Posts by Kalosyni

  • The Full Epicurean Reasoning Regarding a Material Universe

    Creating a concise explanation would also be the basis and reasoning behind recognizing that the soul is mortal and that the gods are indifferent.

    This might be of interest: Chapter 2 - "Atomic Worlds" of Catherine Wilson's book Epicureanism: A Very Short Introduction (but I don't have it)...here is a link to the overview:

    https://academic.oup.com/book/746/chapter-abstract/135401379?login=false&redirectedFrom=fulltext

    Quote

    Wilson's insights into atomic worlds highlight a shift from traditional philosophical views that often incorporate divine oversight or eternal consequences. Instead, she advocates for a perspective grounded in materialism and the understanding of nature, which can lead to a more liberated and pleasurable existence.

  • The Full Epicurean Reasoning Regarding a Material Universe

    I wanted to start this thread so that we can create a concise explanation of the reasoning from start to finish about how we come to understand that the universe is a material universe. This would be based on both Letter to Pythocles and Letter to Herodotus...as well as Lucretius. The purpose of this is so that we can all easily explain this both to ourselves and to others.

    Also, to see if there is anything we need to add from modern understanding, or is the Epicurean explanation complete.

    More coming soon.

  • Self-Reflection and Decision Making

    The following post has been copied and posted here, due to it's relevance on reflection and decision making.


    I used ChatGPT with the query: "create an example of a self-help technique with the use of Epicurean preconceptions (prolepsis) to aid in decision making".

    Here is the result:

  • Revisiting Issues of The Use of AI in Epicurean Philosophy

    Quote from Patrikios

    Having re-read Gábor Betegh and Voula Tsouna‘s work: “Concepts in Epicurean and Stoic Philosophy”, I asked my Philo AI persona to discuss how a Friend of Epicurus could apply these ideas around preconceptions (prolēpsis). The AI response included this suggestion.

    So then Patrikios would it be correct to say that your question to the AI was to "create an example of a self-help technique with the use of preconceptions (prolepsis) to aid in decision making?"

    I used ChatGPT with the query: "create an example of a self-help technique with the use of Epicurean preconceptions (prolepsis) to aid in decision making".

    Here is the result:

  • Good or Questionable Promotion of Epicurus?

    Quote from Cassius

    "Tranquil withdrawal"... The statement near the end to the effect that no one cares anymore about the core issues that motivated them to develop their philosophy, and the only thing important today is whether to "withdraw" or "engage."

    We need to create the correct labels (or phrases) in order to combat the incorrect ones.

    Epicureans engaged in "a life of philosophical study" (not tranquil withdrawal).

    Instead of "Tetrapharmakos"..."the First Four KD's".

  • Good or Questionable Promotion of Epicurus?

    Quote from Cassius

    with the rivers of blood entailed by the French revolution

    Likely they should have said "French Renaissance" not revolution.

    Regarding "katastematic and kinetic" - even though we've discussed the problems with these labels through-out the forum, these ideas keep coming back and I think it is because the labels function as "containers" for ideas. Until there are better "containers" created, they will remain (in a similar manner as the Tetrapharmakos "container" remains).

    Quote from Cassius

    The main goal is not to study the reasons for human misery and understand how to live pleasantly. The main goal was to understand the nature of knowledge and the univers, AFTER WHICH you can conclude that pleasure is the guide and goal and reject goals of virtue or piety or reason for their own sakes.

    I think it would have been better if they had said something about a goal of "living the best life", and also the article may been refering to all the ancient/hellenistic schools in general (not just Epicureanism). Epicureanism says of pleasure that is it is both the beginning and the end of the best life, yet there is also the importance of virtue being inseparable from the pleasant life, which is something we need to more fully develop here on the forum.

  • Good or Questionable Promotion of Epicurus?

    Particulary, this section was interesting:

    "According to Epicurus, a pleasant life can be achieved with the absence of pain and fear and by leading a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends. He also said that pleasure and pain are the measure by which we should decide what to prefer and what to avoid. Pleasure is morally acceptable and should be pursued, as long as it ensures that we obtain inner peace. If this is achieved through pain as well, then pain also becomes a positive force. Therefore, choosing among pleasures is no longer a matter of quantity, but quality."

  • Good or Questionable Promotion of Epicurus?

    I found a website which has a good short overview (in my opinion)...here is an excerpt:

    You can see the source website here.

    (Please note: the source website is a "travel to Greece" website, yet they do have interesting pictures and history write-ups).

