Latest Lucretius Today Podcast 306: "Is A Life That Is 99% Happy Really Happy?" | Things To Know When First Reading Epicurus: The Epicurean Paradigm Shift | Featured Videos | Community Standards And Posting Policies |
We are now requiring that new registrants confirm their request for an account by email. Once you complete the "Sign Up" process to set up your user name and password, please send an email to the New Accounts Administator to obtain new account approval.
Regularly Checking In On A Small Screen Device? Bookmark THIS page!
Recent Activities
-
ernesto.sun
November 11, 2025 at 4:35 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Ernesto-Sun!.PostHello friends!
So grateful to know You are well active in the name of the greatest philosopher of all time.
Viva Epikouros!
I want to mention why it is I am inactive still and for a while longer. Because a) real garden and building work, and b) listening to… -
Cassius
November 11, 2025 at 4:05 AM Replied to the thread Happy Birthday General Thread.PostHappy Birthday to briefvacation! Learn more about briefvacation and say happy birthday on briefvacation's timeline: briefvacation -
Cassius
November 11, 2025 at 3:45 AM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostThank you Tau Phi this will be extremely helpful!
As a test I decided to look for the original version of whatever was used to generate this part, which occurs on page 21 right before the beginning of the section entitled "How Epicurus and Aristippus… -
TauPhi
November 10, 2025 at 9:46 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostProper English translation from 1699 containing 'Happiness':
https://archive.org/details/bim_ea…e_1699/mode/2up
Transcription of the book (not perfect but workable - click 'View entire text' to see the whole book):
… -
Cassius
November 10, 2025 at 6:58 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostI haven't had time to pursue this further but my current thought is that much of the usefulness of this presentation is going to turn on the extent to which we can verify that this modernization is consistent with the original text. On first look I… -
kochiekoch
November 10, 2025 at 4:32 PM Replied to the thread Episode 306 - TD34 - Is A Life That Is 99 Percent Happy Really Happy?.PostThe Stoics and Christians would say that close only works in horseshoes and hand grenades! 😉 -
Don
November 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM Posted the thread An Epicurus Tartan.Thread
I was playing around with the Tartan Designer at the USAKilts.com website and decided to see if I could come up with anything relating to Epicurus. I grant you that it's not a great design, but I was curious how much symbolism I could incorporate. To… -
DaveT
November 10, 2025 at 1:32 PM Replied to the thread Any Recommendations on “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”?.PostEikadistes Yes, thank you. I understand your reply, but can you address my use of the Internet description of divine simulacra:
[…]
And then can you address my question earlier, if divine simulacra stream from those "quasi-bodies" of the gods (in the… -
Eikadistes
November 10, 2025 at 12:42 PM Replied to the thread Any Recommendations on “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”?.Post[…]
"Superman" positively inspired generations of kids, even if he only existed in 64 colors.
"Lady Liberty" continues to wield a torch for many, even if she's fixed in bronze.
So long as we identify "the gods" as images ("simulacra", "eidola"), those… -
Kalosyni
November 10, 2025 at 11:55 AM Replied to the thread VS16 - Source in Vat.gr.1950 manuscript.PostVS 16: "No one who sees what is bad chooses it willingly; instead he is lured into seeing it as good compared to what is even worse, and thus he is trapped."
Some thoughts on this...
Reasoning further on this to get a bigger picture on this: the… -
DaveT
November 9, 2025 at 7:35 PM Replied to the thread Any Recommendations on “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”?.Post[…]
This made me wonder both what it is, and where it comes from in Epicurus' worldview. and then this next sentence:
[…]
made me wonder if the author you reference, or Epicurus himself, defined a simulacra the same way as the following definition I quickly… -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 5:08 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostOK I finished it. The article tails off into an overly-long praise of frugality and simple living, even managing to finish with some praise of walking around naked and shoeless, but the lack of a rousing ending does not diminish what a generally… -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 4:52 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostBryan you are among the most well-read of us here. Are you familiar with this work? -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 4:28 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostJoshua is going to really enjoy all this detailed analysis of the story of Marcus Regulus around page 47. -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 4:20 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostGassendi even explains and defends Torquatus for defending his ancestor's execution of his son for violating the rules of battle --- this article is amazingly comprehensive. -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 4:16 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostI doubt we've mentioned Maximus of Tyre at all here on this forum, or if we have we certainly haven't mentioned him much, and yet he bursts out of this article as having some of the best takes since Epicurus himself! -
Patrikios
November 9, 2025 at 4:00 PM Replied to the thread Diving Deep Into The History of The Tetrapharmakon / Tetrapharmakos.Post[…]
Thanks, Don I appreciate your reference to Epicurus as the physician of the mind & soul. This is a good reason to separate Epicurus from other philosophers who provided advice on how to act. Epicurus, the ‘savior of humanity’ teaches us to feel,… -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 3:51 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostI am still reading it fast and furiously but this document clearly merits Gassendi's reputation as a defender and transmitter of Epicurus. But I have lots of questions including:
UPDATE: Some answers here https://www.earlymoderntexts.com/faqs/how- When was
-
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostOMG -- On page 21 it seems that Gassendi is denying that Epicurus made the statement that Epicurus would not know the good but for the pleasures of taste, etc. And this PDF glosses over the entire argument with an aside which does not include the key… -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 3:31 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostThanks Patrikios!
