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Cassius
May 23, 2026 at 4:39 PM Replied to the thread Episode 335 - Not Yet Recorded.Postjust a brief comment on where we are going on the podcast at the moment:
1 - We're going through Academic Questions to help us get a general grounding on the issues of knowledge and skepticism as they were understood at the time that Epicurean philosophy… -
Don
May 23, 2026 at 3:17 PM Replied to the thread Welcome Buck23!.PostWelcome aboard Buck23 ! -
Cassius
May 23, 2026 at 1:41 PM Replied to the thread Welcome Buck23!.PostWelcome Buck. I bet others will have good commentary on printed versions. If you mean actual paper copies there is the "Hedonicon" issued by our friend Eikadistes in recent years, or the collections such as the Epicurus Reader. At this point I mainly… -
Cassius
May 23, 2026 at 1:38 PM Replied to the thread Welcome Buck23!.PostBuck23 tells us:
Hello Cassius!
I live in the US, and have been an on-and-off listener of "The Lucretius Today" podcast for a while.That said, I'm a beginner on the journey to get to know Epicurus and his philosophy. But, so far, I find much resonance with… -
Cassius
May 23, 2026 at 1:37 PM Posted the thread Welcome Buck23!.ThreadWelcome Buck23
There is one last step to complete your registration:
All new registrants must post a response to this message here in this welcome thread (we do this in order to minimize spam registrations).
You must post your response within 24 hours,… -
Bryan
May 23, 2026 at 12:57 PM Replied to the thread An Observation On Using Opposing Philosophers To Argue Epicurean Positions.PostGreat point. As a bit of "an exception that proves the rule," we do have:
"[Epicurus] especially approved of Anaxagoras among the ancients, Diocles says ¬ even though in some respects [Epicurus] had opposed [Anaxagoras] – and also [Epicurus approved… -
Todd
May 23, 2026 at 12:36 PM Replied to the thread An Observation On Using Opposing Philosophers To Argue Epicurean Positions.PostI'm not aware of any counter-examples, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were at least some.
It makes a lot of sense that what you say would be the case, though. When you have a philosophy that is not only attractive to the average person, but whose… -
Godfrey
May 23, 2026 at 12:29 PM Replied to the thread An Observation On Using Opposing Philosophers To Argue Epicurean Positions.PostIn line with Joshua 's point, I've often thought of the categories of desire as an improvement on Eastern philosophies that treat desire as something to be suppressed. This may be historically controversial but I feel like it's a high probability… -
Joshua
May 23, 2026 at 12:03 PM Replied to the thread An Observation On Using Opposing Philosophers To Argue Epicurean Positions.PostWhat we tend to see is Epicureans adapting the ideas of others, but refashioning them so that they slot in to the broader framework of Epicureanism.
The Empedoclean view of the principles of Love and Strife as ethical forces of nature was not found… -
Cassius
May 23, 2026 at 10:51 AM Posted the thread An Observation On Using Opposing Philosophers To Argue Epicurean Positions.ThreadHere's something that just occurred to me. I may be forgetting obvious examples so that's why I am posting - to see if there are counterexamples:
When I think about writers in the ancient world, I see non-Epicureans - Seneca is maybe the best example, as… -
Cassius
May 23, 2026 at 8:24 AM Replied to the thread Episode 335 - Not Yet Recorded.PostLast week we incorporated material from Wikipedia and Diogenes Laertius on the Stoics.
This week we will likely jump off from this short section of the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy on "Ancient Greek Skepticism", as this is largely what we are about… -
Cassius
May 23, 2026 at 8:20 AM Posted the thread Episode 335 - Not Yet Recorded.ThreadWelcome to Episode 335 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… -
Patrikios
May 22, 2026 at 5:51 PM Replied to the thread Should the Study of Modern Psychology and Positive Psychology be Encouraged?.Post -
Cassius
PostMay 22, 2026 at 3:56 PM Transcript of this episode - not perfectly edited - but usable:
https://epicurustoday.com/00-lucretiusto…st/episode_334/ -
Todd
May 22, 2026 at 1:06 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
No need to apologize.