  • Marcellus Palingenius Stellatus - AN ENCOUNTER WITH EPICURUS - translated excerpt from “Zodiacus Vitae”

    Here is a newly rendered English version, created by TauPhi (PDF document)

    Excerpt translated by Marcellus Palingenius Stellatus’ poem “Zodiacus Vitae” (1536)[Liber III - Gemini]

    Translated out of Latin into Early Modern English under the title of “The Zodiake of Life” (1588) [The third Booke - Gemini] by Barnabe Googe

    Annotated and rendered into Modern English (2026)

  • VS14 - "Occupied" vs. "Without Allowing Himself Leisure."

    Bryan I've resorted to using Google:

    Quote

    The Ancient Greek word ἀσχολούμενος (ascholoumenos) is a middle/passive present participle meaning "being busy," "occupied with," or "engaged in an activity." [1, 2]

    Key Linguistic Breakdown

    • Grammatical Form: It is the masculine singular present middle/passive participle of the verb ἀσχολέομαι (ascholeomai), which means "to have no leisure" or "to be busy." [1]
    • Literal Roots:
      • ἀ- (a-): The privative prefix meaning "not" or "without."
      • σχολή (skholē): Meaning "leisure" or "free time." (This is the ironic root of our English word "school", because the ancient Greeks viewed education and philosophical study as an activity meant for one's free leisure time). [1]
    • Literal Meaning: Combined, the word literally translates to "one who is without leisure time." [1]

    In everyday Ancient Greek context, if you were ascholoumenos, you were actively tied up with work, an obligation, or business affairs.

  • What a Healthy Relationship Looks Like (Article)

    In our current modern cultural environment, longterm relationships (whether co-habitating or married) are most often a main source for friendship (and we all know that PD27 says: "Of all the things which wisdom acquires to produce the blessedness of the complete life, far the greatest is the possession of friendship.")

    But, what does a healthy relationship look like? Of course you could say that a healthy relationship is also a pleasurable relationship. I just found this very good article which gives very good insights into this:

    The following are the 8 points from the article, and the link to the full article follows below:

    Taking interest

    Acceptance and respect

    Positive regard

    Meeting basic needs

    Positive interactions

    Solve problems

    Rupture and repair

    Reciprocity

    8 Keys to Healthy Relationships
    Ever wonder what a really healthy relationship looks like? Check this out.
    www.psychologytoday.com

  • VS14 - "Occupied" vs. "Without Allowing Himself Leisure."

    Quote from Bryan

    On the original topic, I wanted to point out the fun connection that the word for "school" is the same as "leisure" -- and the word in question is the negation of leisure -- i.e., occupation. This is why the translations diverge a bit at this point.

    This came up in last night's Zoom, and if I remember correctly that Bryan said that one's work was what one had to do to provide oneself with essentials to stay alive, but when one wasn't working it was thought that they should be "in school" studying philosophy.

    Bryan would you translate VS14 differently compared to the Epicurus Wiki translation?

  • Suggestions For - "What I Wish I Had Known At 21 That I Now Know From Studying Epicurus"

    Quote from Matteng

    I had religious education and was in an esoteric idealist bubble and the Internet was young and full pseudoscience and almost no one debunked it or it was hard to find.

    Evidently right now and in recent years there is a surge of interest in tarot cards, and people use it to aid them in making decisions according to an NPR article. But I don't think that would be a good idea at all.

    From a modern psychology perspective, here is a webpage with some very good reading regarding decision making:

    Quote

    Chocolate or strawberry? Life or death? We make some choices quickly and automatically, relying on mental shortcuts our brains have developed over the years to guide us in the best course of action, even as we deliberate over others almost endlessly. Understanding strategies—such as maximizing versus satisficing, fast versus slow thinking, and factors such as risk tolerance and choice overload—can lead to better outcomes.

    Quote

    What is informed decision-making?

    The ability to think critically is key to making good decisions without succumbing to common errors or bias. This means not just going with your gut, but rather figuring out what knowledge you lack and obtaining it. When you look at all possible sources of information with an open mind, you can make an informed decision based on facts rather than intuition.

    Full webpage with various articles:

    Decision-Making
    Chocolate or strawberry? Life or death? We make some choices quickly and automatically, relying on mental shortcuts our brains have developed over the years to…
    www.psychologytoday.com

  • Elements of Epicureanism in the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam?

