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Cassius
PostApril 13, 2026 at 10:06 AM Yes I presume Goodwin is struggling with the same issue we are discussing. Epicurus is apparently using the word to designate a capacity for self-generated motion (as in the swerve) and in English "weight" does not give us that self-moving capacity. We… -
Eikadistes
PostApril 13, 2026 at 9:47 AM I don't love the following description by Pseudo-Ploútarkhos, but as is translated by Goodwin, it presents "burden" (usually translated as "weight" or "mass") as "gravity:
[…]
I don't know if that's accurate about Dēmókritos because Pseudo-P. was writing… -
Cassius
April 13, 2026 at 6:57 AM Replied to the thread Welcome Aeneadum!.PostAenaedum tells us:
I have an undergraduate degree in Classics, with a focus on Horace and Lucretius, and a Masters in Comp Lit, with work on Montaigne and ataraxia. I've self-identified as a follower of Epicurus for many years, so I'm interested to learn… -
Cassius
April 13, 2026 at 6:56 AM Posted the thread Welcome Aeneadum!.ThreadWelcome Aeneadum !
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… -
Cassius
April 12, 2026 at 8:19 PM Replied to the thread Welcome M Dango.PostNote - I moved posts from wbernys and eikadistes to the subforum for PD06 as they are very useful there and can be found there more easily in the future. -
Cassius
PostApril 12, 2026 at 8:14 PM Good thoughts as to the correspondence, Eikadistes. I haven't got much to go on yet but I think there's a bright line and that Epicurus would require that "weight" not imply that this particular cause of the motion of atoms is operating only because of… -
Eikadistes
PostApril 12, 2026 at 5:53 PM I've been wondering lately if there might be an innate correspondence between the three qualities and the atomic motions, being falling, recoiling (10.44), and swerving. Epíkouros writes to Hēródotos that the βάρους (bárous) "burden" (so I'm translating… -
Eikadistes
PostApril 12, 2026 at 5:38 PM […]
That's really perceptive, and I appreciate you noting that one, in particular, because of all of the Doctrines, I find 6 to be unquestionably the most mis-translated, due to the language. You're right, it does need an update, though I caution that… -
Cassius
PostApril 12, 2026 at 4:56 PM Thanks Joshua. So clearly the word being used is "weight." It seems possible however that that does not end the inquiry because it's potentially not clear what is meant by weight.
Today (i gather) we are using weight as something that is attracted… -
Joshua
PostApril 12, 2026 at 4:26 PM […] -
wbernys
PostApril 12, 2026 at 2:27 PM […]
Certainly would be awesome. I mainly want Torquatus (And Velleius) speech included and some of the english to be more clear and a little less archaic (PD6 in hedonicon is a example where i struggled to understand it). Got the best of Epicurus by… -
Cassius
April 12, 2026 at 2:26 PM Posted the thread General Analysis of Risk Aversion.ThreadIn a nearby thread we have discussed the analysis of space travel from the Epicurean point of view (Would Epicurus embrace going to the moon).
That's a very good specific example and might be all that's needed, but I am setting this thread up as a place… -
Cassius
PostApril 12, 2026 at 2:22 PM So the reason this topic came up today is that Patrikios brought up the question of whether atoms move because of some external force applied to them. And this directly relates to the motion of bodies such as magnets, discussed in Book 6 of Lucretius.
If… -
Cassius
PostApril 12, 2026 at 2:19 PM The Routledge Encyclopedia entry by David Sedley4. Motion
Surprisingly, atoms never stop moving, even within a compound object, since the medium through which they move is void, which can offer them no resistance. More surprisingly, for the same reason… -
Cassius
PostApril 12, 2026 at 2:17 PM Ok I asked Claude to summarize David Sedley's position. Apparently the main article is not publicly available but I will include the cite below:
The key Sedley text regarding the Epicurean relationship between weight and motion turns out to be his own… -
Cassius
PostApril 12, 2026 at 2:06 PM This topic arose in today's Zoom meeting and it needs further research and expansion. I am also going to modify the title of this thread to make the issue more clear.
