<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="1" > Introduction to Epicurus</h1>
Epicurus (341 BC – 270 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher and atheist who is considered to be the first atheist philosopher in the West and the founder of the Epicurus school.
Epicurus, who believed that the ultimate purpose of life was to learn and enjoy pleasure, to achieve a state of undisturbed tranquility. But The pleasure that Epicurus spoke of was not the pleasure of the flesh, but a wise, sober, and moral life, the most crucial of which was "no pain" and "feeling happiness."
Epicurus was born in 341 BC, just six years after Plato's death. Epicurus's parents were both Athenians, but he himself was not born in Athens, but on the island of Samos on the west coast of the Aegean Sea (Athens was on the eastern shore of the Aegean Sea). Historically, Samos also had a university inquirer, Pythagoras. Epicurus moved to Athens at the age of 18, when Xenocratti was teaching in the academy and Aristotle was teaching in Lucion, but Epicurus did not go to listen to their lessons. Epicurus came into contact with the teachings of the philosopher Democritus during his study tour in Greece and was deeply influenced.
Athens, the capital of Greece, is marked on it
By 307 BC, when Epicurus was about 34 years old, he had founded the school in Athens. The site of the Epicurean school's activities was The house and courtyard of Epicurus, which was isolated from the outside world and became known as the Garden of Philosophers. It is said that at the entrance of the courtyard there is a sign that reads: "Stranger, you will live a comfortable life here." Pleasure here is the utmost good. This sentence represents the idea of the Epicurean school, which believed that the purpose of life is to pursue happiness.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="131" > Epicurus's view of happiness: there is no pain in the body and no disturbance in the soul. </h1>
In the View of the Epicureans, happiness is easy to attain, happiness lies in the happiness we feel, and they do argue that happiness is happiness, but this happiness is not a pleasure of the senses, but a very basic need, summed up in two points: there is no pain in the body, no disturbance in the soul.
These two statements refer to a very calm state that does not require more sensory stimulation. It is precisely because the "happiness" they advocate is so basic that it is enough to say that the happiness of life is actually very easy to obtain, and it is enough to have three or five friends, live a life without pain, and enjoy indifferent happiness.
Epicurus divided happiness into two categories. One is dynamic happiness, which is constantly changing. For example, if you taste delicious food, you will be happy, but this happiness is temporary. The other is static happiness, longer lasting. For example, if you read a very meaningful book, it can bring you inner peace and happiness that will make you have continuous quiet and peaceful happiness.
Epicurus believed that people instinctively put dynamic, temporary pleasure in the front, but ultimately happiness depends on having lasting happiness. There are also people who understand dynamic happiness as sensory happiness, and static happiness as spiritual happiness, which is also very reasonable.
The opposite of pleasure is nature, and in Epicurus's day, the greatest suffering was sickness and death. Epicurus said that the purpose of life is to maximize pleasure, to minimize suffering, or to maximize the relative value of pleasure minus suffering. Then, if you want to stay away from disease and death, you must live a healthy life and reduce your mental worries.
To minimize suffering, one should try to avoid unnecessary physical or mental suffering. While being bold in life, we must also be careful and cautious to avoid accidental injuries; we must eat healthily and exercise to avoid physical diseases; we must be smart and open-minded, and avoid worrying about small things; do not offend villains and cause trouble; be proactive and make career progress, without worrying and worrying about the future;
But an enterprising life inevitably encounters many painful things, but Epicurus believes that misfortune is easy to endure. Epicurus made an interesting argument to illustrate this point, saying that suffering in life is either short-lived or long-term; mild or intense. If it is short and gentle, it is not a problem at all; if it is long and gentle, it is easy to cope; if it is short and intense, we only need to grit our teeth and pass, and man's willpower is fully capable of resisting; and there is very little long-term and intense pain in life, and even if there is, we can use our willpower, plus recalling previous pleasures, to endure these pains.