Further, I am not clear whether this document is a translation, a paraphrase, or some combination of the two. -
Patrikios
November 9, 2025 at 3:21 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.Post[…]
Robert
Thanks for this paper from Gassendi. Even Karl Marx held contrary views on Gassendi as an ‘Epicurean’ 🤪
[…]
Karl Marx, doctoral dissertation – The Difference Between the Democreatin and Epicurean Philosophy of Nature – Robert C. Tucker… -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 3:02 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostI see on page 10 that Gassendi holds that Epicurus did *not* hasten his own death / commit suicide. Note that Gassendi is denouncing the Stoics for allowing suicide, and he is praising the religious view that only God should determine the end of our… -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 2:54 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostAs should be expected, the usefulness of this is limited almost immediately into the discussion by Gassendi's insistence that there is both a Providential god whom we should worship and an eternal soul that survives death. -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 2:44 PM Replied to the thread Gassendi On Happiness.PostThe opening section right at the beginning about how to judge the man who is roasted in the bull of Phalaris as still happy is an excellent extrapolation of Epicurus and right on point with our discussion in the Zoom today!
Possibly the best explanation… -
Cassius
November 9, 2025 at 2:34 PM Posted the thread Gassendi On Happiness.ThreadAlmost offhandedly Robert wins the award for the day, probably the week, and possibly for the month for bringing something we've not discussed before to our attention. I highly recommend his link on Gassendi on Happiness. I suspect we're not going to… -
Patrikios
November 9, 2025 at 12:52 PM Replied to the thread Any Recommendations on “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”?.Post -
Raphael Raul
Image/VideoNovember 8, 2025 at 8:01 PM 
-
DaveT
November 8, 2025 at 11:05 AM Replied to the thread Velleius - Epicurus On The True Nature Of Divinity - New Home Page Video.PostEikadistes After following the thread here, I'm concluding that you have two minds on the message attributed to Velleius by Cicero.
Is it fair to say that the practical follower of Epicurus may take delight in the lampooning of Velleius' targets?
And is… -
Cassius
November 8, 2025 at 7:35 AM Posted the thread Episode 307 - Not Yet Recorded.ThreadWelcome to Episode 307 of Lucretius Today. This is a podcast dedicated to the poet Lucretius, who wrote "On The Nature of Things," the most complete presentation of Epicurean philosophy left to us from the ancient world. Each week we walk you through the… -
Cassius
November 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM Replied to the thread Episode 306 - TD34 - Is A Life That Is 99 Percent Happy Really Happy?.PostEpisode 306 of the Lucretius Today Podcast is now available. This week our episode is entitled: "Is A Life That Is 99 Percent Happy Really Happy?'"
[media]https://www.spreaker.com/episode/68467118/media -
Cassius
November 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM Replied to the thread Italian Artwork With Representtions of Epicurus.PostLots of good information in that article, which I don't remember seeing before -- it's apparently from 2024.
I'd say it's a generally very good presentation and to repeat contains lots of good citations. I particular appreciate the references to the… -
Cassius
November 7, 2025 at 11:52 AM Replied to the thread Episode 306 - TD34 - Is A Life That Is 99 Percent Happy Really Happy?.PostThis episode will be out soon.
One aspect that is referenced in the second half is how the "all or nothing" attitude of Stoicism carries over into Christianity. This is an important point to focus on in Epicurus. Was Epicurus' life "not happy" because he… -
Don
November 7, 2025 at 10:59 AM Replied to the thread Italian Artwork With Representtions of Epicurus.Post[…]
I'm bumping this up in this thread because I just came across the first image in an online article with a link to Wikimedia Commons. I had never seen this before and like the overall vibe.
It's also used in this article: … -
Don
November 7, 2025 at 7:51 AM Replied to the thread Diving Deep Into The History of The Tetrapharmakon / Tetrapharmakos.PostToday, I came across this section of Diogenes of Oenoanda (emphasis added):
[…]
And the last part in Greek, emphasis added...
[…]
Diogenes specifically used φαρμακος (6.1 & 2) "[pharmakos] medicine." This medicine metaphor is in keeping with U221 and… -
Eikadistes
November 6, 2025 at 10:01 PM Replied to the thread Velleius - Epicurus On The True Nature Of Divinity - New Home Page Video.Post[…]
I'm with you there. I think my primary criticism is with the authenticity of the characters' arguments rather than the coherence of the arguments. Overwhelmingly, I like what he has to say. For example, his characterization of mythic gods as… -
Matteng
November 6, 2025 at 5:23 PM Replied to the thread Any Recommendations on “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”?.PostI also have read it the 2. time some months ago. I can recommend it when interested in a more academic approach and not all chapters were interesting for me but 80% were.
