1. Home
    1. Start Here: Study Guide
    2. Community Standards And Posting Policies
    3. Terms of Use
    4. Moderator Team
    5. Website Overview
    6. Site Map
    7. Quizzes
    8. Articles
      1. Featured Articles
    9. All Blog Posts
      1. Elli's Blog / Articles
      2. Kalosyni's Blog
  2. Wiki
    1. Wiki Home
    2. FAQ
    3. Files
    4. Search Assistance
    5. Foundations
    6. Navigation Outlines
    7. Reading List
    8. Key Pages
  3. Forum
    1. Full Forum List
    2. Welcome Threads
    3. Physics
    4. Canonics
    5. Ethics
    6. Forum Shortcuts
    7. Forum Navigation Map
    8. Featured
    9. Most Discussed
  4. Latest
    1. New Activity
    2. Latest Threads
    3. Dashboard
    4. Search By Tag
    5. Complete Tag List
  5. Podcast
    1. Lucretius Today Podcast
    2. Episode Guide
    3. Lucretius Today At Youtube
    4. EpicureanFriends Youtube Page
  6. Texts
    1. Overview
    2. Torquatus On Ethics
    3. Velleius On Divinity
    4. Diogenes Laertius
    5. Principal Doctrines
    6. Vatican Collection
    7. Lucretius
    8. Herodotus
    9. Pythocles
    10. Menoeceus
    11. Fragments - Usener Collection
    12. Greek/Latin Help
  7. Gallery
    1. Featured images
    2. Albums
    3. Latest Images
    4. Latest Comments
  8. More
    1. Featured Content
    2. Calendar
      1. Upcoming Events List
      2. Zooms - General Info
      3. Fourth Sunday Meet-&-Greet
      4. Sunday Weekly Zoom
      5. Wednesday Zoom Meeting
      6. Twentieth Zoom Meetings
    3. Logbook
    4. EF ToDo List
    5. Link-Database
  • Login
  • Register
  • Search
Everywhere
  • Everywhere
  • Forum
  • Articles
  • Blog Articles
  • Files
  • Gallery
  • Events
  • Pages
  • Wiki
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • More Options
  1. Home
    1. Start Here: Study Guide
    2. Community Standards And Posting Policies
    3. Terms of Use
    4. Moderator Team
    5. Website Overview
    6. Site Map
    7. Quizzes
    8. Articles
      1. Featured Articles
    9. All Blog Posts
      1. Elli's Blog / Articles
      2. Kalosyni's Blog
  2. Wiki
    1. Wiki Home
    2. FAQ
    3. Files
    4. Search Assistance
    5. Foundations
    6. Navigation Outlines
    7. Reading List
    8. Key Pages
  3. Forum
    1. Full Forum List
    2. Welcome Threads
    3. Physics
    4. Canonics
    5. Ethics
    6. Forum Shortcuts
    7. Forum Navigation Map
    8. Featured
    9. Most Discussed
  4. Latest
    1. New Activity
    2. Latest Threads
    3. Dashboard
    4. Search By Tag
    5. Complete Tag List
  5. Podcast
    1. Lucretius Today Podcast
    2. Episode Guide
    3. Lucretius Today At Youtube
    4. EpicureanFriends Youtube Page
  6. Texts
    1. Overview
    2. Torquatus On Ethics
    3. Velleius On Divinity
    4. Diogenes Laertius
    5. Principal Doctrines
    6. Vatican Collection
    7. Lucretius
    8. Herodotus
    9. Pythocles
    10. Menoeceus
    11. Fragments - Usener Collection
    12. Greek/Latin Help
  7. Gallery
    1. Featured images
    2. Albums
    3. Latest Images
    4. Latest Comments
  8. More
    1. Featured Content
    2. Calendar
      1. Upcoming Events List
      2. Zooms - General Info
      3. Fourth Sunday Meet-&-Greet
      4. Sunday Weekly Zoom
      5. Wednesday Zoom Meeting
      6. Twentieth Zoom Meetings
    3. Logbook
    4. EF ToDo List
    5. Link-Database
  1. Home
    1. Start Here: Study Guide
    2. Community Standards And Posting Policies
    3. Terms of Use
    4. Moderator Team
    5. Website Overview
    6. Site Map
    7. Quizzes
    8. Articles
      1. Featured Articles
    9. All Blog Posts
      1. Elli's Blog / Articles
      2. Kalosyni's Blog
  2. Wiki
    1. Wiki Home
    2. FAQ
    3. Files
    4. Search Assistance
    5. Foundations
    6. Navigation Outlines
    7. Reading List
    8. Key Pages
  3. Forum
    1. Full Forum List
    2. Welcome Threads
    3. Physics
    4. Canonics
    5. Ethics
    6. Forum Shortcuts
    7. Forum Navigation Map
    8. Featured
    9. Most Discussed
  4. Latest
    1. New Activity
    2. Latest Threads
    3. Dashboard
    4. Search By Tag
    5. Complete Tag List
  5. Podcast
    1. Lucretius Today Podcast
    2. Episode Guide
    3. Lucretius Today At Youtube
    4. EpicureanFriends Youtube Page
  6. Texts
    1. Overview
    2. Torquatus On Ethics
    3. Velleius On Divinity
    4. Diogenes Laertius
    5. Principal Doctrines
    6. Vatican Collection
    7. Lucretius
    8. Herodotus
    9. Pythocles
    10. Menoeceus
    11. Fragments - Usener Collection
    12. Greek/Latin Help
  7. Gallery
    1. Featured images
    2. Albums
    3. Latest Images
    4. Latest Comments
  8. More
    1. Featured Content
    2. Calendar
      1. Upcoming Events List
      2. Zooms - General Info
      3. Fourth Sunday Meet-&-Greet
      4. Sunday Weekly Zoom
      5. Wednesday Zoom Meeting
      6. Twentieth Zoom Meetings
    3. Logbook
    4. EF ToDo List
    5. Link-Database
  1. EpicureanFriends - Classical Epicurean Philosophy
  2. Cassius
  • Sidebar
  • Sidebar

Posts by Cassius

  • Theme Updates For the Website

    • Cassius
    • August 11, 2026 at 11:23 PM

    Thanks again for the comment Patrikios. I think now the other colors are updated so that those major boxes are now matching the respective theme colors. Would not have picked that up without your comment.