I feel sure there are academic articles directly on point beyond what I've cited above. -
Eikadistes
April 12, 2026 at 8:55 AM Replied to the thread Welcome M Dango.Post[…]
Great call on Living for Pleasure! Professor Austin pops in here every now and then. The crew here with LucretiusToday podcast interviewed her about the book. You can find it here.
Someday, I would like to fatten-up The Hedonicon with the works of… -
Cassius
April 12, 2026 at 6:06 AM Replied to the thread What would Epicurus have thought of going to the moon?.PostOne thing I'd add is that if we go by the list in the principal doctrines , only the concept of there being no supernatural gods comes before the doctrine that "you only live once." (And even the absence of supernatural gods is directly related to… -
Martin
April 12, 2026 at 2:35 AM Replied to the thread Welcome M Dango.PostWelcome M.Dango! -
wbernys
April 12, 2026 at 2:25 AM Replied to the thread What would Epicurus have thought of going to the moon?.PostPlutarch says much the same. Albeit out of his ignorance and desire to slander Epicurus he doesn't understand how one can enjoy spectacles so much but not spend their life obsessed with nonsense questions with no relevance.
[U20]
Plutarch, That Epicurus… -
wbernys
April 12, 2026 at 2:03 AM Replied to the thread What would Epicurus have thought of going to the moon?.Post[…]
Personally think he would consider it freaking awesome. It's important to remember one of Diogenes Laertius sayings about the Epicurean wise man, which people who like to imagine Epicurus as ascetic always love to ignore.
"He will care more than other… -
wbernys
April 12, 2026 at 1:58 AM Replied to the thread Welcome M Dango.Post[…]
Damn straight! Best book on Epicurus in my view. If i may recommend, I would personally recomendding Torqautus speech, this and Austin is what really made me love the philosophy.
Here's a video link (uses ai voice, if that bothers you, you can read it… -
Godfrey
April 12, 2026 at 12:35 AM Replied to the thread What would Epicurus have thought of going to the moon?.PostThere's also the issue of natural philosophy as well as the anachronistic nature of the situation proposed. Epicurus' life predated so much of our contemporary knowledge, although his thinking in many ways laid the groundwork for it. If he was presented… -
Cassius
ThreadApril 11, 2026 at 6:46 PM These week we will continue around section 1:329 of Lucretius and explore the implications of the Void.
https://handbook.epicureanfriends.com/sbslucretius/#1-329 -
Cassius
ThreadApril 11, 2026 at 6:16 PM Welcome to Episode 329 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
April 11, 2026 at 5:54 PM Replied to the thread What would Epicurus have thought of going to the moon?.PostOK other than Eikadistes no one is rushing to answer, so I'll start a preliminary response that will be far too short.
[…]
As with all options in life, I think Epicurus would advise evaluating the specifics as it applied to him personally and not take… -
m.dango
April 11, 2026 at 3:33 PM Replied to the thread Welcome M Dango.PostI finished "Living for Pleasure" and it was a joy to read! I had a hold on a library app I placed before I had learned of Epicurean philosophy, for a book titled "The Art of Frugal Hedonism", which unexpectedly has a section summarizing Epicurus. I've… -
DaveT
April 11, 2026 at 2:37 PM Replied to the thread How do we know that we only get one life?.PostWelllll! I think facing the consequences of death is so personal, I'm good doing it alone. Of course when facing imminent or approaching death, I'd imagine having support during the process would be helpful if I'm fortunate to have close loved ones… -
Cassius
April 11, 2026 at 1:21 PM Replied to the thread Responding to the Avicenna "Proof of the Truthful" Argument For A Supernatural God.PostThanks Patrikios that is a very new document that I am still in the process of researching and revising, but it's already very helpful. I will add that as you suggest.
EDIT: HMMM how did you get that link - it's not correct - I will get the correct one… -
Patrikios
April 11, 2026 at 1:20 PM Replied to the thread How do we know that we only get one life?.Post[…]
Kalosyni ,
I just love the way you add the soft touch reminder that this Epicurean work comes down to living a life of wellbeing as fully as possible within the environment and circumstances we find ourselves!❤️
Maybe we can discuss on a future Eikas…
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