I didn't like using "devalued" either, but nothing else came immediately to mind, so I went with it and added a qualifier. -
Cassius
PostMay 22, 2026 at 12:45 PM Episode 334 of the Lucretius Today Podcast is now available. This week our episode is entitled: "Further Epicurean Analysis Of The Problems With Stoic Kataleptic Impressions."
[media]https://www.spreaker.com/episode/72117502/media -
Don
May 22, 2026 at 12:27 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post
"Culper, no culping."
(If you know, you know
) -
Cassius
May 22, 2026 at 11:54 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostNo culping necessary - we just want to be clear to prevent lurkers from getting the wrong impression! -
Don
May 22, 2026 at 11:28 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
Mea culpa
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Todd
May 22, 2026 at 9:22 AM Replied to the thread Defense of all mental pleasure and pain being based in the body..Post[…]
I agree.
There is also this this quote from Torquatus:
[…]
I think the point you are making would follow directly from this premise. -
Todd
May 22, 2026 at 9:16 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
This is all I meant. The emphasis was intended to be on "relative". -
Cassius
May 22, 2026 at 8:11 AM Replied to the thread Defense of all mental pleasure and pain being based in the body..PostYes i agree with Don excellent and thorough point wbernys!
The only initial comment i had was on this:
[…]
This may not apply exactly, but It's my undertanding that Epicurus was criticized by Stoics and maybe others on the grounds that he did not say that… -
Cassius
May 22, 2026 at 7:42 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
I know that's the word Todd used but I agree with your direction Don, and am reading Todd that way too, that he doesn't really mean "devalue" except in relative terms. Where the letter to Menoeceus speaks precisely I would accept it as authoritative… -
wbernys
May 22, 2026 at 5:05 AM Replied to the thread Defense of all mental pleasure and pain being based in the body..Post[…]
Oh I see! Okay good, yeah you and I are in agreement. Maybe I'll add something into the original post on this. -
Don
May 22, 2026 at 4:59 AM Replied to the thread Defense of all mental pleasure and pain being based in the body..Post[…]
Oh, I'm agreeing with your premise! My only amplification is that we need a body to even be able to experience the world through the senses. There are no sensations without the ear, eye, tongue, skin, nose, and mind/soul/psykhē working in concert. -
wbernys
May 22, 2026 at 4:46 AM Replied to the thread Defense of all mental pleasure and pain being based in the body..Post[…]
I think this quote interprets Torquatus as saying that the mind is apart of the body, and without it the mind cannot exist, and therefore is still physical. If it is that interpretation, i disagree. Feel free to correct me. Obviously the internet… -
Don
May 22, 2026 at 4:31 AM Replied to the thread Defense of all mental pleasure and pain being based in the body..PostNicely done.
The only summary statement I'd offer is that all pleasure had/has to be bodily in the broadest sense since we exist as mind and body as a whole and we experience everything within our a physical existence. There is no mental without a… -
Don
May 22, 2026 at 4:21 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
Okay, read the paper, and, alright, it's fine. But I didn't see it as overly revelatory. Epicurus posits a dyad to explain physics: bodies and space; he posits a dyad to explain the foundation of ethics: pleasure and pain. That seems to be the crux of… -
wbernys
May 21, 2026 at 11:19 PM Posted the thread Defense of all mental pleasure and pain being based in the body..ThreadHello all, I have long been curious about this apparently orthodox claim from Torquatus that all pleasures and pains are ultimately based in the body:
[…]
I imagine the orthodox Epicureans had sophisticated ways of defending this thesis. Philodemus in… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 9:46 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostThanks again Todd and others for all comments! -
Don
May 21, 2026 at 9:41 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
If that's the case, as much as I respect Sedley, we're going to have some problems, pardner.
Okay, I need to hunker down and ready this... -
Todd
May 21, 2026 at 6:18 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostMy thoughts on the Sedley paper
I think it makes a lot of sense. The parallels are certainly suggestive.
