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Feeling Epicurean
Friday, April 29th, 2005 03:44 pmI've just been reading posts on on the Yahoo Stoics community while feeling very Epicurean. My problem is that I read Stoic writings and think, "Yes, that's very true." I try to put the principles of Stoicism into practice in my daily life, and think "Yes, that works, sort of." Then I consider how I actually feel about things, and Epicurus wins out: pleasure is the primary good.
Of course Epicurus defines "pleasure" somewhat idiosyncratically, just as Aristotle has his own definition of "happiness", Stoics have their own definition of "good", and Heidegger has his own definition of every word in the German language. If they didn't do that kind of thing, they probably wouldn't be classed as great philosophers. Epicurus defines pleasure as "the absence of pain in the body and trouble in the soul." It's very hard to argue that this could be a bad thing.
It also points me to the view that despite what other people say about me, pleasure/happiness is my default state. I frequently feel miserable and uncomfortable, but I need a reason to do so. For example, at the moment I am in a pleasurable state. It is Friday and I have finished teaching and meetings. I have been paid for the month, so I don't have to worry about money for at least a week. I have spent a surprisingly small amount of my wage on a bottle of Famous Grouse, which is on sale at our local supermarket (BTW, for those who can't afford single malts, this is a good choice, as it contains a fair amount of the wonderfully smooth Highland Park). I have no serious illnesses (I have a slight sore throat, but that's pretty normal for me - my tonsils are a biological warfare laboratory). I don't have to do anything tomorrow, except a little light housework. I'll repeat that: I don't have to do anything tomorrow. My significant other will be at a course all day and is going out with her course-mates in the evening. I do not have to interact with anyone. I have essays to grade, but I don't have to do them tomorrow. Tomorrow is the Garden of Eden. No pain in the body, no trouble in the soul.
Of course Epicurus defines "pleasure" somewhat idiosyncratically, just as Aristotle has his own definition of "happiness", Stoics have their own definition of "good", and Heidegger has his own definition of every word in the German language. If they didn't do that kind of thing, they probably wouldn't be classed as great philosophers. Epicurus defines pleasure as "the absence of pain in the body and trouble in the soul." It's very hard to argue that this could be a bad thing.
It also points me to the view that despite what other people say about me, pleasure/happiness is my default state. I frequently feel miserable and uncomfortable, but I need a reason to do so. For example, at the moment I am in a pleasurable state. It is Friday and I have finished teaching and meetings. I have been paid for the month, so I don't have to worry about money for at least a week. I have spent a surprisingly small amount of my wage on a bottle of Famous Grouse, which is on sale at our local supermarket (BTW, for those who can't afford single malts, this is a good choice, as it contains a fair amount of the wonderfully smooth Highland Park). I have no serious illnesses (I have a slight sore throat, but that's pretty normal for me - my tonsils are a biological warfare laboratory). I don't have to do anything tomorrow, except a little light housework. I'll repeat that: I don't have to do anything tomorrow. My significant other will be at a course all day and is going out with her course-mates in the evening. I do not have to interact with anyone. I have essays to grade, but I don't have to do them tomorrow. Tomorrow is the Garden of Eden. No pain in the body, no trouble in the soul.
