Epicurus on Happiness (Notes)
Epicurus and the Pursuit of Happiness: An Overview
Epicurus is a central figure in both science and philosophy.
Advocated that belief should be proportioned to empirical evidence and logic.
Propounded atomism: macroscopic facts are caused by configurations of atoms in the microscopic world.
In ethics, he is famous for hedonism: pleasure is the only intrinsic value.
His view of pleasure differs from the stereotype: the most pleasant life involves abstaining from unnecessary desires and achieving inner tranquility (ataraxia).
Happiness comes from contentment with simple things and from choosing philosophical conversation with friends over crude physical pleasures (food, drink, sex).
The “Pleasure Garden” image (Epicurus’s community of scholars and friends) illustrates his ideal setting for pursuing happiness.
A garden with discussions on science, philosophy, and art.
The ideal scene includes natural beauty, fellowship, and a place to pursue wisdom together.
Epicurus’s life path:
Spent early life on the island of Samos; studied in Athens.
After engaging with Plato, Aristotle, and Democritus, he returned to found his school, The Garden, in Athens.
The Garden attracted many followers and became a center for Epicurean thought.
Key contributions summarized:
Epistemology: belief should be proportional to empirical evidence and logic.
Natural philosophy: atomism explains the macroscopic world via microscopic indivisible elements.
Ethics: pleasure as the ultimate good; the aim is to attain a tranquil mind through simple living and friendship.
The recurring contrast in his ethics:
Not a life of indulgence, but a disciplined life that minimizes pain and fear.
The emphasis is on psychological and social factors that sustain happiness, not mere bodily pleasure.
Connections to other thinkers:
Influences from Aristippus (Cyrenaic) but diverges by prioritizing mental tranquility over raw sensual pleasure.
Shared lineage with Aristotle on the importance of friendship and virtuous living, but with a distinct focus on moderation and epistemic clarity.
Foundational idea linking to modern well-being research:
Epicurus anticipates findings that external conditions (income, looks, status) have limited long-term effects on happiness.
He emphasizes independence from external goods and the cultivation of inner resources.
Epicurus: A Brief Background
The Garden as a social-humane institution:
A community where like-minded friends pursue wisdom and happiness together.
The setting for daily discussion on philosophy, science, and art.
Early life and education:
Born on the island of Samos; studied in Athens.
Exposed to and digesting the ideas of Plato, Aristotle, and Democritus.
Core philosophical commitments:
Scientific view of the world: atomism explains natural phenomena.
Epistemology: belief should be grounded in empirical evidence and reasoning.
Ethics: happiness as the ultimate aim; the natural way to secure happiness is through simple pleasures and friendship.
The central claim about happiness:
The most pleasant life involves abstaining from unnecessary desires and cultivating inner tranquility (ataraxia).
Intellectual pleasures (philosophical conversation) can be more valuable than transient physical pleasures.
Anecdote on happiness in adversity:
Epicurus claimed to spend the last days of life in pleasure despite severe pain.
Letter to Idomenes illustrates his technique: recollect moments of past happiness to counterbalance current suffering.
Example employed to illustrate the technique of recollection:
Victor Frankl’s account of finding happiness by conjuring his wife’s image in concentration camps.
Frankl’s line: “My mind clung to my wife's image, imagining it with an uncanny acuteness. I heard her answering me, saw her smile, her frank and encouraging look. Real or not, her look was then more luminous than the sun which was beginning to rise." (Frankl 1984, p. 57).
Happiness Defined: Pleasure and the Good
Epicurus’s definition of happiness (Letter to Menoeceus):
“Pleasure is our first and kindred good. It is the starting point of every choice and of every aversion, and to it we always come back, inasmuch as we make feeling the rule by which to judge of every good thing."
Two self-imposed beliefs that generate fear and unhappiness:
The belief that the gods will punish us for bad actions.
The belief that death is something to be feared.
Both beliefs are based on fictions; the gods exist but do not concern themselves with human affairs.
Death: when sentience ends, there is no sensation of pain, so fear of death is unfounded.
