Vipassana's Reviews > The Essential Epicurus
The Essential Epicurus
by
by
It is a shame that so much of Epicurus' writings are lost. His thoughts span physics, astronomy, justice and self awareness. It's curious how anyone would have thought that of the school of Epicurus to be debased in moral values. Epicurus often speaks about striving for pleasure, but his description of pleasure does not lend to the hedonistic schools that claim to derive their ideas from him.
Some of the most interesting of observations of Epicurus are in astronomy and physics. They are not necessarily accurate, but his emphasis on understanding the limits of ones method at arriving to certain conclusions unveil the humility of his being.
As someone who is contemplating my career, the last aphorism was especially heartening.
--
January 20, 2016
The beginning and root of every good is the pleasure of the stomach. Even wisdom and refinements are referable to this.This goes along with:
Plain dishes offer the same pleasure as a luxurious table, when the pain that comes from want is taken away.Epicurus' ideas of pleasure are about a middle ground, neither denying one's self nor indulging it. Epicurus recognises that the contribution of pleasure to a meaningful human like is not in itself but in the path that it could potentially lead too.
We need pleasure when we suffer pain because of pleasure's absence. But when we are not suffering pain, although in a state of sensation, there is no need for pleasure. For it is not natural pleasure that sets wrongdoing into action, but rather striving after idle fancies.
Some of the most interesting of observations of Epicurus are in astronomy and physics. They are not necessarily accurate, but his emphasis on understanding the limits of ones method at arriving to certain conclusions unveil the humility of his being.
As someone who is contemplating my career, the last aphorism was especially heartening.
We must say how a person will best observe the purpose of life, and how one will not willingly at first pursue public office.
--
January 20, 2016
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
The Essential Epicurus.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
September 18, 2014
– Shelved
September 18, 2014
– Shelved as:
to-read
January 11, 2016
–
Started Reading
January 11, 2016
–
22.32%
"There is always a falsehood and error involved in importing into judgement an element additional to sense impressions, either to confirm or deny... We must by all means keep this in mind, so that neither the standards of judgement that result from perceptions may be confuted nor error that has throughly established itself as truth likewise throw everything into confusion."
page
25
January 13, 2016
– Shelved as:
philosophy
January 13, 2016
– Shelved as:
non-fiction
January 13, 2016
– Shelved as:
europe
January 13, 2016
–
35.71%
"Therefore, if we think that a phenomena comes into being in some particular way and likewise in some conditions in which it is possible to enjoy peace of mind, when we know it can happen in many ways, we shall remain just as undisturbed as if we knew that the phenomena occurred in some particular manner."
page
40
January 15, 2016
–
58.93%
"Plain dishes offer the same pleasure as a luxurious table, when the pain that comes from want is taken away."
page
66
January 16, 2016
–
66.07%
"Natural justice is a pledge guaranteeing mutual advantage, to prevent one from harming others and to keep oneself from being harmed."
page
74
January 16, 2016
–
74.11%
"Most beautiful is the sight of those near to us when primary kinship is of one mind - a thing that is very eager to secure this end."
page
83
January 20, 2016
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-1 of 1 (1 new)
date
newest »
message 1:
by
Fionnuala
(new)
21 jan. 2016 14:06
reply
|
flag