  • The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure

    • Cassius
    • August 11, 2026 at 11:21 PM

    A related question on the issue of fullness-as-a-bucket-list (which I am rejecting) would be:

    - How many years must a person live to have lived a "full life"? If Epicurus had died at 25, which for the sake of argument had allowed him to get his school started, would it still be appropriate to say he had lived a "full" life? A bucket-list-view-of-fullness would seem to require a certain minimum number of years, but I think most of us would agree that does not make good sense.

  • The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure

    • Cassius
    • August 11, 2026 at 10:52 PM

    In fact as another thought in the same direction I would pose the following questions to anyone - whether or not they have read the first word of the Arenson book.

    Probably the most famous reference to the term "fullness of pleasure" comes from the Oinoanda inscription.

    I think people are interpreting it as if it as reference to having "lived a 'full' life" or somehow "having experienced 'full' pleasure."

    Questions:

    • Is there any justification in the rest of the inscription -- or anywhere else in the preserved Epicurean texts -- for the reading that life is "full" because it meets some kind of list of specifice experiences?
    • Where if ever has Epicurus or any leading Epicurean given a specific "list" of things that have made their lives "full"?
    • What does that kind of "full" even mean, except as the most ambiguous of expressions?
    • Is an ambiguous expression like that something you'd expect an Epicurus who values clarity to generate?

    I don't recall that line of reasoning anywhere - and I suspect it's not there for the reasons cited to Matteng.

    It's far more likely that any reference to fullness/completeness came about as a reference to the Platonic challenge that pleasure cannot be full or complete, which is the background that Arenson is excavating from Philebus and The Republic.

  • The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure

    • Cassius
    • August 11, 2026 at 10:43 PM

    Thanks for this reply Matteng because when I see your reaction I see that there is more I need to say -

    Quote from Matteng

    Fullnes of Pleasure makes sense for me. It is not about avoiding all pain but to fullfill necessary bodily and mental desires. An unfullfilled necessary desire is a pain.

    Only problem could be vulnerability ?
    The vessel doesn‘t stay full, would a small pain destroy the fullness ?

    When getting old we become more ill, is there fullness than even possible ?

    Otherwise yes pain is a signal and motivation to get back to the fullness of Pleasure and maybe thats a reason why Epicurus advices to reduce the desires to natural/necessary, there is then a smaller vessel to fill or it will become easier/faster full.

    Interesting is the role of mental pleasure vs short bodily in this subject. Epicurus memory if philosophy with friends made is whole life to a happy life in his last days. How full / complete was his Pleasure in his last days ? Overshadowed his Eudaimonia his bodily pains ? How long is that possible ? I think it supports the enduring of pain and resilience.


    I read the way you are applying fullness and I think I can see exactly why you are thinking in that direction.

    But I don't think that's the direction to think at all!

    If you'll dig with us back into the Platonic origin of the "full/complete" problem, what I'd like to suggest is that you're using fullness/completeness in a very different way.

    And again I can see why you would - your saying it just highlights to me that there is a problem here.

    There's no single definition of a "full life." Or a "complete life." Does someone who lives his or her whole life and never have children fail to have a "complete" or " full" life? You could ask that question about any pleasure -- and the answer is pretty obviously -- NO - Nature doesn't have a checklist that you must experience each and every possible pleasure in order to have a complete life.

    Plato's objection was not that there's a master list of Pleasures that has to be reached in order to be complete. His objection was that NO SET of pleasures can even begin to be thought of as complete because they are always "IN PROGRESS" -- they are a process not a destination.

    So I don't think at all that we should think that "COMPLETENESS OR FULLNESS OF PLEASURE" means that there is a list that is to be fulfilled.

    And certainly NOT a list that is composed of only "necessary" desires. Or of any list of necessary desires. Food and water and air are "necessary" -- but for how long? Must they be obtained for a certain number of years before one's life is "complete"? Again I would say no.

    The natural and necessary classification is a tool for allowing you to predict the likely pain/pleasure result of any choice. It's not a list that says "if you subsist on bread and water for ten years your life is complete" or anything approaching that.

    So thank you for posting that and describing your thought process.. It should have been obvious to me that someone would think this and that it needed to be "headed off at the pass."

    I don't think fullness or completeness of pleasure has anything to do with the natural/necessary classification, or with any list of pleasures whatsoever.

    The point that pleasure can be complete applies both to any individual pleasure, and to the concept of pleasure as a whole. The boundary of pleasure is pain, just as the boundary of an atom is the void. Pleasure is not "incomplete" any more than an atom is incomplete.

    The last part of PDO3 - "Wherever pleasure is present, as long as it is there, there is neither pain of body, nor of mind, nor of both at once."