Epicurus’s stance on death quoted: “Death is meaningless to the living because they are living, and meaningless to the dead… because they are dead.”
The necessary vs. unnecessary desires:
Necessary desires are needed to produce happiness (e.g., relief from bodily pain, inner tranquility).
The end of all actions is to be free from pain and fear; when achieved, the tempest of the soul is quelled.
The aim is not to pursue pleasure positively, as Aristippus did, but to attain a stable, tranquil state.
The role of wisdom in pleasure:
We need wisdom to distinguish pleasures that truly bring pleasure from those that cause pain.
Some pleasures lead to greater pain (e.g., excessive alcohol consumption).
Some pains (e.g., sadness) can lead to life appreciation and compassion, which are pleasurable states.
Therefore, some negative emotions can be valuable if they contribute to greater goods.
Positive psychology link:
Ed Diener’s research highlights empirical findings that support the idea that not all external pleasures yield long-term happiness; wisdom and inner tranquility matter.
Turning Away from the External: Independence and Internal Goods
The external world’s limited role in lasting happiness:
Contemporary happiness research shows that income, marriage, looks, and lottery winnings have only a small, temporary effect on lasting happiness.
Epicurus anticipated this by arguing that independence from external things is the greatest secret to happiness.
Contentment with simple things helps guard against disappointment when external goods are lost or become scarce.
Critique of crude hedonism:
Epicurus rejects the “crass hedonism” that equates happiness with physical pleasures alone.
He claims the highest pleasures come from philosophical study and friendship rather than from sensual indulgence.
The definition of pleasure in Epicurean terms:
“When we say, then, that pleasure is the end and the aim, we do not mean the pleasures of the prodigal or the pleasures of sensuality, as we are understood to do through ignorance, prejudice, or willful misrepresentation. By pleasure we mean the absence of pain in the body and trouble in the soul.”
True happiness is not a continuous spree of sensual indulgence but a calm, reflective state of mind.
The philosopher as the happiest person:
A philosopher who pursues stable pleasures of knowledge with friends is the happiest, compared to those chasing volatile bodily pleasures.
The goal of life and the poetic phrasing:
If practiced day and night with like-minded companions, one can live “as a god among men” while still alive; immortality comes from living with immortal blessings of wisdom.
The emphasis on practicing precepts with like-minded partners:
“Exercise yourself in these precepts day and night both by yourself and with one who is like minded; then never, either in waking or in one's dreams will you be disturbed, but will live as a god among men.”
Friendship, Society, and the Social Dimensions of Happiness
The indispensable value of friendship:
Inspired by Aristotle, Epicurus sees friendship as crucial for happiness.
Friendship provides support, shared purpose, and a framework for pursuing wisdom.
The challenge posed by ordinary social life:
Other people can be a detriment to happiness by creating false competition for unnecessary pleasures.
The proposed solution is to minimize exposure to unsupportive social environments and, if possible, form a community of like-minded individuals dedicated to wisdom.
Radical social implications:
Epicurus’s ideas influenced utopian thought from More to Marx: happiness depends on reorganizing social relations to support a shared pursuit of wisdom.
This social project emphasizes communal living, intellectual companionship, and moral support as foundations for enduring happiness.
The Vision of a Utopian Commune and Its Influence
The utopian vision:
A community of philosophers and friends living together to pursue knowledge and inner tranquility.
The model emphasizes deliberation, mutual support, and avoidance of unnecessary worldly temptations.
Intellectual and ethical implications:
The social structuring of happiness challenges purely individualistic accounts.
Happiness is not entirely private; it can be enhanced by a shared culture of wisdom and friendship.
Practical implications:
Advocates for building environments where like-minded individuals can train the mind to seek truth, contentment, and peaceful living.
Conclusion: Core Claims about Happiness
Fundamental claim: Happiness is Pleasure, understood as the absence of pain and trouble in the soul (ataraxia).
False beliefs produce unnecessary pain: fear of divine punishment and fear of death.
Desires: There are necessary desires that contribute to happiness and unnecessary desires that typically generate unhappiness.
The aim is not the positive pursuit of bodily pleasures but the absence of pain (ataraxia); this is achieved through philosophical contemplation rather than crass physical indulgence.
