As i understand it nothing has been deleted, just rearranged so that posts that are more 'personal' are now more likely to be in a "non-public" section.
Also, posts which are "extra-curricular".
[Edit note, 5:37pm ET: For clarity, I should say "advanced material" which goes above and beyond the expected comprehension of Epicurean philosophy, such as interior decorating or making pencil sketches of Epicurus.]
Notice for registered members:
As per Cassius' request, I have both moved and re-ordered some sub-forums.
In these two forums especially you will notice some significant differences:
-- "General Information and Discussion - Start Here"
-- "Epicurean Art and Symbolism"
Our ongoing primary mission continues forward: "To provide a online home for the study and promotion of the philosophy of Epicurus"! 
I find that the above two posts by Cassius are very helpful for contemplating the issue of eclecticism, and I recommend anyone who has been thinking about the issue of eclecticism to read.
I think it is important to understand and realize that there are various ways in which we all approach the study of Epicurean philosophy -- there are variations in each person's desires and reasons for studying, and variations in what each person hopes to gain from study.
And we support:
1) study of Epicurean philosophy
2) formation of an individual and personal worldview
The challenge is that this forum is a place to study "what is Epicurean philosophy" while also being a place to "develop and form one's individual and personal worldview" (and we do hope that individuals who study Epicurean philosophy also incorporate many aspects of it into their own personal worldview).
We hope to keep the study of "what is Epicurean philosophy" free from "eclectic" influences, so that we are clear about what exactly Epicurean philosophy is.
Yet, we also urge each person to develop their own personal worldview.
And now my question is that when you combine these two aspects, how to you avoid problems (I need to define what I think the problems are soon in another post).
ambition - a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work
(from Google / Oxford Languages)
Hi Everyone,
Coming up this next Monday night at 8pm ET!
Meeting open to all forum members.
Agenda:
Just an fyi -- we have these threads, which may be of interest:
Hi Everyone! Here is an update with more details on our upcoming livestream event, on January 19th at 1:00 pm ET!
We will use our YouTube channel for livestreaming (click here to check out the EpicureanFriends YouTube page) and plan to set up a chat at that location where listeners can provide live feedback.
Here is our line-up with presentation descriptions:
"Applying Epicurus Accurately - The Epicurean Paradigm Shift" - Cassius Amicus, administrator of the EpicureanFriends.com forum and a co-host of "The Lucretius Today Podcast," will introduce the topics to be presented, and start with an explanation of a number of key topics on which Epicurus is often misunderstood.
"Bread and Water: Debunking the Idea of Epicurean Asceticism" - Don Boozer, longtime EpicureanFriends contributor, will explain how it is a fallacy that Epicurus was an ascetic, and how one of the pillars of that view - that Epicurus promoted an austere diet - is incorrect.
"Epicurus on the Perils of Applying Geometry to Ethics" - Joshua Elbert, co-administrator at EpicureanFriends and co-host of "The Lucretius Today Podcast", will explain how Epicurus diagnosed and remedied the error of those who seek to apply geometric reasoning to ethical questions.
"An Elementary Fact Worth Bearing in Mind" - Bryan, longtime EpicureanFriends contributor, will examine several different translations of Diogenes Laertius' Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, Book 10, Section 47 (on physics) and explain the process of evaluating options when translators disagree.
"Moderation in All Things is Not Always the Prudent Course" - Kalosyni, EpicureanFriends event coordinator, will explain how Epicurus focused on "prudence" - rather than "moderation" - as a key to happy living.
Panel discussion and closing comments - After the presentations, Cassius Amicus will lead the panel in discussion of final comments on these topics, addressing comments and questions submitted by views in the livestream.
Julia Wishing you a Happy Birthday!
> For god cannot be conceived apart from thought
I was confused by this phrase, but I think in context this must mean that god/a god can't be conceived of as a thoughtless being (like a p-zombie).
For me, I would take this to mean that god cannot be experienced apart from thought. ---> God exists only as a mental construct.
Hi Everyone! We are charting new territory starting in 2025!
Mark your calendar for our first livestreaming event on January 19, 2025 at 1:00pm ET!