    From the perspective of questioning whether pleasure is being vs becoming, Pleasure is always being (complete), and not becoming (in progress and therefore incomplete) I'd say the same thing about pain.

    It apppears to me from the Platonic background that the whole being/becoming vs complete/incomplete analysis is just a Platonic word game that - once understood - should be rejected.

    This is being discussed most intensely in the Kelly Arenson book thread, so as we read further into that hopefully we'll either confirm this viewpoint or refine it in a different direction.

  • Theme Updates For the Website

    • Cassius
    • August 11, 2026 at 10:23 PM

    I see what I failed to do on Inspire Green. I think I've fixed that now, and I will fix the other Inspire colors too. Unfortunately the Lucrretius Today box probably stays blue, but the rest of it should work well

  • Overview of Epicurean Philosophy - Quick Visual

    • Cassius
    • August 11, 2026 at 11:54 AM

    It is very helpful to develop many different versions of these graphics as a way of making them better and better and we want to encourage that.

    At the same time, we have to be careful of overwhelming the web structure with lots of large MB graphics.

    Please try to generate everything as JPGS that are 250k or less. For those that get to be super-well-refined we can find a plave (or store here) mult-megabyte versions.

    There are art websites, free storage locations, etc that can be used for this. Anyone who has experience with that or who wants to take the lead in finding locations where files can be stored and then we LINK to them - which is optimal - please let us know and we'll make sure those instructions are easy to find and follow.

  • Welcome Andy!

    • Cassius
    • August 11, 2026 at 9:21 AM

    Andy if it is something you can talk about I feel sure it would be interesting to hear more about your project.

  • Welcome Andy!

    • Cassius
    • August 11, 2026 at 9:17 AM

    Andy tells us --

    Hi Cassius,

    my background is in archaeology and cultural/natural heritage. I'm currently working on a project that focuses (at least partly) on Epicurus and I thought the forum might be interesting and useful.

    Regards,

    Andy

  • Welcome EpicuriousDavid!

    • Cassius
    • August 11, 2026 at 7:58 AM

    Welcome EP -

    1. My only printed editions of Cicero are second-hand copies of the Loeb volumes I picked up years ago, so I don't know about the Cambridge version.
    2. I think the Long & Sedley version is highly useful, but I found my first copy only several years after starting my research, so I haven't traditionally focused on it personally. I always like to say, however, that i've found David Sedley's works to be among the most helpful to me of all the commentators. Almost always when there is a dispute among commentators I find mysef agreeing with Sedley's take. As to Long I am not as familiar with all of his work, but his article "Chance and Natural Law in Epicureanism" is my favorite article on the swerve and what the swerve does and does not mean.
  • Marriage, Children, & Personal Relationships - Greater Difficulties and Risk Can Make Them Harder Than Ever. Epicurean Perspectives on Remedies

    • Cassius
    • August 10, 2026 at 1:21 PM

    I think Titus' post is very much on point but I would not want someone to misinterpret this part:

    Quote from Titus

    This is why I consider "simplicity" so important. Without context, "simplicity" is an empty word, but generally it is understood as a way of doing tasks "as much as necessary, but as little as possible", effectively establishing a pleasure-pain calculus


    The "as much as necessary but as little as possible" is presumably tied to "tasks" which probably means things that you don't want to do and which generate more pain that pleasure. Because in the field of pursuing pleasures doing things "as little as possible" would not make sense.


    But given the possibilities of misinterpreting simplicity as an end in itself it would probably be good to spell that out.

    Maybe you could elaborate on that specific phrasing Titus?

  • Welcome Andy!

    • Cassius
    • August 10, 2026 at 12:43 PM

    Welcome Andy

    One more step is required to complete your registration, and three things are required reading before you post.

    1. WELCOME THREAD: Please comment in this thread below to acknowledge your new account and to state that you agree to abid by the forum rules listed in the next item. We invite you to let us know what prompted your interest in Epicurus and what particular aspects of his philosophy interest you most.
    2. FORUM RULES: We maintain a detailed explanation of our forum history and rules at the page Community Standards, Participation Levels, and Posting Policies. Your signing up for an account is presumed to mean that you have read this page and agree to abide by it in your activity here on the forum.
    3. OUR POLICY THAT THE SUPREME EPICUREAN GOOD IS PLEASURE - AND NOTHING ELSE: There are many differences of opinion on how to interpret Epicurean teachings. This forum is dedicated to the proposition that Epicurus taught that the Supreme Good is Pleasure. This means that the supreme Epicurean good is not Virtue or Piety or Logic or any particular type of pleasure. This policy and the reasons for it are explained in Against Katastematic Supremacy - Pleasure Is A Unified Good, Not A House Divided Against Itself.
    4. INITIAL READING: Torquatus' Presentation of Epicurean Ethics is the clearest, most complete statement of Epicurean ethics to survive from antiquity, and reading it early will save you -- and us -- a great deal of confusion.

    We stress the Torquatus presentation because many people arrive here with a version of Epicurean philosophy assembled superficially from the Tetrapharmakon and the Letter to Menoeceus focusing on "minimalism" and "tranquility" rather than "pleasure." This difficulty stems from the fact that the Tetrapharmakon is very compressed and can be read in many different ways. Likewise, the Letter to Menoeceus was written at a time when the details of debate about pleasure as the supreme good were well known. Those arguments are largely forgotten today, so most people lack sufficient context to understand the implications of the "absence of pain" discussion. Reading the Torquatus narrative first avoids most of those problems because it is by far the most detailed and complete explanation of Epicurean ethics that survives from the ancient world.

