Our Friend, Epicurus
Epicurus was a philosopher during the Hellenistic era whose primary focus was to understand how exactly to live a good life. To Epicurus, a good life was equivalent to a happy life. Epicurus founded a school outside of Athens which he called “The Garden”. This school was isolated from the rest of society and built in a rural area. Here his followers grew their own food and lived simply. It was a place where his people lived together in peace and acceptance. He taught his friends to understand the meaning of true happiness and guided them into living in accordance with his teachings so that they could experience self-sufficiency and pleasure in their lives.
Epicurus realized that the average person experienced many fears and anxieties throughout their lifetimes. He knew that these fears were preventing people from living the good life. He recognized that where fear existed, there was always a desire for pleasure. He also understood that when people felt good, they had no further desire for pleasure because it was already being satisfied. From this information, he gathered that the pleasurable state is our most natural state and so therefore we should do all that we can to eliminate fear and pain.
Epicurus taught his followers that to live the happy life, they had to focus on the desires that are both natural and necessary. Natural …show more content…
Though luxuries from the natural and unnecessary category are enjoyable, I see in myself the effect of constant stress that desire brings. Simply to focus on the practice of living each moment with as little desire as possible brings great rewards. I am reminded of Epicurus’s Final Words in The Letter to Menoeceus (p.235). Epicurus writes to Menoeceus to meditate on the precepts of his letter. He says: “Then never, either awake or asleep, will you be dismayed; but you will live like a god among
Epicurus was a philosopher during the Hellenistic era whose primary focus was to understand how exactly to live a good life. To Epicurus, a good life was equivalent to a happy life. Epicurus founded a school outside of Athens which he called “The Garden”. This school was isolated from the rest of society and built in a rural area. Here his followers grew their own food and lived simply. It was a place where his people lived together in peace and acceptance. He taught his friends to understand the meaning of true happiness and guided them into living in accordance with his teachings so that they could experience self-sufficiency and pleasure in their lives.
Epicurus realized that the average person experienced many fears and anxieties throughout their lifetimes. He knew that these fears were preventing people from living the good life. He recognized that where fear existed, there was always a desire for pleasure. He also understood that when people felt good, they had no further desire for pleasure because it was already being satisfied. From this information, he gathered that the pleasurable state is our most natural state and so therefore we should do all that we can to eliminate fear and pain.
Epicurus taught his followers that to live the happy life, they had to focus on the desires that are both natural and necessary. Natural …show more content…
Though luxuries from the natural and unnecessary category are enjoyable, I see in myself the effect of constant stress that desire brings. Simply to focus on the practice of living each moment with as little desire as possible brings great rewards. I am reminded of Epicurus’s Final Words in The Letter to Menoeceus (p.235). Epicurus writes to Menoeceus to meditate on the precepts of his letter. He says: “Then never, either awake or asleep, will you be dismayed; but you will live like a god among