Epicureanism: eat, drink, and be merry? - LECTURE

Is pleasure good? Shouldn't pain be avoided? We'll explore the ancient Greek philosophy of Epicurus, caricatured in antiquity and today as “eat, drink, and be merry.” Following up on our lectures on the Greco-Roman moral philosophy - Platonism, Stoicism, Cynicism - we'll consider the great rival of these more accepted schools: Epicureanism. Epicureans were connected with atomist theory and atheism, both of which were reviled in antiquity but have been revived and reconsidered in modern times. We'll sweep past some modern misconceptions and take a deeper look at the teachings of Epicurus and his successors.

[@youngepicurean8282]

That last point made by the lady was very prescient and insightful. Modern society has not done a good job of coming to terms with the increasing likelihood that the Epicureans were right in the essence of their overall description of reality. Moral nihilism and conventional hedonism are becoming dominant modes as coping mechanisms, but they don't work (many people are getting depressed, suicidal, or simply using prodigality to numb or their mask their anxieties). Also, traditional religions are crumbling and not as successful at gripping people's attention anymore. Especially during and after the pandemic, we are seeing all the negative consequences of forgetting Epicurus' ethical and therapeutic remedies to cope with the anxiety that attends with the supposition of existential meaninglessness.

[@scottapache5041]

I think the only way to move forward past this failing postmodern world is to look back to the ancient wisdoms. I believe there we can find simplicity, moderation, morality, ethics, etc that can guide our path forward.

[@avertingapathy3052]

It seems they are also embraced on some level with the whole work your wage/quiet quitting and people seeking a balance when ideals and protestant work ethic underpinning capitalism has been washed away or at least more obscured by technology, changing world. Epicureanism should be the perfect philosophy on paper to sustain moderation but I'm afraid, at least in my own case it might just be a patch over nihilism. Some kind of denial over shattered expectations and crumbling ideals towards which much effort has been invested without much reward. I'll keep learning and see if there is a way to implement this without succumbing to false modesty and self-deception. Wish me luck.

[@sofitocyn100]

I liked that this was an interactive conversation and not just a lecture!

[@austinstillwell]

Yet another great talk! They are really great “bang for your time” videos. And this applies to all of them. They’re all topics I know a little about, but the way they’re structured and presented here help solidify things that have blurred with time, as well as discover many things for the first time. The lecturer really has a deep knowledge of everything he talks about. I wish I lived in Canada so I could join the church(while still remaining an atheist) and attend these talks. It’s truly a magical thing y’all have created!

[@JosefMarc]

Knowledge and philosophy are best discussed with a sense of humor! [Epicurus said, and I agree.] These lectures/speeches do that.

[@megaKstudios]

He is a great teacher!

[@m_b_lmackenzie4510]

Nice presentation, thank you!

[@hiramcrespo734]

If Ecclesiastes sounds Epicurean, it's probably because in the days when Antioch was governing Judea there was a strong Hellenizing influence among the Jews. Philonides of Laodicea was an Epicurean missionary to Antioch, and the community he started converted so many Jews that the rabbis felt threatened and "Apikorsim" became a code word for "heretic" in the Talmud. Philodemus of Gadara, Zeno of Sidon, Lucian of Samosata are all known Epicureans who came from the region of Syria. Finally, Norman DeWitt in his book "St Paul and Epicurus" demonstrates or argues strongly that St Paul had studied under the Epicureans and took many practices and ideas with him into the teaching of Christianity, including the epistolary literary tradition, and many aspects of how communities are organized, so many aspects of primitive Christianity were actually modeled on Epicurean Koinonia (brotherhood, community).

[@youngepicurean8282]

Don't you mean Zeno of Sidon?

[@hiramcrespo734]

@@youngepicurean8282 yes thank u :)

[@bimboblacky]

Epicurus was truly different from Hedonism Bot on *Futurama* !!!

[@Eriugena8]

I think the first question made: do you fear death? should be given to each, a minute, a moment an eon... -epicurean chaos proverb

[@paperback10]

Why would you interrupt a great lecture with irrelevant comments and questions?

[@VSP4591]

Christian Church closed ALLL Philosophical schools from Athene, not only the Epicurean school. The Emperor Justinian issued a decree in 529 AD and sent it to Athens ordering that no one should teach philosophy nor astrology and outlawed divination with dice. As well theatre, music, declamation, rhetoric were outlawed. One main argument was that philosophers only meet and discuss without reaching any agreement. It was allowed only eclesiastic music and debates on the the New Testament, which continue until today. Since that year, 529 the Dark Age began until the Renaissance. So Christian Church had noting personal with Epicureanism but with philosophical thinking.

[@jussikankinen9409]

Catholic church killed real christians

[@Ali80076]

shaheen suounds adorable

[@dbarker7794]

Another great talk and discussion. Too bad Epicurean philosophy has been reduced to simplistic thought.

[@elcuranderointerior7542]

Saving a kid from drowning, I feel good about saving the child, and I would feel awfull if the child dies. All good good is about me, how I feel about it, the counter is the same, doing evil is about me, how I feel about it. It might sound autistic or psicopathic, but no matter how much empathy you have, you cannot actually feel for the other, so we can only feel for ourselves, therefore we do good to feel good, and that it good..

[@basedsuntzu1163]

49:00

[@jussikankinen9409]

Some say they cannot give 10 euros for africa poor cause then have to give 80 billion

[@m_b_lmackenzie4510]

Σορρυ ςηατ ισ τηε ναμε οφ τηε προφεσσορ?

[@Zalmoksis44]

Ἄφοβον ὁ θεός, ἀνύποπτον ὁ θάνατος καὶ τἀγαθὸν μὲν εὔκτητον, τὸ δὲ δεινὸν εὐεκκαρτέρητον

[@VSP4591]

Bravos. Bine zis.

[@donwolff6463]

Samuel Clemmons...i was dead for hundreds of thousands of years before I was born and it didn't bother me one bit. Epicurus had over 400 schools and written books (many assuredly done by students in his name). All his books were burned by Christians and his schools demolish and many were built over by Christian churches ( just like the Vatican is built atop 3 Mithraic temples. His surviving work can only be found in Cisneros writings, other than a few fragments. Because of his views on the afterlife Christians diametrically opposed him, however, the one remaining question he posed has been the primary cause for the loss of faith in Christianity which they, after 2000 years still haven't a clue as how to answer: the problem with theodicy and the two attributes ascribed to god: omni - potent and benevolent ... if but one question has floored billions of the best christian scholars for over 2000 years, just imagine what the state of affairs would be had his work survived. Now he was a man who believed that pleasure was the best thing in life...but moderation was the key to being in a state of please. Excesses lead to pain, and thus don't be a gluttonous hedonist. Rather as he stated: bread is all I need, butter is but indulgence. The best way to live life is to buy a house with your best friends everyone take minor jobs just enough to pay expenses and spend most of your time in good conversations, bantering around philosophical questions, reading, writing, playing physical games to stay activ and have fun, and just enjoying life to the best of your ability....far from how he would later be portrayed by those who opposed him and held the reins of history.

[@jussikankinen9409]

If human had wings we could fly, but if gods image we should try to be better cause humans arent bees, believing started before humans were humans

[@jussikankinen9409]

Egyptians worshipped sun rays the heat came after seen sun

[@robertmatthews3909]

Considering the fact that the presenter is built like a bag of milk, I think I'll pass on his life advice 😅