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  • Kalosyni March 14, 2026 at 4:34 PM

    Comment (Image/Video)
    You can read about Lallapalooza:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lollapalooza

  • Julia March 14, 2026 at 4:34 PM

    Comment (Image/Video)
    !!! After-Show !!!
    starting midnight
    featuring
    exquisitely doubt-filled
    grunge masters

    The Sky Hatchlings versus The Golden Calves

    on the Emerging Talent Stage!

  • Eikadistes March 14, 2026 at 12:44 PM

    Reply (Image/Video)
    With AI hiding in every corner, almost as a rule now, I'm purposefully not correcting a certain, small percentage of spelling and grammatical errors I make as a way of demonstrating that I'm not using AI.

    Also, "feastival" is more of a happy accident than…

  • Cassius March 14, 2026 at 11:41 AM

    Post
    Episode 324 of the Lucretius Today Podcast is now available. This week our episode is entitled: "Is Pleasure The Good, Or The Enemy of The Good?" I want to particularly commend Joshua's references to Socrates' discussion of the cave analogy as…

  • Cassius March 14, 2026 at 11:37 AM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    Speaking as Administrator, we've put a lot of effort into making clear that this is a forum for people who are - or wish to be - supporters and proponents of Epicurean philosophy.

    I wish everyone well who doesn't fit within that description, but I wish…

  • Kalosyni March 14, 2026 at 8:42 AM

    Comment (Image/Video)
    Ha-ha, I see that I mis-spelled the word festival, but it made me laugh, so I'm going to leave it. :D

  • Kalosyni March 14, 2026 at 8:40 AM

    Image/Video
    Keeping it Fun - Epicurus vs His Philosophical Opponents

  • phscha March 14, 2026 at 2:50 AM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    […]

    I see potential

  • Cassius March 13, 2026 at 6:07 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    If you aren't satisfied with Epicurus' physics arguments, and you aren't satisfied with his moral arguments, probably this is a good time to ask: exactly what brings you to this forum?

  • phscha March 13, 2026 at 5:34 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    […]

    And this is the point where an update is absolutely necessary, IMHO. For 300BC, this is an outstanding feaure and a USP. But since then, the entire philosophy of Enlightenment has worked on the question how to ground morality in a godless material…

  • Cassius March 13, 2026 at 5:26 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    As an aside to this conversation i would add (not referring to anyone here!) that a lot of people want to hedge on basic aspects of Epicurean physics such as to universe as a whole being natural and eternal, or as to the non-existence of the…

  • Cassius March 13, 2026 at 5:19 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    […]

    Glad to hear that you are (like me) not a fan of Sam Harris... :)

    […]

    I don't know that anywhere on our website anyone has ever used the term "the Principal of Pleasure." Nor would I say that Epicurus would use the term either.

    What I think Epicurus would…

  • phscha March 13, 2026 at 4:58 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    Thanks Eikadistes, always good to have people around who actually know the sources :)

    I understand that passage from Hume as "we cannot derive any normative statements from observations how things are". Simply speaking, you cannot derrive the 10…

  • Eikadistes March 13, 2026 at 4:20 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    My publications can't finance my expenses, but I definitely think of myself as a philosopher.

    For context, I believe the "is-ought" problem is expressed in Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature:

    […]

    If I've read Hume right (him being a modern sceptic), I…

  • Pacatus March 13, 2026 at 3:30 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    Welcome, Phscha.

    I might suggest that the only way to get to some “ought” from whatever “is” – is to add an “if.” For example:

    Given circumstances c, if I want to bring about g, then I ought to (based on the evidence of c) do a, as the most likely…

  • Cassius March 13, 2026 at 2:45 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    Thanks for your reply and you raise excellent points which are valuable to debate.

    Neither I nor anyone else here (to my knowledge) is a professional philosopher, so I am sure there are more intellectual ways to respond to the Hume's razor question than…

  • phscha March 13, 2026 at 2:21 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    Thank you for the warm welcome!

    I believe that one can understand Epicurean philosophy by following his train of thought from his knowledge and assumptions regarding nature to his conclusion. But for me at least, to apply his philosophy to life I should…

  • Cassius March 13, 2026 at 11:27 AM

    Post
    As to Emerson's statements about consistency Joshua reminded me in the most recent podcast (324 - not yet posted as of this writing) about what Cicero had to say in Tusculan Disputations. In this section he's arguing against Epicurus, but what he's…

  • Cassius March 13, 2026 at 8:51 AM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    […]

    Welcome Phscha! However given you have made a very specific point in regard to physics, and I better address it immediately.

    This forum is dedicated to the pursuit of Epicurean philosophy, which is not tied to the terminology of 300 BC, but is tied to…

  • phscha March 13, 2026 at 7:38 AM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    Hi everyone,

    I am a 43 yo male from Munich, Germany. PhD, curious mind, traveler. Interested in Epicurian philosophy as it resonates with my personal life experience: A home shared with friends is the best form of human coexistence. Motivated to discuss a…

  • Cassius March 12, 2026 at 7:05 PM

    Replied to the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Post
    Pscha confirms their account request this way:



    […]

  • Cassius March 12, 2026 at 7:05 PM

    Posted the thread Welcome Phscha.
    Thread
    Welcome phscha !

    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,…

  • Pacatus March 12, 2026 at 1:30 PM

    Replied to the thread Tim O'Keefe -- Ouch!.
    Post
    […]

    Your “no cookie-cutter” comment in another thread is certainly spot on, and I like the approach you’re suggesting here.

    As a – likely beyond-the-pale whimsical* – metaphor, perhaps we could think in terms of a philosophical “clade”:

    “In biology, a…

  • DavidN March 12, 2026 at 11:54 AM

    Replied to the thread Tim O'Keefe -- Ouch!.
    Post
    […]

    Ya taking a break from my project, figured I'd come see how everyone is doing.

  • Kalosyni March 12, 2026 at 11:04 AM

    Replied to the thread Tim O'Keefe -- Ouch!.
    Post
    […]

    […]

    I think that the term "Epicurean" can't be applied to someone who only has one single concept that they follow which might be considered "Epicurean". Epicureanism is a collection of specific concepts that guide one's outlook and choices.

    This…

  • Cassius March 12, 2026 at 9:49 AM

    Post
    All these are difficult issues that everyone has to address, but the first step is seeing that they are in fact issues.

    […]

    Certainly if I want brain surgery I am going to look for someone I conclude to be an "expert." Even in recent years regarding such…

  • Don March 11, 2026 at 4:29 PM

    Post
    […]

    Well put.

    Along those lines, Epicurus himself was experiencing severe pain in his last days but could also call that time blissful (μακαρίαν "blessed" aka like a god) and could experience the pleasure of the "gladness of mind" (χαῖρον a…

  • DaveT March 11, 2026 at 2:33 PM

    Replied to the thread Tim O'Keefe -- Ouch!.
    Post
    I see evidence that Epicurean teachings are far more widespread than many think it to be. Epicurus' name is not attached to the actions and beliefs of people, especially in western, educated, Industrialized, rich, democracies (WEIRD). Just listen to any…

  • DaveT March 11, 2026 at 1:57 PM

    Post
    […]

    I get it, your view. I lean more to the side that says I don't believe any of those items are true because I have never seen evidence that they are true. Therefore, since I believe them all to be false, I'm not concerned about the amount of evidence I…

  • Cassius March 11, 2026 at 11:42 AM

    Replied to the thread Tim O'Keefe -- Ouch!.
    Post
    And it's good to hear from you DavidN!

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