Principal Doctrines Of Epicurus

Born of different backgrounds, upbringings, and experiences, Epictetus and Seneca are Roman philosophers who outwardly appear very different. Epictetus spent most of his youth as a slave while Seneca was born into money and became a tutor of Nero. Although these two men seem to be very dissimilar, they each shared a common purpose in studying philosophy and teaching people on how to live well. Each suggested different paths for how to do so. Epictetus suggests in his book, The Discourses and The Enchiridion, that living a life in accordance with nature could be achieved by living moderately. Seneca suggests in his work, Letters from a Stoic, that a happy man is self-sufficient and realizes that happiness depends only on interior perfection. Despite the differences, both Epictetus and Seneca are considered Stoics because of their shared belief in the idea that character is the only guarantee of everlasting, carefree happiness. The world outside ourselves will never give us happiness, nor will it be responsible for our unhappiness. It doesn’t matter what’s happening outside ourselves, Epictetus and Seneca claim that the only thing that matters is how we interpret those events. Further evaluating Seneca’s, Letters from a Stoic and Epictetus’s, The Discourses and The Enchiridion, we will clearly be able to differentiate the two in their ideas and opinions regarding stoicism and the keys to living a well, happy life.

In evaluating the philosopher’s goal of determining how to live a good life, Epicurean philosophers argue that pleasure is the greatest good and pain is the greatest bad. Foremost, for the purpose of this analysis, I must define the pleasure and pain described. Pleasure is seen as the state of being pleased or gratified. This term is defined more specifically by the subject to which the pleasure applies, depending on what he likes. Pain is the opposite of pleasure, which is a type of emotional or physical un-pleasure that results in something that the person dislikes. “Everything in which we rejoice is pleasure, just as everything that distresses us is pain,” (Cicero 1). Through this hedonistic assessment of pleasure and pain, epicurean philosophers come to the conclusion that, “the greatest pleasure [is that] which is perceived once all pain has been removed,” (Epicurus 1).

2.) When we debate about Epictetus and mills work we tend to agree with both philosophers but one of these philosophers ideas are better than the other. When it comes to Epictetus and Mills advice on the way people should live life is quite interesting. Epictetus advise us on the fact that some things are in our power and choice worthy we talk about clear thinking, right choices, right aims, good character traits. Stoics believe that if we develop the habit or disposition of getting our aims, valuations, and thoughts right we can experience happiness and understanding of a better life. Also things such as "opinion, aim, desire, and aversion”. Since aim, desire, and aversion normally lead to action, the action is partly but not entirely in our power. Character depends on upon our opinions and aims, which are in our power; hence character traits virtues or vices are under our control. The presence or absence of violent feelings moreover is in our power. Some things are in our power and to be avoided confused or ignorant thinking, wrong choices, bad aims, and bad character traits. Normally to be selected, but not when doing so would conflict with correct thinking and action. These include but are not limited to health, survival, physical beauty, "good" reputation, freedom from pain. Some things are not in our power. These include but are not limited to illness, an early death, physical homeliness, and physical pain.

Epictetus used his intimate ability as a philosopher and his innate skill of introspection to put together what I view as a comprehensive strategy or “how-to” on avoiding discomfort or pain in your life while also being at peace with yourself, your abilities, and reality as a whole. A prevailing theory of Epictetus that he reiterates throughout is the focus on not only recognizing what we cannot control, but also being at peace with those things that are uncontrollable. The things we can control are primarily from within us

Accounting to the text Epicurus Philosophy is to live the good life which means live a life with peace of mind and cheerfulness. That being said in chapter 3 of crimes and misdemeanours many characters live a life that pays the price. If Epicurus View the Woody Allen film crimes and misdemeanours you'd probably say a whole lot about it. He would say many things about the characters that are featured in the film because of what they have gone through, and where there destiny has led them too. According to Epicurus friendship was a big deal for him. He said friendship is one of the most important things in this world. The reason he would look at the characters in crimes in with misdemeanours really odd it's because many of the characters let

According to Epicurus, all things are experienced through sensation and once we die we no longer experience anything as there is no sensation after death.