Epicurus himself is said to have been tormented by bladder stones for a long time, but even after experiencing great physical pain, he remained calm, insisting on discussing philosophy with his students, and fighting these constant pains by recalling the joys of the past, looking forward to a painless death, and the comfort of friends around him.
Epicurus claimed that the happiness of the mind is the strongest, and that the happiness of the heart exacerbates the feeling of the present by anticipating the future and recalling the past. Therefore, even in the midst of suffering, sages may feel happy. In fact, it is better to be unlucky but wise than to be lucky but stupid.
On his deathbed, Epicurus wrote to his friend in this tone: "Today is the last day of my life, I feel very happy and at peace, and I write these words to you today. Urinary stones and stomach problems afflict me and make me feel extreme pain, but as long as I recall the pleasure of the heart I felt when I had a thought discussion with you, I was able to resist all the pain. "Downplaying the effects of pain on people is also one aspect of minimizing suffering.
When some people today think of happiness, they think of a fanatical and unbridled life, and then call it in the name of epicureanism, which is a misinterpretation of Epicurus's thought, which can be said to be contrary to his ideas. Epicurus insisted that only by living a rational, sober, and moral life could one be free from suffering and attain happiness.
Epicurus famously said, "A pleasant life cannot be attained through a series of cheers and revelry, nor can it be attained through the pleasures of men and women, or by delicious fish and other expensive foods, but by a sober mind." ”
Therefore, the specific way to maximize happiness and minimize pain is to think rationally about whether and how much pain will be incurred before you do something, not only thinking about the pleasure you can get.
Epicurus would give examples where you would feel pleasure when you ate a piece of cheese or a glass of wine, but if you overeat, hurt your body so much that you vomit up and down, it will bring pain. Man enjoys the pleasures of men and women, but if he violates the requirements of morality and fidelity, he will bring great trouble, and the happiness he will get is far less than the pain. In this case, happiness minus pain is a negative number and does not bring happiness.
We should note that although Epicurus thought that the happiness of the mind was important, the happiness of the mind here is not some kind of happiness of thinking for the sake of thought. Mental happiness is essentially associated with physical experience, both as a recollection of past physical pleasures and as an expectation of future physical pleasures. We need to remember that the mind that Epicurus spoke of was only a deformation of the senses, which in turn were the result of the action of the body. Therefore, any happiness of the mind is related to the physical experience that preceded it. As Metrodorus, a pupil of Epicurus, put it: "Man is happy only when he is in good health, and he feels hopeful if he is always healthy." Thus we can roughly summarize Epicurus's doctrine that all happiness ultimately comes down to physical pleasure.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" Data-track="133" how do > get real happiness in life? </h1>
What does it teach us to understand the true meaning of happiness that Epicurus meant, to understand the relationship between happiness and goodness? How do we get real happiness in life? Epicurus has two pieces of advice that deserve to be considered by each of us.
First, reduce the pursuit of material desires.
Epicurus said that it is enough to live a person's life by obtaining sufficient necessities for survival, including simple food, shelter and other basic security of life; do not spend your mind on the pursuit of luxury. Many people who pursue a life of luxury today say that they are "Epicurus", but in fact, that is exactly the opposite of Epicurus's ideas.
Epicurus pursued "happiness" itself, not "the means to attain happiness." In his view, the pleasure of carnal desire and the pleasure brought by matter are actually imposed on us from the outside. And these pleasures often bring side effects, Epicurus stressed, before taking action, you must consider the possible side effects of an action, in order to be rational and sober.
The happiness that truly belongs to us, at our own disposal, is the happiness of the heart and the spirit. Where do these joys come from? Making a good friend, admiring the artwork, maintaining a calm state of mind, etc., these things bring us inner happiness.
The second suggestion, Epicurus said, is not to fear and fear death.