    Many sincere fans of Epicurus hold views about his philosophy that are incompatible with the purpose of this forum. We are not here to teach minimalism, virtue, or any other point of view except and unless they lead to pleasure. Our goal is not to reconcile Epicurus with modern ideas, but to understand him on his own terms before we decide whether to accommodate him to ours.

    Please read through the Torquatus narrative and our articles and other materials on the forum before investing time in arguing against key aspects of Epicurean philosophy. Questions and discussion are welcome, but If you want to argue against Epicurus there are many other places on the internet to do so.

    All of us arrived at our respect for Epicurus after long journeys through other philosophies. That's why we have participation levels that give new members room to learn. But please be aware that we reserve the right to limit argument and remove participants who become disruptive to the purpose of the community.

    For further study beyond Torquatus, see our Recommended Reading page. In brief: Norman DeWitt's Epicurus and His Philosophy is the single best book-length treatment available, and the one book worth reading beyond the ancient sources. Emily Austin's Living for Pleasure is a good modern on-ramp, best read alongside Torquatus and DeWitt rather than in their place.

    No specific reading is required before you participate, and we welcome basic questions. But the more you've read -- and the more you tell us about your interests and comment yourself -- the more you'll get out of being here.

    Our Getting Started page also has ideas for using the site.

    Thank you again for your interest, and welcome to the forum!

    Not Neo-Epicurean, But Epicurean
    1. Not "flourishing," "human potential," "self-actualization," or "meaningfulness," but happiness grounded in the feeling of pleasure.
    2. Not "absence of pain" as a full statement of the goal of life, but "the Feelings are two, pleasure and pain" and "Pleasure is the beginning and the end of a happy life."
    3. Not virtue for the sake of virtue, but virtue as instrumental for the attainment of pleasure.
    4. Not "the greatest good for the greatest number," but "Every desire must be confronted with this question: What will happen to me if the object of my desire is accomplished and what if it is not?"
    5. Not "humanism," "transhumanism," "individualism," "collectivism," "egoism," "altruism," "social progress," "Marxism," "democracy," "tyranny," or any "one size fits all" political ideal of any kind, but social structure based on friendship which "is formed and maintained by means of a community of life among those who have reached the fullness of pleasure."
    6. Not "hard determinism," but "some things happen from necessity, some from chance, and others through our own choice."
    7. Not "supernaturalism," but "materialism."
    8. Not "supernatural gods," or "life after death," but confidence in a fully material universe and "for those men for whom wisdom is possible, such men may truly live as gods."
    9. Not only "short term hedonism," but "it is to continuous pleasures that I invite you."
    10. Not "rationalism," but "all reason is dependent upon sensations."
    11. Not fearful of death nor careless of losing life, but valuing life for the opportunity of pleasure it brings.


    Our Posting Policy At EpicureanFriends.com

    "No Partisan Politics," "No Supernatural Religion," and "No Absolute Virtue"

    This forum is dedicated to promoting the philosophy of Epicurus, and not to any partisan political positions whether "left," "right," or "center." The task of rediscovering Epicurean philosophy requires that such discussions be held elsewhere. Posts violating this rule are subject to removal.

    Epicurean philosophy firmly rejects the viewpoint that there are any supernatural forces or absolute virtues or Platonic ideals of any kind. Argument which is based on supernatural claims, or "absolute" virtues or ideals of any kind, are in violation of this rule and subject to removal.


    The Major Doctrines of Classical Epicurean Philosophy
    Show the 15 Major Doctrines
    1. A Life of Happiness Is A Life Of Pleasure. Nature gives every creature exactly two guides to good and bad -- pleasure and pain -- and happiness is a life ordered around them.
    2. Pleasure Is The Supreme Good. From pleasure we begin every act of choice and avoidance, and to pleasure we return, using the feeling itself as the standard by which every other good is judged.
    3. The Terms "Pleasure" And "Absence of Pain" Are Exact Equivalents. There are only two feelings, pleasure and pain, with no neutral third state between them.
    4. Virtue Is Not Absolute Or An End In Itself. Virtue is valuable only because of the pleasure it secures, not as an end in itself.
    5. Life Is Desirable, But Unlimited Time Contains No Greater Pleasure Than Limited Time. A life full of pleasure can never be more than full, no matter how much time is available to live it.
    6. He Who Says Nothing Can Be Known Knows Nothing. Radical skepticism refutes itself the moment it is stated.
    7. All Sensations Are True. Error is in the mind, not the senses.
    8. The Criteria of Truth Are The Sensations, Anticipations, and Feelings. These natural faculties connect us with reality and make both knowledge and right action possible.
    9. Dialectical Logic And Radical Skepticism Do Not Determine Truth. Reasoning must be grounded in the perceptions of our natural faculties, not conducted as an abstract exercise disconnected from the senses.
    10. Platonic Ideal Forms, Aristotelian Essences, And Divine Revelation Do Not Exist. All truth exists in this world, not in some higher realm accessible only to pure reason.
    11. Nothing Comes From Nothing or Goes To Nothing Supernaturally. Everything that happens, happens naturally, through the motion of atoms through space.
    12. The Universe Is Infinite In Size And Eternal In Time, And Has No Gods Over It. There is no "beyond" from which any power could govern it.
    13. True Divinity Is Incorruptible And Blessed. Beings which are divine do not reward friends and punish enemies or intervene in human affairs.
    14. Death Is Nothing To Us. When we die we cease to exist.
    15. There Is No Necessity To Live Under The Control Of Necessity. There is no fate or destiny -- we decide how we live.
  • Opening Discussion of Kelly Arenson's "Health And Hedonism In Plato And Epicurus"

    • Cassius
    • August 8, 2026 at 10:21 PM

    Oh - Robert - I meant to say one more thing:

    The overwhelming feeling I have at the moment in my reading of this book is what an incredible waste of time all this debating about katastematic and kinetic is. I am very impressed with the book and I think it's an important step forward but it is the opposite of "Living For Pleasure." A normal person who tries to read this book is going to say "what in the world are you talking about, and why?" As appreciative as I am of the book I doubt I could recommend it to a layman - it's mainly useful only to someone who's debating the precise issue that we are talking about.