We will have presentations by Cassius, Don, Joshua, Bryan, and Kalosyni -- Presentations will be followed by a round table discussion and live chat. Topics are:
"Applying Epicurus Accurately - The Epicurean Paradigm Shift" - Cassius will introduce the topics to be presented in the livestream and address several key topics on which Epicurus is often misunderstood.
"Bread and Water: Debunking the Idea of Epicurean Asceticism" - Don will explain how it is a fallacy that Epicurus was an ascetic, and how one of the pillars of that view - that Epicurus promoted an austere diet - is incorrect.
"Epicurus on the Perils of Applying Geometry to Ethics" - Joshua will present on how Epicurus diagnosed the error of attempting to apply geometric reasoning to ethical questions.
"An Elementary Fact Worth Bearing in Mind" - Bryan will present on translation issues using an example from the letter to Herodotus where Epicurus described an elementary fact worth remembering.
"Moderation in All Things is Not Always the Prudent Course" - Kalosyni will explain how Epicurus advised "prudence" - rather than "moderation" - as the key to happy living.
Each presentation will last approximately twenty minutes, and at the end the presenters will assemble for a panel discussion of the topics, including responses to questions or comments received from the livestream chat.
I just came across another youtube on learning Greek (since every time I see Greek letters I have to mentally fill what I see with "sdfhsjdhfhsdhg" (not good, and wanting to be able to at least pronounce words).
Also, hoping...perhaps Don after you're done with your current ongoing project, you could put together some kind of summary of all your helpful tips and links, into our wiki.
You know when I combine in my mind the assertions that motion is an illusion, that time is an illusion, that everything our senses show us is nothing more than the illusions caused by shadows flickering on the wall of Plato's cave, it's hard to shake the feeling that this is the real heart of Epicurean philosophy.
For myself, I thinking about time as being "by convention" rather than and illusion...
Definitions (from internet):
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people
Conventionalism is the philosophical attitude that fundamental principles of a certain kind are grounded on (explicit or implicit) agreements in society, rather than on external reality.
From post 3 quote above (and from Joshua's first link):
The idealist view is that time is a property of the human mind and therefore is an illusion. The passage of time is depends on human observers.
In last night's Zoom, I recall something from the material that said: "time is by necessity" ? ...Did I remember correctly and was it by Philodemus?
Imagine that we lived on a planet that rotated the sun, but did not itself rotate (but always stayed with the same side facing the sun) and did not have a moon. Life would evolve without circadian rhythms, and would that lead to a lack of the conception of time in evolved/sentient life forms?
Wishing everyone here Happy Holidays!
Here is a picture of my Epicurus altar that I set up this morning:
If anyone else wants to share pictures of their Epicurus bust Epicurus pictures, or Epicurus altar, feel free to post here
Happy Twentieth Everyone!
Winter Solstice is almost here:
December 21, 2024 at 4:21 a.m. EST
The term “solstice” comes from the Latin words sol (Sun) and sistere (to stand still) because, during the solstice, the angle between the Sun’s rays and the plane of the Earth’s equator (called declination) appears to stand still.
So what does that mean, exactly? Upon the winter solstice, the Sun appears at its lowest in the sky, and its noontime elevation seems to stay the same for several days before and after this day. The Sun’s gradual decrease in the sky reverses upon the winter solstice, marking what many cultures believe to be a “rebirth” of the Sun as the hours of daylight become longer.
jason Welcome to the forum!
Coming up next Friday at 8pm ET, via Zoom, is our next 20th Commemoration and Epicurean Philosophy Discussion!
Agenda:
- Opening Reading in commemoration of Epicurus and Metrodorus (by Kalosyni)
- This month's highlighted Epicureans - Empress Pompeia Plotina and Leonteus/Themista of Lampsacus (by Cassius)
- Discuss popular forum threads, Epicurean philosophy, and the pleasures of the winter holiday season
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New attendees: For those who haven't yet attended but are interested, please note that the discussion level is at an intermediate/advanced level of Epicurean philosophy, and is not suitable for questions at a basic introductory level. We recommend new members attend our monthly "First Monday Zoom" which provides time for answering questions.
Anyone who has not previously attended: you can let us know in this thread or by private message if you are interested.
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Regular attendees: We will send out the link by private message a day before the meeting. Looking forward to seeing you there!
