus not on semantics, but on reality: that is to say, there ARE empty words, and we must not confuse words for things.
6th part
prenotio, anticipation (terms used in Lucretius' DRN 4.478-80)
p. 203 later Stoice and Academics equate prolepsis and other concepts. Voula claims Philodemus introduces prolepsis of "time", "infinity", "all". I'm not sure, but I thought Letter to Herodotus makes mention of time as a prolepsis, I may be wrong?. The relevant section is Herod 72-73, where she says time is treated as an accident (or non-permanent attribute of nature).
p. 204 Philodemus adds prolepsis of "good poem, good manager, good money-maker", and argues some anticipations are clearer than others. (Is this consistent with their required enargeia?)
p 208 We see Philodemus' practice of asking / encouraging / admonishing people to RESPECT THE MEANING OF WORDS. I've also done this saying "words have meaning!". when I see dishonest speech used to justify inexcusable claims, religious or not.
On the issue of "constant pleasures", I feel like someday groups of Epicureans should engage in a variety of experiments based on empirical data.
One experiment is capoeira or some other dance / martial arts experiment as a "mood booster". The most "constant pleasure" I've experience was when I was practicing capoeira. I would work out for 1.5 hours and get about five days of high. It's one of the best mood boosters I've experienced.
The other (hate to say because this has been absolutely rejected by what I perceive as closed-minded Epicureans in the FB group) is the chanting practice, which has also contributed pretty steady and long-term highs and mellows.
There may be other steady-pleasure-enhancing experiments.
In an ideal world, Epicurean philosophy should be a ground to experiment with how to maximize the steadiness and self-sufficiency in pleasure that we can have, but this will require concrete experimentation, note-taking, and discussion of the effects of the experiments in light of our sources. Maybe something for future Epicureans to consider.
The following piece deals with how our contractarian theories answer the accusation by the philosophers of the polis / of the state that a hedonist can not be a good citizen.
Reconciling Justice With Pleasure in Epicurean Contractarianism, John Thrasher
Epítome, by Hiram Crespo
According to Norman DeWitt, ancient Epicureans used to study a Little Epitome, which is extant today as the Letter to Herodotus, and would later on graduate to the Big Epitome for which, he suggests, Lucretius’ De Rerum Natura was used although some other volume must have been used during the first couple of centuries prior to Lucretius.
In celebration of his tradition and to encourage and facilitate the systematic study of its writings in Spain and Latin America, the Society of Friends of Epicurus recently released a Spanish-language Epítome: Escrituras Epicúreas, a collection of the ancient writings of our tradition with commentary and a study guide by Hiram Crespo, author of Tending the Epicurean Garden (Humanist Press, 2014).
The work is written in chapter and verse format, both for ease of reference and to dignify the considerable historical value of its content. It includes a Spanish translation of Principal Doctrines, Vatican Sayings and the Epistles to Moeneceus, Pythocles and Herodotus, in addition to a summarized chronicle of the lives of the Scholarchs and great masters of the tradition up to Philodemus of Gadara, as well as the Spanish translation of nine reasonings based on the surviving fragments of the Herculaneum Scrolls.
The book is available from Amazon, or directly from CreateSpace.
***
COMUNICADO DE PRENSA
Para publicación inmediata
Chicago, IL; 7 de mayo de 2015: La Sociedad de Amigos de Epicuro acaba de publicarEpítome: Escrituras Epicúreas para la audiencia hispánica del Siglo XXI. Es la primera vez en mas de quince siglos que los filósofos de la tradición secular humanista de Epicuro de Samos publican un Epítome como parte de la misión de enseñanza de los jardines epicúreos para enfrentar el fundamentalismo, la credulidad y el déficit de pensamiento crítico en general.
La obra declara que tiene “fines educativos” y sigue “un formato de capítulos y versos con los objetivos de facilitar la referencia y de dignificar el texto de considerable valor histórico que contiene”. Incluye las Doctrinas Principales, Sentencias Vaticanas y las Epístolas de Epicuro a Meneceo, Pítocles y Herodoto, al igual que una crónica resumida de los grandes maestros antiguos de la escuela y una serie de nueve razonamientos basados en fragmentos de pergaminos que sobrevivieron la erupción del Monte Vesubio en el año 79 de la Era Común y que han sido denominados el Nag Hammadi humanista.
El contenido de algunos de estos pergaminos, con comentarios, está disponible en algunos libros en inglés, sin embargo varios de ellos se venden a precios exorbitantes. Es lamentable que la mayor parte de la población no pueda tener acceso a lo que debería ser el legado intelectual de toda la humanidad. Los razonamientos en Epítome presentan una exposición clara y organizada del resumen de su contenido en castellano, junto a comentarios modernos.
Epítome “fue escrito para las personas que desean aplicar las enseñanzas de esta filosofía cosmopólita de la felicidad personal en sus vidas” y busca sacar la filosofía del entorno académico y fomentar su aplicación a las vidas de la gente común. Dice la introducción:
Los antiguos epicúreos eran atomistas reconocidos por su insistencia en que todo razonamiento debe referirse siempre a la evidencia y fueron precursores del pensamiento científico moderno. Propusieron la teoría del átomo, una versión temprana de la teoría de la selección natural, una proto-teoría de los fotones, una ética laica de felicidad personal que celebraba la amistad entre iguales y el contrato social como la base de la justicia. También fueron la única escuela antigua progresiva que permitía mujeres entre sus pupilos.
