Posts by SillyApe

  • Analyzing The Boeing Astronauts From An Epicurean Perspective

    I am a bit late for this, but, for me personally, it doesn't make much sense to risk one's life in such a way. Obviously, it is left to each person to do the pleasure/pain calculus in their own head and get to their own conclusions, but risking a lifetime of pleasures for one specific, pleasurable moment doesn't do it for me(even if the risk entails a lasting pleasure, such as good memories or self-confidence).

    In my opinion, it is only worth risking one's life if your prospects for pleasure without the risk would be very low. For example, let's say you have a son and love him very much. If his life is in danger and you can sacrifice yourself to save him, it may be worth it, as I can't imagine a parent being able to find pleasure while knowing he/she could have saved their child, but didn't. Another example would be if you lived in a terrible dictatorship and had to choose between an oppressive existence under the dictator's government or risking your life to run away.

    But, again, it is up to the individual. I myself would not join a Roman legion and go fight in a foreign land willingly, but some Epicureans of the past did that.

  • Welcome SillyApe

    Yes! That's actually the reason behind my name. Remembering that we are just silly apes helps to bring me pleasure in my moments of anxiety.

    "Oh humans, what a miracle of nature! Apes with delusions of grandeur!"

  • The "meaning crisis" trend. How do you answer it as an Epicurean philosopher?

    I am a bit late to the discussion, but I have to say I agree with Cassius: if you try to deviate from the indications given to us by nature(pleasure and pain), you may end up in endless speculations that bring nothing but more questions and no help to anyone.

    I would also like to share something I heard from a philosophy professor once. He said that if you had to walk on a path that was surrounded by beautiful flowers, had soft ground, smelled good, and was filled with all other sorts of pleasure, you would not ask "Why am I walking on this path?", as just the pleasure of walking on it would justify your walk. Now, if the path was surrounded by rotting, dead animals and was covered by nails and broken glass, then you'd ask "Why am I walking on this path?", as you'd need to have a justification for the pain.

    A pleasurable life doesn't need "meaning", as pleasure justifies itself.

  • Welcome SillyApe

    Oh yeah, I found this forum by accident a few months ago. I have been studying Epicureanism for roughly a year now and was looking for some answers(I don't record exactly what I was looking for) and Google showed me a similar question made on this forum.

  • What Would Epicurus Say To Someone Who Complains "The World Is Unjust / Life Isn't Fair"?

    Well, I am not exactly sure what Epicurus would say, but, in general, I think it is wise to remember that nature is not ruled by an intelligent force(like claimed by the Stoics or some religions) and that it is not intrinsically "fair" or "unfair", but yes, it just is as it is. In the end, it is up to us to adjust our behavior according to how things present themselves, so we can maximize our pleasure and minimize our pain over the long term.