    What makes me mad is that this book wouldn't be needed at all but for the fact that generations now of writers have created a mess that people like Arenson will need to clean up. We're already at the point where you have serious and qualified academic authorities who take multiple incompatible views of what the distinction means. That leads me to conclude that anyone who asserts that they are the confident arbiter of truth on this issue is blowing smoke. There's enough contradictory inference to support just about any conclusion someone would like to reach -- until you go back to the original Platonic / Aristotelian starting point of the debate.

    But one thing I think is clear is that Arenson is completely rejecting the idea that --whatever else katastematic implies -- it is a "non-sensory" experience. All pleasure is sensory or it would not be pleasure.

  • Episode 346 - EATAQ28 - Not Yet Recorded

    • Cassius
    • August 8, 2026 at 10:00 PM

    In today's episode since we are continuing to talk about about the Stoics unwillingness to defend ALL sensations as true, I want us to remember to include:

    Cicero, Academica ("Academic Questions"), Book II ("Lucullus"), Chapter XXV (C.D. Yonge's 1853 translation)

    Quote

    "Therefore you have always one backer who will plead the cause at his own risk: for Epicurus brings the matter down to this point, that if once in a man's life one of his senses has decided wrongly, none of them is ever to be trusted."

    and

    Cicero, Academica II, Chapter XXVI:

    Quote

    "There are four principles which conduct you to the conclusion that there is nothing which can be known, or perceived, or comprehended; -- and it is about this that the whole dispute is. The first principle is, that some perceptions are false; the second, that such cannot be perceived; the third, that of perceptions between which there is no difference, it is not possible that some of them can be perceived and that others cannot; the fourth, that there is no true perception proceeding from the senses, to which there is not some other perception opposed which in no respect differs from it, and which cannot be perceived. Now of these four principles, the second and third are admitted by every one. **Epicurus does not admit the first**, but you, with whom we are now arguing, admit that one too, -- the whole contest is about the fourth."

    1. Some perceptions are false.
    2. A false perception cannot be "perceived" (i.e. cannot count as genuine knowledge) -- this follows once (1) is granted.
    3. Where two perceptions are indistinguishable from each other, it cannot be that one is knowable and the other is not -- i.e. if a false perception is indistinguishable from a true one, you can't selectively "know" the true one and not the false one.
    4. Every true sense-perception has some corresponding false perception exactly like it, indistinguishable from it -- so no sense-perception is ever safe from principle 3's contamination.

    Cicero's own accounting of where each school stands:

    • Principles 2 and 3 -- accepted by everyone in the debate (Epicureans, Stoics, Academics alike).
    • Principle 1 -- rejected by Epicurus alone. If no perception is ever false, principles 2-4 never get to operate on anything, and the skeptical conclusion has no foothold.
    • Principle 4 -- accepted by the Stoics (Lucullus, in this dialogue), which is why Cicero says "the whole contest is about the fourth": the Stoics already conceded (1), so their only remaining line of defense against skepticism is denying (4).
  • Opening Discussion of Kelly Arenson's "Health And Hedonism In Plato And Epicurus"

    • Cassius
    • August 8, 2026 at 9:16 PM
    Quote from Robert

    One thing that gives me pause: Arenson wants to include "active" pleasures in the katastematic category in part because she fears Epicureans would otherwise lead boring, passive lives. I don't quite get this. Even if all active pleasures (per Sedley) were to be defined as kinetic, that doesn't mean we're supposed to renounce them. An Epicurean's life can be as active as he or she wants it to be, as long as our choices are guided by prudence, courage, moderation, and justice. Contrast two situations

    I think she is wrestling with the issues we have been discussing -- she's aware of the argument that katastematic pleasures are somehow superior, but she is not going to accept the definition of katastemtic that equates those pleasures with basically nothing except some kind of ambiguous appreciation, because that would lead to the conclusion that the Epicurean goal is really to DO nothing in life -- and she isn't going to accept that as what Epicurus tought any more than Gosling and Taylor or Nikolsky or Emily Austin did.

    I'm not finished yet myself but it appears to me that she's come up with the idea that Katastematic pleasures cannot really be the sensation-free nothingness that some allege, and she's dividing up pleasures into (1) those that respond to some lack or pain or need, and she's calling those kinetic, and (2) those that she's calling "painless" because they do not arise from a pain or lack. That's where she places smelling roses or music or even having sex, I gather (!)

    So I'm still processing too, but as far as i can tell she's locked on in the real issue, sees it as a problem, and isn't going to accept it. She's not going to accept the idea that the best pleasure and therefore the supreme good is "katastematic" if that implies something that cannot be sensed. So she's rejecting the common interpretation of katastematic for that reason.

    One really significant aspect of her analysis is that she's focusing on constructing something without reference to Cicero because of a combination of his unreliability or the simple confusion he causes.

    But I note Robert that you said that you've read chapters 5-8, and I suspect you'll get a different picture when you read her analysis of Plato and Aristotle in the earlier chapters.