The Epicureans believed that the fear of death was another important reason why people could not attain peace and happiness in their souls. People shudder at the thought of death coming; many things people do are also prepared for death, the emperor builds gorgeous mausoleums, the common people save money to buy the aftermath, and some people are eager to seek fame after death. But the Epicureans believe that these are very stupid, because the so-called death is nothing more than the separation of the original unions between atoms, a natural process. And the fear of death brings more pain than death itself does to us.
Of course, simply saying that death is a normal natural process is not enough to persuade people to eliminate fear, because people know that they will eventually die, but this does not prevent them from remaining afraid of death. Thus, Epicurus further made the argument.
One of the arguments is called the "symmetry argument." What is said is that we certainly do not worry or fear our pre-birth state; the state after death and the state before birth are completely symmetrical, and we do not exist. Therefore, our attitude toward death should be the same as our attitude toward not being born, without fear at all.
The second argument is that "death cannot hurt us", so we don't need to be afraid of death. The Epicureans believed that all harm must be felt, otherwise there would be no harm. When I was alive, death had not yet come, and it obviously could not hurt me; and when death came, I was no longer there, and I could not feel anything, so death could not hurt me who was already dead. Since death cannot cause any harm to me, living or dead, why should I be afraid of death?
Many psychotherapists today still use these two arguments to alleviate people's fear of death. Our fear of death is really just ignorance of death itself. Epicurus once said, "Death has nothing to do with us, because as long as we exist for one day, death will not come, and when death comes, we will no longer exist." ”
Legend has it that Epicurus's epitaph (Latin version is Non Fui, Fui, Non Sum, Non Curo) translated into English is: I was not; I was; I am not; I do not care。 Meaning: I didn't exist; then I existed; now I'm dead; and I don't care.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="134" >Why is the pursuit of pleasure and away from pain to seek good and avoid evil? </h1>
Further, on a philosophical and moral level, Epicurus regarded pleasure as good, pain as evil, and man's pursuit of pleasure, away from suffering, is the pursuit of good and avoidance of evil.
For example, businessmen make money and earn money, which is of course a happy thing, but if it is through pit abduction and deception to make money, their conscience is uneasy, even if they incur hatred, they will be punished by society and the law, even if they can escape today, you do not know when retaliation and legal punishment will come, which leads to static, long-term pain. As long as this is understood, when people pursue true happiness, they will naturally turn to good and avoid evil.
Some people will consciously or unconsciously base their happiness on the suffering of others, and think that it is taken for granted. Epicurus said, "Without reason, nobility and justice, it is impossible to live a happy life." "Dishonest or unjust behavior will eventually create a sense of guilt, or they may be trepidated by fear of being discovered by others." Epicurus said that a person who is kind and kind to others will not feel fear.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="135" > Epicurus's philosophical view</h1>
Epicurus defined philosophy as the process of achieving happiness through thought and reasoning. He denounced science and art for having no such practical purpose. Judging from Lucretius's praise, the sole purpose of physics is to free the soul from the unpredictable. Philosophical studies are therefore primarily concerned with practical philosophy, i.e., ethics, which is secondary and negative in nature, and is subordinate to what Epicurus called canonics, which refers to logic that tests the standard of truth.
The starting point of Epicurus's philosophy is standardism, which belongs to the first part of philosophy in chronological order from the perspective of human knowledge. Epicurus believed that sensation is the only source of knowledge, that it is the direct and real perception that we are exposed to. Even in madness and dreams, people's senses are real in themselves, triggered by some natural cause, either directly or indirectly. Errors stem from people's understanding or imagination of these feelings.
Sensations leave traces in memory, and similarities between sensations develop universal concepts in the mind, such as "man", "house", etc., which are also real because they are products of sensations. When a certain feeling arises, it produces such concepts in the mind accordingly. Feeling is the basic component of a sentence, and it determines the truth or falsity of the sentence content. The sentence may be true if the sentence content is supported by feelings or at least does not contradict sensations; if the sentence content is not supported by feelings or contradicts sensations, the sentence is false. When we deal with Epicurus's physics, we understand the importance of this criterion of truth and error. The basis of Epicurus physics is atomism, and atoms, by their very nature, cannot be directly tested by sensation.