In my opinion, Sedley's framework is most useful for filling in gaps in our understanding of Epicurus' ethics. For one thing, I think it gives… -
Todd
May 21, 2026 at 4:14 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
Sedley says something similar to justify relying on On Ends over the Letter to Menoeceus. It's an elegantly written letter, not a systematic exposition of ethics. -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 3:44 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
I agree and think you are exactly right. This is a huge point and requires that we emphasize it. I don't think that Epicurus would used wording that implied this possibility if he were not writing (to Menoeceus) to someone he expected to know better… -
Todd
May 21, 2026 at 3:22 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
Agree, but it is suggesting something else that I see as problematic.
Being "without pain" (completely, entirely) is the maximum limit of pleasure. It is not a state that the average person frequently, or maybe ever, enjoys. I think it is a mistake to… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 3:10 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostAlso Todd I agree with your comments on the graphic and will use this one going forward
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Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 3:02 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostThis is parallel to the same problem in discussing discrete experiences. Saying that you are experiencing "pleasure" tells you absolutely nothing about what you are doing other than that you find it agreeable. Epicurus certainly understood that. Real… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 2:54 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostI also think in relating the issue of discrete sensations of pleasure to the issue of "pleasure in total" we will need to take note of something specific: I don't think that Cicero would leave himself open to the charge that he was intentionally… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 2:27 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostThank you for the comments Todd. I'll keep the separation of issues in mind as we proceed, but for better or worse I think the issues are tied tightly together in the texts - especially Torquatus but probably all of them - so I expect they need to be… -
Todd
May 21, 2026 at 1:54 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostThe Graphic
I actually like the graphic better than the article.
Maybe replace alive/dead with life/death - it offends my sense of grammar to have 2 pairs of nouns and then a pair of adjectives.
The Article
I see that you've tried to address my feedback in… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 12:26 PM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostI fully expect that this graphic is going to change many times as I continue to revise the article, but here is a first draft of something to put at the head of the article when in begins to approach Substack-stage. As with the article, all comments and… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 11:22 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostOk all of the comments so far have been helpful and thanks to all who made them. This is not an easy or simple article, and it really helps if someone has first read the Sedley article. However to be useful that can't be mandatory - the article has to… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 8:44 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostLast comment for now - the application of the atoms/void binary to pleasure/pain is what David Sedley discusses in his "Inferential Foundations of Epicurean Ethics"
"The Inferential Foundations of Epicurean Ethics" - Article By David Sedley -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 8:35 AM Posted the thread "Print Thread" Feature Added.ThreadToday we've added a "Print Thread" package that allows you to print directly to PDF the full contents of a thread (up to 100 messages long). Each thread - and each post as well - should now have a "PDF" button at the top right to allow this option.
Due… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 8:19 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
So the storm and shore analogy seems to me to be an example of what is cited in the quote above about how "Some of these are truly binary by definition; others are socially or psychologically treated as binary even though, upon closer analysis, they… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 8:08 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostAnother aspect that is relevant to the discussion of comparing "happy" or "pleasure" as a comparative state to "happy" or "pleasure" as a superlative is the question of whether you can experience pleasure in one part of your experience while you are… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 8:04 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostHere's another list culled from asking for "all or nothing" propositions:
[…] -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 8:01 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostCouple of specific comments:
[…]
I would say that's exactly what Epicurus and Lucretius are doing.
[…]
I'm pretty comfortable with the verdict aspet from my legal background, but I can see that those less familiar with US criminal law might not accept it so… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 7:54 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.PostThe same process in the letter to Herodotus is below. This is not the argument of a technician listing out all the different observations that could be made of cats, dogs, trees, flowers, ad infinitum.
This is a logical high-level argument, based… -
Cassius
May 21, 2026 at 7:45 AM Replied to the thread Iliustrations and Analogies For Explaining the "Two And Only Two Feelings" Argument.Post[…]
Just to be clear here, if there is going to be a failure in the article for trying rather than succeeding to describe something in terms of binaries, the failure is going to be mine, not that of "the AI".
I've already gone through this wording several…
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