On Irrational Contempt

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On Irrational Contempt

"For neither are the same things healthy for everybody, nor nourishing or fatal, nor the opposites of these, but the very same things are healthy and nourishing for some yet have the opposite effects on others. Therefore either they must say that these too are false – things whose effects are plain for everyone to see – or else they must refuse to brazen it out and to battle against what is evident, and not abolish fair and foul as falsely believed in either, just because unlike stone and gold they are not the same for everybody (…). Relative predicates do not have the same status as things said not relatively but in accordance with something’s own nature. Nor does the one kind truly exist but not the other." (Polystratus, De contemptu XXIV.13-XXV.11)

Story-lines unfolding by Frits Ahlefeldt

Comments 8

January 23, 2024 at 10:31 AM

Do we have what remains of "On Irrational Contempt" all translated into English?

I have the Greek (and a Latin and French translation) but I have missed the English version if it is around.
January 23, 2024 at 10:41 AM

I do not know of one. I have only run into translations as excerpts from other books on Epicurean Philosophy.
December 16, 2024 at 10:52 AM

I've published a draft of an English translation of the French translation provided in Les Epicuriens.

Thanks to Hiram and Google for the material!
June 17, 2022 at 6:14 PM

Excellent graphic and excellent quote we haven't talked about much if at all.

Sounds Epicurean to me, but do we have good backup that this is from a reliable Epicurean source?
June 17, 2022 at 8:38 PM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystrat…ean?wprov=sfla1
June 17, 2022 at 8:39 PM

I was also able to find the transcription of the PHerc of his work.

https://papyri.info/dclp/62661

http://societyofepicurus.com/reasonings-abo…ional-contempt/
June 17, 2022 at 9:00 PM

Thank you Don good stuff!
December 16, 2024 at 10:53 AM

It seems like Les Epicuriens is going to be our next, best source of information. There is some great, European scholarship, and I'm more comfortable working with Google when it comes to translating modern, European languages. Consequently, we're published a draft of it on the website!

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