Social dimensions: Happiness is enhanced within a community of like-minded individuals; friendship and shared pursuit of wisdom are central.
Further Readings and References
The following thinkers’ thoughts on happiness can help deepen understanding:
Mencius on Happiness
John Locke and Happiness
Thomas Jefferson and Happiness
Bibliography:
"Letter to Menoeceus"
"Letter to Idomeneus"
"Letter to Herodotus"
Additional note:
Learn about the Science of Wellbeing and Peer Support
Epicurus: Key Ideas and the Pursuit of Happiness
Epistemology: Belief should be proportional to empirical evidence and logic.
Natural Philosophy (Atomism): Macroscopic facts are caused by configurations of atoms in the microscopic world. The world operates according to natural laws, not divine intervention.
Ethics (Hedonism): Pleasure is the only intrinsic value, but this is understood not as crude indulgence, but as the absence of pain in the body and trouble in the soul (ataraxia).
Definition of Happiness and Pleasure
Happiness (Pleasure): The ultimate good is pleasure, defined as ataraxia (inner tranquility) and the absence of bodily pain.
This is the starting point of every choice and aversion.
The aim is not positive pursuit of bodily pleasures (as with Aristippus), but a stable, tranquil state achieved through thoughtful living.
Fear and Unhappiness
Two self-imposed beliefs generate fear and unhappiness:
Fear of divine punishment: Gods exist but do not concern themselves with human affairs.
Fear of death: When sentience ends, there is no sensation of pain; therefore, fear of death is unfounded. As Epicurus stated: “Death is meaningless to the living because they are living, and meaningless to the dead… because they are dead.”
Desires
Epicurus made a crucial distinction between different types of desires, as understanding and managing them is central to achieving happiness and avoiding unnecessary suffering:
Necessary Desires: These are desires that are essential for achieving and maintaining happiness, primarily by relieving bodily pain and cultivating inner tranquility. Satisfying these desires leads to freedom from pain and fear, which is the ultimate goal. Examples include desires for food when hungry, water when thirsty, or warm clothing when cold. The note states: "Necessary desires are needed to produce happiness (e.g., relief from bodily pain, inner tranquility)."
Unnecessary Desires: These desires typically generate unhappiness and should be abstained from. They are not essential for peace of mind or bodily comfort and often lead to greater pain, disappointment, or anxiety due to their insatiable nature or the effort required to fulfill them. These include desires for luxury, lavish feasts, or excessive accumulation of wealth. The pursuit of these desires distracts from the simpler, more stable pleasures that genuinely contribute to ataraxia. The note highlights that the aim is "not to pursue pleasure positively, as Aristippus did, but to attain a stable, tranquil state."
The Aim: The end of all actions, according to Epicurus, "is to be free from pain and fear; when achieved, the tempest of the soul is quelled." This implies that our management of desires should always be geared towards minimizing pain and maximizing tranquility, rather than constantly seeking fleeting indulgence.
Role of Wisdom
Wisdom is crucial: Essential for distinguishing pleasures that truly bring lasting pleasure from those that cause greater pain (e.g., excessive alcohol). Some pains (e.g., sadness) can be valuable if they contribute to greater goods like appreciation or compassion.
Independence and Internal Goods
Critique of External Goods: Lasting happiness comes not from external conditions (income, looks, status), which have limited and temporary effects, but from independence from such things and the cultivation of inner resources.
Contentment with simple things: Guards against disappointment and fosters true happiness.
Friendship and Community
Indispensable Value of Friendship: Inspired by Aristotle, Epicurus sees friendship as crucial, providing support, shared purpose, and a framework for pursuing wisdom.
Utopian Vision: Advocated for forming communities of like-minded individuals (like The Garden) dedicated to wisdom, philosophical conversation, and mutual support, minimizing exposure to unsupportive social environments. This communal aspect enhances happiness by creating a shared culture of wisdom.
The Philosopher's Life
A philosopher who pursues stable pleasures of knowledge with friends is considered the happiest, living “as a god among men” by embodying wisdom and tranquility.