ANHS1600 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Epicureanism, Hellenistic Philosophy, Philodemus
15 May 2018
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Lecture - Solace and Apathy in Hellenistic Philosophy
04/05/16
Hellenistic Philosophy:
Time and Location:
- 4th C BCE – 3rd C CE
- Throughout Greek and Roman territories
Main Schools:
- Epicureanism, Stoicsim, Skepticism
Main themes:
-Logic, Physics, Ethics.
Their attention was directed to Philosophy as a way of life – to live life in a certain way.
Epicureanism:
- Had their school in a garden → “Philosophers of the Garden”
Ancient Epicureans:
Epicurus (341-270), Metrodorus (331-277), Philodemus (110-40), Lucretius (99-55), Diogenes of
Oenoada (2nd C, CE)
Themes of Epicurean Ethics:
Pleasure and Pain, Fear and Desire, Friendship and Justice.
Pleasure and Pain:
- Believed all pleasure is good and all pain is evil.
- “No Pleasure is a bad thing in itself.” “Every pain is easy to despise” (KD, Vii)
- The greatest good is ataraxia
- “The removal of all feeling of pain is the limit of the magnitude of pleasures” (KD, iii)
- The only reason to pursue anything is for the sake of the pleasure it brings.
- Virtue is necessary and sufficient for a pleasant life.
-“It is impossible to live pleasantly without living prudently, honourably and justly and
impossible to live prudently, honourably and justify without living pleasantly.” (KD, v)
Fear and Desire:
- The greatest fear is fear of death.
- “When it comes to death all men live in a city without walls” (VS, 32 = Metrodorus fr. 51)
- The second greatest fear is fear of detection.
- “It is hard to commit injustice and escape detection, but to be confident of escaping
detection is impossible.” (VS, 7).
- Nature has provided well for the satisfaction of simple, natural desires…
- “There is no need for things which involve struggle” (KD, xxi)
- “[Even] nothing is enough to someone for whom enough is little.” (VS, 68)
- … but not for extravagant desires.
Friendship and Justice:
- Friendship has instrumental value
Document Summary
Lecture - solace and apathy in hellenistic philosophy. 4th c bce 3rd c ce. Their attention was directed to philosophy as a way of life to live life in a certain way. Had their school in a garden philosophers of the garden . Epicurus (341-270), metrodorus (331-277), philodemus (110-40), lucretius (99-55), diogenes of. Pleasure and pain, fear and desire, friendship and justice. Believed all pleasure is good and all pain is evil. No pleasure is a bad thing in itself. every pain is easy to despise (kd, vii) The removal of all feeling of pain is the limit of the magnitude of pleasures (kd, iii) The only reason to pursue anything is for the sake of the pleasure it brings. Virtue is necessary and sufficient for a pleasant life. It is impossible to live pleasantly without living prudently, honourably and justly and impossible to live prudently, honourably and justify without living pleasantly. (kd, v)