  • Theme Updates For the Website

    • Cassius
    • August 7, 2026 at 7:00 PM

    After far too long we now have available a "dark mode" version of the "Inspire" theme - the default site style.

    If you'd like to try it go to the bottom of any page and you'll see a "Change Style" link.

    That will take you to a page that looks like this:



    It is best to select either the "Inspire Dark" or "Inspire Light" options. Other options may be listed on your screen and you're welcome to try them out, but they may not work as well.

    If you choose the Dark theme and find any popups or screens that look weird or fail to work, please let me know. We'll keep the site default set to Inspire Light, but I'm using the Inspire Dark version and working to stamp out remaining bugs.

    Images

    • image.png
      • 54.94 kB
      • 821 × 272
      • 21
  • Episode 346 - EATAQ28 - Not Yet Recorded

    • Cassius
    • August 7, 2026 at 2:00 PM

    Welcome to Episode 346 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 Epicurean texts, and we discuss how Epicurean philosophy can apply to you today. If you find the Epicurean worldview attractive, we invite you to join us in the study of Epicurus at EpicureanFriends.com, where we discuss this and all of our podcast episodes.

    This week we are continuing our series reviewing Cicero's "Academic Questions" from an Epicurean perspective, which gives us an overview of the issues that split Plato's Academy and helps us understand Epicurus' position on the same issues. This week will continue in Section 13 of Book Two.

    Our text will come from
    Cicero - Academic Questions - Yonge We'll likely stick with Yonge primarily, but we'll also refer to the Rackham translation here: Cicero On Nature Of Gods Academica Loeb Rackham : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive


    As we proceed through the end of Academic Questions these are the topics we expect to cover:

    24. Lucullus's Extended Rebuttal of the Academic Doctrine, and His Concluding Appeal to Cicero (2:XIII)
    25. Cicero Begins His Reply (2:XX)
    26. Cicero Lays Out the Syllogism About Assent and Opinion (2:XXI)
    27. Cicero Turns to Antiochus's Own Inconsistency (2:XXII)
    28. Cicero Defends His Citation of the Ancient Philosophers (2:XXIII)
    29. Cicero Adds Chrysippus and the Cyrenaics, Then Returns to Arcesilas and Zeno (2:XXIV)
    30. Cicero Returns to Attacking the Senses (2:XXV)
    31. Cicero Presses the Sun's Size and the Limits of Trained Perception (2:XXVI)
    32. Cicero Turns the "Art" Argument Back on Lucullus (2:XXVII)
    33. Cicero Multiplies Examples From Madness (2:XXVIII)
    34. Cicero Attacks Reason and Dialectics: The Sorites Paradox (2:XXIX)
    35. Cicero Presses the Liar Paradox (2:XXX)
    36. Cicero Presents Carneades's Own Positive Doctrine of Probability (2:XXXI)
    37. Cicero Distinguishes the Academic Position From Epicurus's (2:XXXII)
    38. Cicero Defends Probability Against the Charge That It Cannot Support Memory or Action (2:XXXIII)
    39. Cicero Answers the "Self-Refuting" and "Two Incompatible Propositions" Objections (2:XXXIV)
    40. Cicero Broadens the Argument Beyond the Stoics (2:XXXV)
    41. Cicero Reflects on His Own Position Among the Competing Schools (2:XXXVI)
    42. Cicero's Survey of Disagreement Among the Natural Philosophers (2:XXXVII)
    43. Cicero Presses the Problem of Providence and the Limits of Physics (2:XXXVIII)
    44. Cicero's Survey Continues: The Soul, the Antipodes, and the Motion of the Earth (2:XXXIX)
    45. Cicero Asks Which Natural Philosopher He Would Even Choose to Follow (2:XL)
    46. Cicero Turns to Ethics: Even the Gods Are Disputed (2:XLI)
    47. Cicero's Roll Call of Rival Schools on the Chief Good, Part One (2:XLII)
    48. Cicero's Roll Call of Rival Schools on the Chief Good, Part Two (2:XLIII)
    49. Cicero Weighs Zeno Against Antiochus on Virtue and the Happy Life (2:XLIV)
    50. Cicero Catalogs the Stoic Paradoxes About the Wise Man (2:XLV)
    51. Cicero's Climactic Debate Between Pleasure and Honor (2:XLVI)
    52. Cicero Turns to the Canon of Truth, and Zeno's Hand (2:XLVII)
    53. The Dialogue's Close (2:XLVIII)

  • Discussion of the thread - Against Katastematic Supremacy - Pleasure Is A Unified Whole And Not A House Divided - Forum Editorial Policy

    • Cassius
    • August 7, 2026 at 12:59 PM
    Quote from DaveT

    Of course we never want to appear to be relying on a strawman argument to prove a point.

    That's correct, but if there is anything i am sure about it is that the attitudes expressed in the world's worst video collection are indeed the majority view, both of laymen and of "experts."

    For one of an unlimited number of examples that could be given:

    Epicurus (Philosopher) – Study Guide | StudyGuides.com
    Interactive study guide for Epicurus (Philosopher). Test your knowledge with practice questions.
    studyguides.com


    What is the core definition of Epicureanism as established by Epicurus?