En tiempos modernos, los epicúreos de Grecia recientemente redactaron la Declaración de Palini y sometieron una iniciativa ante la Unión Europea para que se reconozca el derecho de todos los europeos a la felicidad. Durante los últimos cinco años han llevado a cabo simposios anuales en febrero, en honor al cumpleaños de Epicuro. Este año honraron durante el simposio al ex-presidente uruguayo José Mujica por su defensa de los sanos valores humanos de esta tradición ante las Naciones Unidas.
La traducción, comentario y guía de estudio en Epítome son de Hiram Crespo, también autor de Cultivando el jardín epicúreo y traductor de Varios días en Atenas. En su obra inicialTending the Epicurean Garden (Humanist Press, 2014), Crespo se dedicó a demostrar, citando mútilples estudios de neurocientíficos y científicos sociales, la persistente relevancia moral de la ciencia de la felicidad que enseñó el filósofo Epicuro de Samos hace 23 siglos.
Epítome está disponible de amazon.com por $11.99, o directamente de AmazonCreate. Para más información comunicarse con el autor y fundador de SAE, Hiram Crespo….
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Society of Friends of Epicurus
info@societyofepicurus.com
societyofepicurus.com – sociedadepicuro.wordpress.com
Sobre la SAE: Los Amigos de Epicuro se dedican a fomentar la filosofía naturalista con la intención de asegurar la continuidad cultural e intelectual de su tradición. Hacen esto por medio de entrevistas, libros y artículos. Además de las páginas oficiales de SAE, sus miembros tienen otras como NewEpicurean.com, ElementalEpicureanism.com y bitácoras hechas por individuos, en su mayoría en inglés.
Tending the Epicurean Garden is available from amazon and can also be purchased directly from Humanist Press which, by the way, also made available WH Mallock’s Lucretius on Life and Death available as a free companion to it.
Book Reviews
By Michael Fontaine, a Cornell University classicist, written for The Humanist, a publication of the American Humanist Association
By David Tamayo, of Hispanic American Freethinkers
By Rick Heller, written for secularbuddhism.org
By Alan Furth (en español) for the Las Indias blog
NewEpicurean.com review by Cassius Amicus
Balance Pleasure and Structure?, from the Brian Beholds blog
Reviewer Feedback
In Tending the Epicurean Garden Crespo has given all of us a way to think about how we live—our choices, abilities, appetites, freedoms, and responsibilities. He distills the relevant scholarship on Epicureanism in a succinct and unassuming way.
Michael Fontaine, for The Humanist
Hiram Crespo has done a masterful job in describing the teachings of Epicurus and making them relevant to modern life … “Tending the Epicurean Garden” is a breath of fresh air if, like me, you have tried to read the dull prose of some professional philosophers.
Robert and Martha Hanrott, of the Epicurus blog
This is one of the few absolutely pro-Epicurean books to have been written in the last several hundred years … One can read this book without any knowledge at all of the history or doctrine of Epicurus, because the author provides a good measure of both history and teachings in the course of the book … Hopefully there will be more to come from the same author.
Cassius Amicus, of newepicurean.com
This brilliant book may certainly be the first of its kind. There are many academic introductions to Ancient Philosophy out there, just as there are countless self-help books often drawing on various spiritual of esoteric traditions. Crespo’s book is a bit of both … A highly educational and enjoyable read!
Sasha Euler, ethics professor
The more I understand Epicurus the more affinity I feel. This is rare. This guy was sticking it to the superstitious and flipping off the pretentious philosophers consumed with metaphysical nonsense. He sounds like the Christopher Hitchens of the ancient world! Don’t fear God! Don’t fear death! Trust your senses for that is how most knowledge is acquired. Have a few good friends. Concern yourself with what you can control. Find ways to minimize emotional and physical suffering and maximize pleasure with the checks and balances of natural consequences. What’s not to love? Hiram Crespo, I loved your book! Deeply provocative!
Eric Sherman, reader
Hiram Crespo’s book “Tending the Epicurean Garden” is a concise and wholesome presentation of Epicurean philosophy, which I very much enjoyed reading … The basics of Epicurean philosophy is presented in a simple, user-friendly, narrative way but at the same time, when needed, it is corroborated by current scientific findings and it is paralled correspondingly with other similar concepts from various schools of thought and cultures of Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa.
Christos Yapijakis, member of the Athens Garden
The book presents complex material, clearly written … Secular Buddhists can clearly benefit from allowing another stream of ancient wisdom to flow into this emerging project of seeking abiding tranquility and the end of suffering.
Rick Heller, co-founder of the Humanist Mindfulness Group and contributor tosecularbuddhism.org
El libro es una resumida pero muy completa introducción a los principios básicos y la práctica del epicureísmo. Pero también brinda una interesante interpretación de las enseñanzas de Epicuro desde el punto de vista de la psicología positiva, la neurociencia y otras disciplinas científicas que hoy en día corroboran gran parte del legado del maestro.
Alan Furth, Las Indias blogger
Society of Epicurus' Detailed Review of a Few Days in Athens
Friends of Epicurus Edition of AFDIA in English and in Spanish
