Friday, February 7, 2020

Epicurus: Letter to Menoeceus (Summary)


Epicurus, Greek philosopher, left us only three letters: the first, Letter to Herodotus, presents his metaphysics, the second is the letter to Pythocles, explains atomic weather phenomena, the third and most important, Letter to Menoeceus , introduced his ethics.

Extracts from the Letter to Menoeceus by Epicurus:

“That does not put off until later, we’re young, the practice of philosophy and we never got tired of philosophizing. Indeed, it is, for one, neither too early nor too late, when it comes to ensuring the health of his soul. Besides, whoever said that the time to philosophize is not yet come, or that time is past, is like the one that says, in the case of happiness, that his time has not yet come or that it is not. So the young man should, like the old man, philosophize in this way, the second, while aging, rejuvenate the past and the first will be at the same time young and far advanced in years, because he will not fear the future. So be what produces is happiness , the object of his care, as it is true that, when present, we have everything and that when it is absent, we do everything for it.

Accustom thyself also in the thought that death is nothing for us, since every good or evil lie in sensation and that death is deprivation of sensation. Hence a correct understanding that death is nothing for us, has the effect of allowing us to enjoy the  nature of life, because this  knowledge  deprives us of  sorrow or desire for  immortality. Thus, the most terrifying of evils, death is nothing for us, precisely because, when we exist, death is not present and, when death is present, then we do not exist. It is neither for the living nor for those who died, precisely because it is not for the former and the latter is not. But the multitude ties to flee from death, because sees in death the greatest of evils.

Commentary on the Letter to Menoeceus by Epicurus:
This letter, written in a direct style, friend to another, is a veritable manual of happiness. The message is: Do as I say, and you’ll be happy.

Epicurus formulates his ethical philosophy as an ascetic life of pleasure and virtue.
Happiness is the greatest good, says Epicurus following Aristotle. And happiness, is the maximization of pleasure. Whether all pleasures are good sources, Epicurus distinguishes between the dynamic pleasures (eating) and static pleasures (satiety). Pleasure is a state of static equilibrium between the satisfaction of desire and the birth of new desires, frustrations and pain. Similarly, Epicurus distinguishes the physical pleasures of psychological pleasures. This relates to physical pleasures, which must be reduced to a minimum satisfaction. The future, and its corollary fear of the future is what keeps the soul to reach equilibrium at ataraxia.

As for desire, Epicurus says that the wise must eliminate it and aim for desires that may be easily accessible. Epicurus are three types of desires:

natural and necessary desires

unnecessary and natural desires

unnatural and unnecessary desires. These desires, as seeking fame or fortune, must be eliminated because their satisfaction is unknown.

On virtue, Epicurus developed a unique idea compared to other Greek philosophers: the virtues are only a means to achieve happiness, and not an end in itself.
Finally, Epicurus seeks to resolve the issue of metaphysical anguish of man, by advocating a philosophy of non-thought of death. Death is annihilation, because the mind is a group of atoms that disperses after death. If the mind is more, it can not be afraid, death is nothing for us, according to Epicurus

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