    Philosophy teaching that modest pleasures lead to tranquility and freedom from fear

    Epicureanism, founded by Epicurus, redefines pleasure not as wild hedonism but as the absence of pain and disturbance, achieved through modest living and intellectual pursuits. At its heart, the philosophy seeks ataraxia, a state of serene tranquility, by eliminating fears of death, gods, and the afterlife through rational understanding of the universe. Epicurus taught that simple pleasures like friendship and contemplation are sufficient for happiness, contrasting with more ascetic or duty-bound philosophies of the time. This approach empowers individuals to cultivate a peaceful life by focusing on what truly matters, making it a practical guide for enduring daily challenges with equanimity.


    Also:

    To which broader tradition does Epicurus belong in terms of ethical theory?

    Hedonism

    Learn More

    Epicurus belongs to the hedonistic tradition in ethical theory, where pleasure is considered the ultimate good, but he refined it to advocate for prudent, long-term pleasures over fleeting ones. This places him in contrast to virtue ethicists like Aristotle, who emphasized eudaimonia through excellence, yet shares the goal of human flourishing. Hedonism in Epicurus's form integrates materialist physics to justify ethical choices, arguing that understanding nature frees us from superstitious fears. Recognizing this tradition helps learners appreciate how Epicureanism offers a sensory-based yet rational path to ethical living, influencing modern discussions on well-being.


    >>>>>> Identifying the goal with LONG-TERM pleasure is specifically what Epicurus tells us NOT to do in the letter to Menoeceus: And just as with food he does not seek simply the larger share and nothing else, but rather the most pleasant, so he seeks to enjoy not the longest period of time, but the most pleasant.

  • Discussion Of The Article: "The Completeness Argument, Cicero's Knowledge Of It, And The Epicurean Response"

    • Cassius
    • August 7, 2026 at 10:43 AM

    This thread is for discussion of the article linked below.

    The issue of completeness and perfection was of great concern to the ancient Greeks, and we aren't going to understand what Epicurus had to say about pleasure as the supreme good unless we understand how Epicurus met the Platonic objection that pleasure is never complete. Here's an article with key citations from Plato, Seneca, and Cicero to illustrate what their objection was, and how Epicurus met it. In sum, the issue comes down to whether you think only "complete" things are good, or whether you acknowledge the goodness both of things that are complete and the things that make up complete things. Just as in physics both the atoms and the things made of atoms are real, in ethics both pleasure as a concept and pleasure as individual experiences are good.

    Blog Article

    The Completeness Argument, Cicero's Knowledge Of It, And The Epicurean Response

    The Completeness Argument

    One of the oldest objections to placing the highest good in anything other than virtue runs like this: the good must be complete — whole, finished, lacking nothing — and cannot be a process, a becoming, or anything that admits of growth or degree. A thing that is still developing toward some end is not yet that end; it is only on the way to it. Plato gives this argument its classic statement, distinguishing genesis (becoming, a process aimed at something beyond itself)…
    Cassius
    August 7, 2026 at 10:42 AM
  • Complexity, Contradictions, and "Testing Out" Epicurean Philosophy

    • Cassius
    • August 7, 2026 at 8:44 AM

    In regard to this part I think you are part-way to answering your own question:

    In the last two years especially, there has been more focus on the forum and in the podcast to gain a deeper context of Epicurean philosophy through study of other textual sources such as Cicero, etc. This newer material might be of interest for the more advanced student. However, for myself, I feel that at times it can begin to cloud up or muddy up the big picture with all the additional layers of contrast between Cicero, Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, etc. Also, it seems clearer to me now that there are certain interpretive differences that keep occurring. These are due to some subtle contradictions between the Letter to Menoeceus and the Principal Doctrines/Vatican Sayings. This can bring in a feeling of a lack of clarity. The only way to deal with this is to “try it out” or test it.

    ------

    I do not believe that there is any cloudiness or subtle contradictions or lack of clarity inherent in the text of the Letter to Menoeceus or the Principal Doctrines/Vatican sayings. That some people believe they are seeing such things is explainable by exactly what you mention. They do not have in their minds the context of the other textual sources and especially the debates about pleasure that were well known to the ancient Greek philosophers but not to us today. If you don't know the argument that pleasure cannot be the highest good because it is a "process" or "not complete" or is "becoming rather than being." then you're likely to misinterpret references to that issue, thinking that Epicurus has some totally different meaning in mind.

    And unfortunately "trying it out" is impossible if you don't know what "it" is. If someone were to infer that "absence of pain" means meditation, for example, and they thought that by meditation they could "try out" Epicurean philosophy, they may find meditation pleasurable but they be not a step further in understanding Epicurus.

    The average person living today who picks up the letter to Menoeceus or the Principal Doctrines cannot understand some of its more important aspects unless they take the time to learn why Epicurus was addressing "the limit of pleasure" or "absence of pain" in the first place.

    This part of what you wrote is definitely true: Also, it seems clearer to me now that there are certain interpretive differences that keep occurring

    There absolutely are many interpretative differences, and almost every commentator has a different take on the issues to which you are refer. From the very beginning you need to know that, as DeWitt says in the first paragraph of the first chapter of his book, Epicurus is at the same time one of the most loved and hated philosophers in history. Everyone needs to realize going in that they are going to have to make up their own minds about what Epicurus was really teaching, and that takes time and familiarity with the subject to achieve.

  • Welcome EpicuriousDavid!

    • Cassius
    • August 7, 2026 at 6:45 AM

    David given what you wrote about just starting your study of Epicurus, you might find this recent post by Kalosyni -- and the reply to her which I just posted -- to be of particular interest as you get started reading.

    Blog Article

    Reflections on Five Years on the EpicureanFriends Forum

    Reflections on Five Years on the EpicureanFriends Forum

    Today is my five year anniversary on the forum, and here are some thoughts and reflections.