Epicureanism is a religion that was formed in Ancient Athens from 307BC that followed the teachings of Epicurus, an Ancient Greek philosopher born in 341BC. His teachings focused the pursuit of true happiness and a content life. Epicurus rejected fear of the gods and any belief of the after world. Epicurus’ Philosophy’s taught that all matter is made up of atoms, they can’t be seen or felt but they do however have a shape size and weight. He believed and taught that there is no purpose in nature and that the soul was also made up of atoms, but of a different kind to the atoms that make up the body. According to Epicurus’ theory because the soul is made up of atoms so it decomposes with the body

Epicurus was a philosopher who argued that death should not be feared on the basis that there is nothing (no substance or consciousness) in death to experience. He also states that life itself should not be fearful, since we no longer experience anything after we die there is nothing pending to fear when we cease to exist. "when we exist, death is not yet present, and when death is present, then we do not

I agree with his conception, because I believe that pleasure can solve the problems, and help people become better. I am very interested in Epicurus’ idea about self-sufficiency. In his opinion, self-sufficiency can let people be free. In my understanding this means people should

Epicurus believed atoms are particles that are composed of an infinite amount of something and must have space to move. Likewise, the particles must be the smallest thing to be and have shape. This theory is based on two aspects, atom and void. Void is the absence of anything. Atoms travel through void at the same speed despite certain factors, such as size, shape, and weight. Atoms swerve randomly and collide in the void, therefore determining how an object gets its different shapes and sizes in the world. On the other hand, Epicurus resembles a libertarian. For instance, Epicurus believes how we live our lives is guided by what we enjoy and/or don’t enjoy. Pleasure, as defined by Epicurus, is the absence of pain. Therefore, an ideal life is a life that has no pain. Also, Epicurus states that a person should not be dependent on stuff because then that person will be at less of a risk for pain in the future. The problem of combining these two views is the issue of free will. Atomism believes that atoms swerve due to a person deciding their choices, therefore explaining their choices. While

It is through this brief exchange, I see that Epicurus is passionate that people live a good life and they live it to the fullest possible potential, devoid of pain and fear, while achieving pleasure. While his thoughts on life and, ultimately, death seem to evolve throughout his letter, we begin to see that they contain some conditions and exceptions. It is because of these that I do not fully agree with the Epicurean way. Epicurus states that death is nothing to us. He goes on to say that since death is the cessation of life and our souls die when our physical body dies, we should not bother ourselves with thoughts of death.

His ideas are that if you do something pleasurable there will be side effects. Since we can plan our lives, we may do what is best for us now, or we could do something that will be better for us later. I agree with him because if you waste your money on a party that will last one night, you are only thinking about now, and not what you will do about being broke. I agree with Epicurus’s ideas that “a pleasure result in the short term must be weighed against the possibility if a greater, more lasting, or intense pleasure in the long term.”

For Epicurus, happiness was the complete absence of bodily and mental pains, including fear of the Gods and desires for anything other than the bare necessities of life. Even with only the limited excesses of ancient Greece on offer, Epicurus advised his followers to avoid towns, and especially marketplaces, in order to limit the resulting desires for unnecessary things. Once we experience unnecessary pleasures, such as those from sex and rich food, we will then suffer from painful and hard to satisfy desires for more and better of the same.

Each of their interpretation of the natural life has a strength to it that is rewarding when applied to personal outlook on life. From Epicureans, it would be to find tranquility and avoid anxiety not only in regards to fearing death, but also in making every day decisions to maintain a healthy state of mind. The strength of Cynicism would be to live in harmony with nature, and becoming independent from society’s pressure or point of view on how one must live. As Epicurus pointed out that the goal of the good life is freedom from uneasiness of the mind and fulfilling necessary desires for happiness by saying “Once we accomplish this, the storm of the mind is put to an end, and the living creature will not need to keep searching to fill a deficiency or seek something different from that by which will perfect the good of the mind and body.”(89). Following some of the ideas from each of the discussed philosophies, will contribute to establishing a strong personal path that leads to living a successful natural

(2a). Epicureans believed that ‘pleasure’ is the ultimate good of life and pain the ‘Chief evil’. However, people who are not acquainted with a rational way of attaining pleasure face consequences that inflict extreme pain on them. Pleasure to them is not a state of mind when we feel complete delighted; instead it is a feeling that we get after all the pain is eliminated. For instance, when hunger and thirst are banished by food and water – the contentment felt is ‘pleasure’.