Post #2 - Epicurus & Epictetus

Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who lived from 341 – 271
BCE. He did not believe in the immaterial soul and did not believe
that our lives our controlled by gods. Epicurus taught that the
point of life was to attain a happy life with the absence of pain,
fear, and death. Even though Epicurus was a voluminous writer,
hardly any of his writings survived since the Christian authorities
thought his ideas were ungodly. One of the surviving documents was
his Principal Doctrines, which is a list of forty sayings of ethical
matters. Epicurus believes that the only thing that matters in
someone's life is bringing them pleasure. He agrees with Aristotle
that the highest good is happiness but he thinks happiness is the
same as pleasure. Epicurus explained that pleasure and pain are the
measures of what is good and what is bad. This does not mean that
all pleasures should be pursued and all pains should be avoided.
The individual has to assess what the long-term consequences are of
the action and decide whether to pursue it or not. Epicurus does
not believe that there is any intermediate state between pleasure
and pain. If one does not fulfill their desires it is painful and
if all their desires are fulfilled then they are happy. He further
points out that physical pleasure/pain is only concerned with the
present, whereas, mental pleasure/pain also includes the past and
the future.

Epicurus believes that vain desires for power, wealth, and
fame should be eliminated. The person will never be satisfied with
the amount that they obtain and will always want more, leading to
unhappiness. By eliminating these vain desires, the person will
eliminate the unfulfilled desires and become happy. Epicurus taught
that one should not be unjust because they will suffer the
consequences of their actions once they are caught. Or the thought
of being caught and punished will bring the person anxiety and
inevitably pain. Epicurus only shows selflessness towards
friendships which he thinks very highly of because they bring the
ultimate pleasures. He explains that a true friendship is built on
trust and that they must treat each other as they treat themselves.

Epictetus was a Stoic philosopher who was born into slavery in
55CE. He studied in Rome and then started teaching there. Arrian,
a student of Epictetus, captured his ethical teachings in two books
called The Discourses and the Handbook. The first appears to be a
summary of the day's teachings and the intimate conversations
between Epictetus and his students. The Handbook is a preface to The
Discourses and outlines its key points.

Epictetus saw moral philosophy as a way of guiding people
towards a better life. He encouraged his students to live the
philosophic life which would ultimately lead to happiness.
Epictetus, like other Stoic philosophers, believes that living a
life of reason means living virtuously and according to nature. He
does not believe that wealth and pleasures are considered good
because the person who possesses these things is not necessarily
happy in all circumstances. If the person is virtuous and uses
these advantages wisely, then it is considered to be always
beneficial and a good thing. Epictetus talks about eudaimonia, or
happiness, as that state one reaches when they attain
imperturbability, freedom from passion, good feelings, and an
awareness of a rational way of life. He states that the only thing
that is good is acting virtuously and the only bad thing is acting
viciously.

Epicurus and Epictetus both believe in pursuing self
pleasures in order to attain happiness. Both believe in a fine
balance and warn against overindulging on these pleasures. Epicurus
believed that pleasure and pain were the measures of what is good
and bad. He taught that death was the end of the body and
therefore, should not be feared. Epicurus claimed that the gods do
not reward or punish humans and the events of the world are
ultimately based on physics and the interaction of atoms. Epictetus
believes that we have power over our own mind but that our overall
fate is guided by the gods. One's fate and the fate of the world is
due to the divine intelligence which makes this world the best that
it can be.