    My interest in Epicurean philosophy began five years ago during the summer of 2021, just as Covid was beginning to recede. I had come across a philosophy book by a UO professor friend, which briefly mentioned “The Garden”. Curiosity led me to look online to find out more about Epicurean philosophy. I found the EpicureanFriends forum, and was…
    Kalosyni
    August 6, 2026 at 11:33 AM

Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com

Here is a list of suggested search strategies:

  • Website Overview page - clickable links arrranged by cards.
  • Forum Main Page - list of forums and subforums arranged by topic. Threads are posted according to relevant topics. The "Uncategorized subforum" contains threads which do not fall into any existing topic (also contains older "unfiled" threads which will soon be moved).
  • Search Tool - icon is located on the top right of every page. Note that the search box asks you what section of the forum you'd like to search. If you don't know, select "Everywhere."
  • Search By Key Tags - curated to show frequently-searched topics.
  • Full Tag List - an alphabetical list of all tags.

Resources

  1. Getting Started At EpicureanFriends
  2. Community Standards And Posting Policies
  3. The Major Doctrines of Classical Epicurean Philosophy
  4. Introductory Videos
  5. Wiki
  6. Lucretius Today Podcast
    1. Podcast Episode Guide
  7. Key Epicurean Texts
    1. Chart Of Key Quotes
    2. Outline Of Key Quotes
    3. Side-By-Side Diogenes Laertius X (Bio And All Key Writings of Epicurus)
    4. Side-By-Side Lucretius - On The Nature Of Things
    5. Side-By-Side Torquatus On Ethics
    6. Side-By-Side Velleius on Divinity
    7. Lucretius Topical Outline
    8. Usener Fragment Collection
  8. Frequently Asked Questions
    1. FAQ Discussions
  9. Full List of Forums
    1. Physics Discussions
    2. Canonics Discussions
    3. Ethics Discussions
    4. All Recent Forum Activities
  10. Image Gallery
  11. Featured Articles
  12. Featured Blog Posts
  13. Quiz Section
  14. Activities Calendar
  15. Special Resource Pages
  16. File Database
  17. Site Map
    1. Home

Frequently Used Forums

  • Frequently Asked / Introductory Questions
  • News And Announcements
  • Lucretius Today Podcast
  • Physics (The Nature of the Universe)
  • Canonics (The Tests Of Truth)
  • Ethics (How To Live)
  • Against Determinism
  • Against Skepticism
  • The "Meaning of Life" Question
  • Uncategorized Discussion
  • Comparisons With Other Philosophies
  • Historical Figures
  • Ancient Texts
  • Decline of The Ancient Epicurean Age
  • Unsolved Questions of Epicurean History
  • Welcome New Participants
  • Events - Activism - Outreach
  • Full Forum List

Latest Posts

  • Desires necessary for Happiness.

    Robert August 12, 2026 at 9:59 PM
  • Welcome EpicuriousDavid!

    Kalosyni August 12, 2026 at 11:24 AM
  • Theme Updates For the Website

    Cassius August 11, 2026 at 11:23 PM
  • The Completeness (or Fullness) of Pleasure

    Cassius August 11, 2026 at 11:21 PM
  • Overview of Epicurean Philosophy - Quick Visual

    Kalosyni August 11, 2026 at 1:50 PM
  • Welcome Andy!

    Cassius August 11, 2026 at 9:21 AM
  • Marriage, Children, & Personal Relationships - Greater Difficulties and Risk Can Make Them Harder Than Ever. Epicurean Perspectives on Remedies

    Titus August 10, 2026 at 4:48 PM
  • Opening Discussion of Kelly Arenson's "Health And Hedonism In Plato And Epicurus"

    Robert August 9, 2026 at 11:18 PM
  • Episode 346 - EATAQ28 - Not Yet Recorded

    Cassius August 8, 2026 at 10:00 PM
  • "Meet-and-Greet" Zoom- August 3rd, 8pm ET & August 9th, 12:30pm ET, 2026

    Kalosyni August 8, 2026 at 2:03 PM

Frequently Used Tags

In addition to posting in the appropriate forums, participants are encouraged to reference the following tags in their posts:

  • #Physics
    • #Atomism
    • #Gods
    • #Images
    • #Infinity
    • #Eternity
    • #Life
    • #Death
  • #Canonics
    • #Knowledge
    • #Scepticism
  • #Ethics

    • #Pleasure
    • #Pain
    • #Engagement
    • #EpicureanLiving
    • #Happiness
    • #Virtue
      • #Wisdom
      • #Temperance
      • #Courage
      • #Justice
      • #Honesty
      • #Faith (Confidence)
      • #Suavity
      • #Consideration
      • #Hope
      • #Gratitude
      • #Friendship



Click Here To Search All Tags

To Suggest Additions To This List Click Here

EpicureanFriends - Classical Epicurean Philosophy

  1. Home
    1. About Us
    2. Classical Epicurean Philosophy
  2. Wiki
    1. Getting Started
  3. Frequently Asked Questions
    1. Site Map
  4. Forum
    1. Latest Threads
    2. Featured Threads
    3. Unread Posts
  5. Texts
    1. Core Texts
    2. Biography of Epicurus
    3. Lucretius
  6. Articles
    1. Latest Articles
  7. Gallery
    1. Featured Images
  8. Calendar
    1. This Month At EpicureanFriends
Powered by WoltLab Suite™ 6.0.26
Style: Inspire by cls-design
Stylename
Inspire
Manufacturer
cls-design
Licence
Commercial styles
Help
Supportforum
Visit cls-design