    I've just recently returned to researching more on the poetry of Omar Khayyam, and one aspect that does resonate with Epicurean philosophy is how he speaks about the physical nature of death and the finality of it. However, there is a strain of pessimism that comes with it, which in my opinion isn't "Epicurean".

    My interest in this continued research, in spite of the many differences between his poetry and Epicurean philosophy, is to tease out further insights by comparison. Also, this is an attempt to investigate how to acknowledge and nurture the connection between the rational mind and the "felt sense of soul" that all humans have. This time of year as the seasons begin to shift toward shorter days, cooler weather, harvest and changing leaves, brings with it a feeling of turning inward and exploring the psyche (and more dreams at night).

    Quote from kochiekoch

    From what you write, Fitzgeralds Rubaiyat sounds more Cyrenaic than Epicurean or, I'll bet Sufi.

    Here is what I've found in some research:

  • Suggestions For - "What I Wish I Had Known At 21 That I Now Know From Studying Epicurus"

    Quote from Cassius

    Patrikios had a very specific suggestion -- that it would be great to have a book of the title in this thread-starter. Such a book might be of interest to a wide group of young people, and would be a good way to summarize for ourselves some of the most important things we have learned.

    In the (current) absence of such a book, it would be helpful to us and motivational to book/article/video producers if we asked for contributions in this thread suggesting points that such a work might contain.

    Here are some suggestions off the top of my head, based on Epicurean principals:

    -- Understanding the limits of pleasure and pain

    -- Choices and avoidances - common everyday choices and also long-term lifestyle choices such as where to live, career, marriage, children

    -- "Natural-necessary"--"Natural-optional"--"Empty opinions"

    -- Importance of putting effort into "goods" which lead to the best life (friendship, sufficiency, etc.)

    -- How to navigate through and avoid troubles caused by the "modern religious landscape" and also "unnatural" worldviews such as pessimism, extreme skepticism, harsh stoicism, perfectionism, hyper-consumerism, etc.

    -- Moral choices based on that which is instrumental for creating the best life (non-harming).

  • History of Ancient Athens & Hellenistic Period

    Here is a website article which summarizes the Hellenistic period this way:

    Quote

    The Hellenistic Period, spanning roughly from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC to the rise of Roman dominance, was an era marked by profound social, political, and cultural upheaval. The collapse of the Greek city-state system and the emergence of vast empires radically altered how individuals understood their place in the world. Traditional civic identities weakened, political participation diminished, and daily life became increasingly unstable and unpredictable. In this context of uncertainty, philosophy shifted its focus from abstract speculation to the practical problem of how to live well amid disorder.

    Philosophical schools such as Stoicism, Epicureanism, Cynicism, and Skepticism emerged as direct responses to these conditions. Stoicism, founded by Zeno of Citium, taught that inner peace could be achieved by aligning one’s will with reason and nature, accepting what lies beyond one’s control, and cultivating virtue as the only true good. Epicureanism, developed by Epicurus, offered a different path, advocating for modest pleasure, freedom from fear, and the cultivation of friendship as defenses against anxiety and political chaos.

    Cynicism pushed this practical orientation to its limits, rejecting social conventions, wealth, and status altogether in favor of radical simplicity and independence. Skepticism, particularly in its Pyrrhonian form, responded to uncertainty by suspending judgment, arguing that tranquility arises when one abandons the futile search for absolute certainty in an unstable world.

    Despite their differences, these schools shared a common goal: securing personal tranquility in an unpredictable environment. Philosophy became a form of therapy, aimed at protecting the individual rather than reforming the state. By shifting attention from external power to inner stability, Hellenistic philosophers provided tools for resilience that remain relevant today. Their work reflects a timeless insight: that when social structures fail to offer security, wisdom must be sought within the self.

    Source:

    Ancient Greek Philosophy Guide: Key Thinkers, Schools, and Ideas | TheCollector
    Here’s an approachable summary of the most important figures of Ancient Greek Philosophy, their thoughts, and theories that stood the test of time.
    www.thecollector.com

Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com

Here is a list of suggested search strategies:

  • Website Overview page - clickable links arrranged by cards.
  • Forum Main Page - list of forums and subforums arranged by topic. Threads are posted according to relevant topics. The "Uncategorized subforum" contains threads which do not fall into any existing topic (also contains older "unfiled" threads which will soon be moved).
  • Search Tool - icon is located on the top right of every page. Note that the search box asks you what section of the forum you'd like to search. If you don't know, select "Everywhere."
  • Search By Key Tags - curated to show frequently-searched topics.
  • Full Tag List - an alphabetical list of all tags.