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Posts by Don

New Graphics: Are You On Team Epicurus? | Comparison Chart: Epicurus vs. Other Philosophies | Chart Of Key Epicurean Quotations | Accelerating Study Of Canonics Through Philodemus' "On Methods Of Inference" | Note to all users: If you have a problem posting in any forum, please message Cassius  

  • Foundations 003 - "Thus The Living Force of His Soul Won The Day."

    • Don
    • August 2, 2021 at 10:28 AM

    The Latin is great for that initial phrase:

    ...vivida vis animi... (Latin line I.72)

    vivida = lively, vigorous

    vis = energy, mental strength, power, vigor

    animi (animus) = "the rational soul", LSJ gives "the general power of perception and thought, reason, intellect, mind"

    So, a more wordy, less poetic, less metaphysical rendition may be:

    "the vigorous power of his perception and thought"

    I just get antsy seeing the word "soul" bandied about.

  • Episode Eighty-Two - The Opening Of Book Six - Restatement of the Goal of the Poem

    • Don
    • August 1, 2021 at 12:30 PM

    I get frustrated that I'm not fluent in Latin and can't parse the original text on the fly, but then I look at the different (and sometimes contradictory) translations by scholars and experts and don't feel so bad. Listeners will hear what prompts this observation from this episode.

  • Episode Eighty-One - Development of the Arts - The End of Book Five

    • Don
    • August 1, 2021 at 8:08 AM
    Quote from Cassius

    Great link!

    Total self-promotion ;) I need to go back and update some commentary on that page but still stand by the majority of it all.

  • Episode Eighty-One - Development of the Arts - The End of Book Five

    • Don
    • August 1, 2021 at 7:30 AM

    The sage will be fond of the countryside, enjoying being outside the towns and cities. (DL X.120, my translation)

    Hicks: He will be fond of the country.

    Yonge: He will like being in the country,

    I think it's wonderful that this characteristic is a single word in the original: φιλαγρήσειν "They will love the ἀγρός "fields, land, country as opposed to the town.""

    Epicurean Sage - Living Unknown
    The Epicureans are said to have encouraged lathe biosas, living unknown or not calling attention to oneself. This is a controversial fragment, but Diogenes…
    sites.google.com
  • Translation (A poem)

    • Don
    • July 31, 2021 at 11:26 PM
    Quote from JJElbert

    Don, I see you're getting well-acquainted with the particular difficulties of short lines!

    You bet!! ^^

    I still think the topic of the poem has merit, but I'm wondering if I need another structure... although I liked the abcedarian approach for the language aspect.

  • Translation (A poem)

    • Don
    • July 31, 2021 at 10:58 PM
    Quote from Cassius

    The prodigal surveyor has returned just as we were talking a lot about boundary-stones. We will halt the eviction proceedings!

    Remember, prodigal means "spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant." That doesn't sound like our friend, Joshua ... And what are doing, using Biblical allusions anyway, Cassius ;)

  • Episode Eighty-One - Development of the Arts - The End of Book Five

    • Don
    • July 31, 2021 at 9:33 PM
    Quote from Don

    LOL. Well, just look a little further down those definitions for finis (of which finibus is indeed the root):

    http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?do…3Aentry%3Dfinis

    "An end, purpose, aim, object (but an end subjectively regarded, as an intention, or design, is propositum, consilium, mens, etc.)"

    So, it appears the connotation of finis, according to that parenthetical statement, is as an **objective** end or purpose. If Cicero wanted a *subjective* end, he would have used propositum, consilium, or mens.

    I think the limit "boundary-stone" idea and the limit "end/purpose" idea are not as far apart as might seem. Both are a goal of sorts, something to which one can aim or travel to. Once you get there, to the boundary-stone or the end/purpose/aim, there's no need to go further or it's not possible to go further. You've arrived.

  • Episode Eighty-One - Development of the Arts - The End of Book Five

    • Don
    • July 31, 2021 at 9:11 PM

    LOL. Well, just look a little further down those definitions for finis (of which finibus is indeed the root):

    Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, fīnis

    "An end, purpose, aim, object (but an end subjectively regarded, as an intention, or design, is propositum, consilium, mens, etc.)"

  • Episode Eighty-One - Development of the Arts - The End of Book Five

    • Don
    • July 31, 2021 at 8:33 PM

    Hey! Check this out. If you follow the link for the Latin Word Study tool for finis, look what you find:

    a boundary, limit, border, = terminus, ὅρος.

    The VERY Greek word in PD3 !

  • Episode Eighty-One - Development of the Arts - The End of Book Five

    • Don
    • July 31, 2021 at 8:28 PM

    In PD3 the "limit" word is ὅρος: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?do…57:entry=o(/ros when the "boundary stone" connotation.

