George Hayward ESSAY

Epicurus (341-270B.C.E) an ancient Greek philosopher who founded the philosophy called Epicureanism, believed that the primary objective in life was “living sensibly, nobly and justly” and this will lead to a pleasant life. Rather than promoting rabid hedonism, his philosophy focuses on making considered choices and having a measured view. He also believed in a sense of personal responsibility and the virtue of making good choices in order to achieve a pleasant life.

Epicurus’s philosophy is that pleasure is the absence of pain, both physical and mental. “The starting point and goal of the happy life” Epicurus, Letter to Menoeccus, p.51, can be related to his two key goals within his philosophy: “bodily health and imperturbability of mind”, p.50. It is worth mentioning that he focuses on a pleasant life and not necessarily a life of ecstasy. We cannot always be full of joy at all time. The absence of suffering both physically and mentally, leads to contentment and fulfilment. He is not proclaiming that a life of pleasure, a kind of unrestricted hedonism will lead to happiness, nor that the ultimate life of pleasure means living recklessly, without personal or social responsibility and a focus on instant gratification

A key idea of Epicurus’s philosophy is that we must not pursue pleasure in every situation. Epicurus emphasises the importance of choice or “sober thinking”, p.52: “every act of choice or aversion originates with it [pleasure]”, p.51 and “not every pleasure is desirable”, p.51 nor are all painful experience to be rejected outright, but we have a “duty to judge”, p.51, hence the pursuit of pleasure which Epicurus advocates always involves choice and personal responsibility. Furthermore, he believes that happiness com...

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... more often than not swayed by my peers and the values which the internet presents to me. I realize that I can be a passive consumer a lot of the time and it is being passive, that Epicure advocates is essentially not pleasant living. Instead it is thoughtless living and I tend therefore to put my own current needs before those of others around me or my future self.

The study of Epicurus’s philosophy is a very valuable experience for our contemporary world. It encourages us to think, to reflect and to be mindful about the choices we make and why we make them. If pleasure is the absence of pain and suffering, both physical and psychological, it is elusive, but a reminder that “becoming habituated to a simple rather than a lavish way of life”, p.51, observing and taking pleasure in simple things such as our health and wellbeing, are ultimately the key to a good life.