But some chapters contain more wisdom then I thought on the first look. For example… -
Matteng
November 5, 2025 at 5:41 PM Replied to the thread Stoic view of passions / patheia vs the Epicurean view.PostYes they want get rid of bad emotions. The good emotions relate ( depends on sources ) only about Virtue or what partakes in Virtue.
In a strict sense only the Stoic Sage has good Emotions, all others only propatheia( bodily unconscious Pre-Emotions) ,… -
TauPhi
November 5, 2025 at 4:55 PM Replied to the thread Any Recommendations on “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”?.Post[…]
I second that. It was one of the first books on Epicurean philosophy I've read and to this day I don't regret it. The amount of information there is extraordinary. -
Eikadistes
November 5, 2025 at 4:33 PM Replied to the thread Any Recommendations on “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”?.PostIt's an exceptional resource. It also may not be the best resource for new students.
As an academic text, The Handbook is organized as a collection of essays from respected scholars. In total (in over 800 pages), they present a synoptic view of Epicurean… -
Cassius
November 5, 2025 at 3:35 PM Replied to the thread Any Recommendations on “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”?.PostIf you get it please be sure to let us know your thoughts. I don't remember reading myself. -
Patrikios
November 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM Posted the thread Any Recommendations on “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”?.ThreadAfter scanning the Epicurean Friends ‘Recommended Reading’ webpage, and the New Epicurean library; I find no recommendation for “The Oxford Handbook of Epicurus and Epicureanism”. Has anyone read it, and are the translations acceptable?
I’m reading… -
Pacatus
November 5, 2025 at 1:20 PM Replied to the thread Stoic view of passions / patheia vs the Epicurean view.Post[…]
In their somewhat technical language, the Stoics differentiate between πάθη (the “bad” passions/emotions, e.g. anger, resentment) and εὐπάθη (the “good” passions/emotions, e.g., joy). -
Pacatus
November 5, 2025 at 1:12 PM Replied to the thread Stoic view of passions / patheia vs the Epicurean view.Post[…]
Actually, the likes of Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius criticize and reject seeking such esteem. On the rest, I think you are spot on.
-
Kalosyni
November 4, 2025 at 8:57 PM Replied to the thread Stoic view of passions / patheia vs the Epicurean view.Post[…]
Epicureans seek pleasure, but at times they endure pain when it prevents a greater pain or leads to the pleasures that come with necessary things like food/shelter/health of the body and happiness of the soul -- This can be found in the Letter to… -
Matteng
November 4, 2025 at 4:13 PM Replied to the thread Stoic view of passions / patheia vs the Epicurean view.PostMartin , yes in core the hedonic calculus, an yes maybe a better word for the difference would be arational ( I have never read it ) for unconscious or without needed reason and irrational (often negative seen ).
Eikadistes , yes the difference… -
Eikadistes
November 4, 2025 at 8:09 AM Replied to the thread Stoic view of passions / patheia vs the Epicurean view.Post[…]
As far as I know, each tradition's evaluation of "desire" and "passion" contradict.
For Epicureans, "feeling", itself, is one of the principle criteria of knowledge. We accept that the "affective sympathies" we feel are as informative as the colors we… -
Martin
November 4, 2025 at 4:55 AM Replied to the thread Stoic view of passions / patheia vs the Epicurean view.Post[…]
There seems to be a mix-up of two different usages of "irrational":
The usage in the quote seems to indicate that "irrational" is something "bad", against reason, to be avoided.
The other usage is neutral and refers to sensations, emotions, feelings… -
Kalosyni
November 3, 2025 at 1:50 PM Replied to the thread Stoic view of passions / patheia vs the Epicurean view.PostHere is a modern psychology article that is a must-read for anyone interested in the role of feelings and emotions in well-being:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/harnes…l-your-feelings -
Kalosyni
November 3, 2025 at 1:20 PM Replied to the thread November 3, 2025 - New Member Meet and Greet (First Monday Via Zoom 8pm ET).PostI just verified with Cassius that the First Monday Meet and Greet Zoom for tonight is officially canceled. We hold the meeting on an as-needed basis for new members. We will set up another as soon as we have the need, so anyone with interest or questions… -
Kalosyni
November 3, 2025 at 10:37 AM Replied to the thread Stoic view of passions / patheia vs the Epicurean view.Post[…]
Thank you Matteng for pointing this out.
Perhaps there is a way to fine-tune the differences, however, and especially because both feelings and emotions are important for making sense of the world, and so we need them as valid input for making good…
News And Announcements
-
No entries found. Be the first to write something.
Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com
What's the best strategy for finding things on EpicureanFriends.com? Here's a suggested search strategy:
- First, familiarize yourself with the list of forums. The best way to find threads related to a particular topic is to look in the relevant forum. Over the years most people have tried to start threads according to forum topic, and we regularly move threads from our "general discussion" area over to forums with more descriptive titles.
- Use the "Search" facility at 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." Also check the "Search Assistance" page.
- Use the "Tag" facility, starting with the "Key Tags By Topic" in the right hand navigation pane, or using the "Search By Tag" page, or the "Tag Overview" page which contains a list of all tags alphabetically. We curate the available tags to keep them to a manageable number that is descriptive of frequently-searched topics.