  • Episode Eighty-One - Development of the Arts - The End of Book Five

    • Don
    • July 31, 2021 at 7:37 PM
    Quote from Cassius

    the limits of possession,

    This line is translated at the Perseus Project as "What the true end of getting is" so your hunch Cassius may be right.

    Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, BOOK V, line 1416

    The Latin seems to be:

    ni mirum quia non cognovit quae sit habendi finis et omnino quoad crescat vera voluptas;

    which the clunky Google translate gives as:

    had not the marvel that he did not know what it is to be held may increase at all in respect to the end and the true pleasure;

    The pertinent word appears to be finis

    Latin Word Study Tool

  • Not all research is scientific, or involves critical thinking.

    • Don
    • July 31, 2021 at 12:56 AM
    Quote from Godfrey

    from scanning the first page it looks like there's lots to criticize!

    LOL! THAT seems to be an understatement! ^^ :D 8o ;) Wow!

  • Not all research is scientific, or involves critical thinking.

    • Don
    • July 30, 2021 at 10:55 PM
    Quote from Cassius

    If so that surely does not apply to Epicurus and one begins to wonder just how much reading into Epicurus she has done - is it possible that the answer is "not much"?

    That would be my guess. I get the impression (albeit cursory and superficial) that a lot of physicists and "hard scientists" don't "bother" with philosophy, current or Ancient, and see it as superfluous at best or simply unnecessary and a distraction from important things.

    Example (emphasis added):

    Quote

    Now, look, I know that physicists have a reputation of being narrow-minded. But the reason we have this reputation is that we tried the crazy shit long ago and just found it doesn’t work. You call it “narrow-minded,” we call it “science.” We have moved on.

    I realize she's talking specifically about panpsychism here, but I get the impression that this is applicable to a lot of topics.

  • Not all research is scientific, or involves critical thinking.

    • Don
    • July 30, 2021 at 9:30 PM
    Electrons Don’t Think - Facts So Romantic - Nautilus
    If a philosopher starts speaking about elementary particles, run.PinterestI recently discovered panpsychism. That’s the idea that…
    nautil.us

    I'm posting this not so much for Hossenfelder's essay against panpsychism (although I believe I can understand her negative impression of that), but for one of the comments (do a "Find in page" for swerve) bringing up Lucretius and the swerve as an example of ancient panpsychism. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Epicurus/Lucretius never said the atom "decided" to swerve, did they? I was always under the impression that it was a random, undetermined event. That randomness was what injected variety into a deterministic universe.

    Although I understand where she's coming from I believe, this quote from her gave me pause vis a vis us:

    Quote

    Summary: If a philosopher starts speaking about elementary particles, run.

  • Translation (A poem)

    • Don
    • July 30, 2021 at 7:15 PM

    Oh, no worries! I'll just be interested in a review if he gets a chance. He was very helpful on the hymn! :)

  • VS41 - "Other faculties"

    • Don
    • July 30, 2021 at 9:07 AM

    Yes.

    PS: Sorry. I didn't mean to be dismissive with that "Yes." The word seems to be related to the home, domestic/private affairs, etc. So, Bailey's "faculties" appears to me at least to be a misleading translation.

  • VS41 - "Other faculties"

    • Don
    • July 30, 2021 at 8:38 AM

    The phrase at question is καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς οἰκειώμασι χρῆσθαι

    χρῆσθαι is simply the "make us of" part, and τοῖς λοιποῖς is "the rest, the remainder/ing". So, the crux is οἰκειώμασι.

    Here's the LSJ definition

    Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, Ο ο, , οἴη , οἰκεί-ωμα

    The word seems to appear primarily or only in Epicurean works since VS41 and a Metrodorus quote are in LSJ. The word seems to refer to your private affairs or what advantages you have over and above your physical household goods. So, to me, a better translation is "the remaining resources" or something like that. It does not refer to "faculties" if you read that as "senses."

  • Analysis of Video By Sabine Hossenfelder ("You Don't Have Free Will But Don't Worry")

    • Don
    • July 30, 2021 at 7:57 AM

    I need to read more Daniel Dennett but here's his interesting take on the "illusion" of free will:

    There's also this conversation https://aeon.co/amp/essays/on-…go-head-to-head

  • VS41 - "Other faculties"

    • Don
    • July 30, 2021 at 7:42 AM

    Sorry. What is the full quote?

  • Sabine Hossenfelder - Why the Multiverse Is Religion

    • Don
    • July 29, 2021 at 10:55 PM

    Not finding any link between Epicurus and Hossenfelder, but saw this:

    Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder Fears Theorists, Lacking Data, May Succumb to "Wishful Thinking"
    Blogger “Bee” Hossenfelder is not afraid to sting her fellow physicists.
    web.archive.org

    and thought this was a great quote, too:

    Quote
    Hossenfelder: Religious explanation is an oxymoron.

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    Eikadistes April 9, 2026 at 8:16 PM
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