Epicurus's natural doctrine merely repeats Democritus' theory. Democritus' basic proposition is that "nothing arises from nothing, and nothing becomes nothing." The real existence in nature is the atom. Atoms are very subtle and difficult to perceive by feeling, but have definite sizes and cannot be further divided. Atoms also have definite weights and shapes. These are all the properties of the atom. Beyond the atom is an infinite void. Democritus proved that the restrictions on space are unimaginable. He went on to conclude that the number of atoms is infinite, otherwise they would scatter and disappear into the infinite void. The various atoms differ only in shape, size, and weight. The existence of the void is proved by motion, and the fact that atoms can separate from each other also proves the existence of the void. Up to this point, both Epicurus and Democritus' theories are the same.
The nature of the soul is what he wants to deal with more. The soul, like other things, is also made up of atoms, but the soul atoms are extremely fine. The soul is similar to breathing (breath) and is mixed with heat, sometimes approaching the former and sometimes approaching the latter. The structure of the soul atom is very fine, so it is extremely easy to change, and the soul is easily affected by emotions and full of passion is proof. The soul contains all kinds of thoughts and experiences, without which we cannot survive. In addition, the soul is the main reason why we have feelings. But if there are no parts of the body surrounding it to support it, the soul itself will not have any feelings. In fact, the parts of the body are the main reason why the soul has sensations, and the parts of the body perceive everything that enters the body from the outside, not what the soul itself has. The material of the soul is composed of various parts of the body, which are closely related to the body, and of course will die with the death of the body, and the atoms of the soul will dissipate and form a new body. We will not have any knowledge of death and will not have any perception, so we do not have to fear death.
Epicurus thought the same as Democritus in the process of sensory occurrence, arguing that the surface of an object had the ability to emit extremely fine images made of very fine atoms. They are extremely fine and can maintain their relative shape and order for a long time, even if sometimes chaotic. They quickly fly through the void and reach the soul through the window of sensation. The soul is extremely delicate in nature, similar to images, and is therefore able to understand images.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="136" > Luke to revise the praise of Epicurus</h1>
The Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius was a follower and interpreter of Epicurus, and his treatise On Matter is one of the most important works of the Epicurean school and a rare work that expresses philosophical views in the form of poetry. He wrote a brilliant tribute to Epicurus, an honor that few scholars, ancient and modern, have received.
You are the first in such darkness,
Hold aloft such a bright torch.
You are the first to illuminate the goal of happiness in life,
You guide me, you are the glory of the Greeks.
Follow in the footsteps you leave behind,
I take a firm step,
Not keen to compete with you for honor,
But out of special love,
Eager to be able to follow your example,
Because how can swallows compete with swans?
Or, a soft lamb on both feet
and a strong and powerful horse,
How can we talk about racing?
You are our Father, you are the discoverer of truth,
You gave us fatherly admonitions.
From your words, O, the famous you,
Just as honey sucks on the blooming woodland flowers,
We also nurture ourselves with your words,
Your golden words deserve eternal immortality.
For as long as you reasoning out of God's intellect,
Begin its resounding declaration of physical nature,
The fear in our hearts is gone,
The walls of the world also collapsed.
I saw the universe moving through the void,
The solemnity of the gods appears before your eyes,
And their eternally quiet station,
They are neither subject to wind nor rain,
Nor is it damaged by the cold white snow.
They are forever sheltered by cloudless skies,
Smiling with a far-spreading glow.
Nature gave them everything they needed,
Nothing can detract from their spiritual tranquility.
But anywhere in my eyes,
But there is no longer a belt of Akilon,
Though the earth could no longer stop me from watching all
What happens in the void beneath our feet.
In the face of this kind of scene
New divine joy and trembling awe
It flows throughout me; by your power,
Nature is finally so clear and obvious
It is exposed in all aspects!