PHILOSOPHY - Epicurus

Summary

Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, born in 341 BC, focused on understanding happiness rather than goodness. Dispelling myths of his hedonistic lifestyle, he lived modestly, advocating for friendships over romantic relationships for emotional fulfillment. He challenged the pursuit of wealth and luxury, suggesting that true happiness comes from simplicity, meaningful work, and inner peace. Epicurus founded a community where members embraced these principles, leading to widespread Epicurean communities. His ideas influenced later thinkers like Karl Marx and offer a timeless lesson on reevaluating our understanding of happiness.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Epicurus, an Ancient Greek philosopher born in 341 BC, focused on understanding happiness rather than just goodness.
• 🏠 Despite rumors of debauchery, Epicurus lived a simple life with two cloaks and a diet of bread, olives, and occasional cheese.
• 👫 He valued friendships over romantic relationships, observing that friendships were often more stable and less troubled.
• 💼 Contrary to popular belief, Epicurus argued that happiness doesn't come from wealth but from meaningful work and helping others.
• 🏡 He questioned the pursuit of luxury, suggesting that the true desire behind it is a sense of calm and a clear mind.
• 🤔 Epicurus identified three common misconceptions about happiness: the need for romantic relationships, the importance of money, and the obsession with luxury.
• 🏡 He established a community where he and his friends lived together, emphasizing the importance of regular contact with friends.
• 🛌 The community members downshifted their lifestyles, choosing to work for themselves and focusing on activities that brought them joy and fulfillment.
• 🧘‍♂️ Epicurus and his followers sought inner calm through reflection, writing, reading, and meditation rather than external luxuries.
• 🌐 The Epicurean movement was widespread, with communities across the Mediterranean, and it influenced the formation of monasteries.
• 📚 Karl Marx's Ph.D. thesis was on Epicurus, and communism can be seen as a distorted version of Epicureanism, aiming for a collective but not necessarily a happy society.

Q & A

Who was Epicurus and when was he born?

Epicurus was an Ancient Greek philosopher born in 341 BC. He is known for his exploration of happiness and his teachings on how to achieve it.

What was the main focus of Epicurus' philosophy?

Epicurus' philosophy was primarily focused on understanding what makes people happy, rather than just what makes them good.

What were the misconceptions about Epicurus' school?

There were rumors that Epicurus' school hosted lavish feasts and orgies, but in reality, he and his followers led a sober life, studying happiness.

What did Epicurus own and what was his diet like?

Epicurus owned only two cloaks and lived frugally on bread, olives, and occasionally cheese.

What was Epicurus' view on romantic relationships compared to friendships?

Epicurus observed that romantic relationships were often marked by jealousy and bitterness, while friendships were more consistently kind and supportive.

How did Epicurus feel about the pursuit of money and its impact on happiness?

Epicurus believed that the pursuit of money often involved negative sacrifices such as jealousy, backbiting, and long hours, and that true job satisfaction came from working independently or in small groups where one could help others.

What did Epicurus think was the real desire behind our obsession with luxury?

Epicurus suggested that beneath our love for luxury, we are actually seeking a sense of calm and a pure, uncluttered mind.

According to Epicurus, what are the three essential things needed for happiness?

Epicurus concluded that for happiness, one needs friends, the ability to work in a fulfilling manner, and the cultivation of inner calm.

How did Epicurus and his followers practice their philosophy of happiness?

Epicurus and his followers lived together in a community, worked on their own terms, and focused on finding calm within their minds through reflection, writing, reading, and meditation.

What was the outcome of Epicurus' philosophy and how did it spread?

Epicurus' philosophy was so successful that it led to the formation of Epicurean communities across the Mediterranean. At its peak, there were around four hundred thousand people living in these communities.

How did the Christian Church influence the Epicurean communities?

The Christian Church eventually ended the Epicurean movement in the fifth century, converting many of the communities into monasteries.

What is the legacy of Epicurus' teachings according to the script?

Epicurus' legacy is the insight that humans are often misguided in their pursuit of happiness, focusing on sex, money, and luxury, when true happiness may lie in simpler, more reflective practices.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Epicurus: Philosopher of Happiness

Epicurus, an Ancient Greek philosopher born in 341 BC, is renowned for his exploration into the concept of happiness. Contrary to popular misconceptions, his school was not a site of debauchery but a serious study of joy. Living modestly with only two cloaks and simple food, Epicurus refuted the common belief that romantic relationships, wealth, and luxury were the keys to happiness. Instead, he proposed that true happiness stems from friendships, meaningful work, and inner peace. He encouraged a life of simplicity, where one could find contentment in the company of friends, engaging in fulfilling work, and cultivating a tranquil mind.

Keywords

💡Epicurus

Epicurus was an Ancient Greek philosopher born in 341 BC, known for his teachings on happiness and the pursuit of a tranquil life. In the video, he is presented as a figure who challenged conventional wisdom about what brings happiness, advocating for a life of simplicity and friendship over material wealth and sexual indulgence.

💡Happiness

Happiness is the central theme of the video, with Epicurus exploring what truly makes people happy. The video suggests that conventional views on happiness, such as romantic relationships, wealth, and luxury, may not be as fulfilling as they are often perceived to be. Instead, Epicurus proposes a different set of values that lead to a more genuine and lasting happiness.

💡Consumer societies

Consumer societies are mentioned in the context of the video as environments that promote the pursuit of material possessions and luxury as a means to happiness. Epicurus' philosophy challenges this notion by suggesting that true happiness comes from within and is not dependent on external possessions.

💡Romance and sexual relationships

The video discusses the common belief that romantic and sexual relationships are a key to happiness. Epicurus, however, observed that many couples were unhappy due to issues like jealousy and cheating, suggesting that these relationships might not be as fulfilling as people believe.

💡Friendships

Friendships are highlighted in the video as a more reliable source of happiness than romantic relationships. Epicurus noted the kindness and lack of possessiveness in friendships, suggesting that they are where human nature is at its best. He emphasized the importance of regular contact with friends for happiness.

💡Wealth

Wealth is presented in the video as a common but misguided pursuit for happiness. Epicurus argued that the pursuit of money often involves sacrifices such as long hours and negative interpersonal dynamics, which can detract from true happiness.

💡Luxury

Luxury, particularly in terms of housing and location, is discussed as an obsession in modern societies. Epicurus questioned whether luxury truly brings calm and happiness, suggesting that the pursuit of material luxury might be a misguided attempt to achieve inner peace.

💡Calm

Calm is described as a state of mind that Epicurus believed was essential for happiness. He argued that true happiness comes from a clear and peaceful mind, rather than from external luxuries or possessions.

💡Downshifting

Downshifting refers to the act of simplifying one's lifestyle and reducing material ambitions, as practiced by Epicurus and his followers. In the video, downshifting is presented as a way to achieve happiness by focusing on meaningful work and personal fulfillment rather than material wealth.

💡Communes

Communes are communities where people live and work together, often sharing resources and responsibilities. In the context of the video, Epicurus and his followers established a commune to practice their philosophy of happiness, emphasizing the importance of community and shared values.

💡Karl Marx

Karl Marx, the philosopher and economist, is mentioned in the video for his Ph.D. thesis on Epicurus. The video suggests that Marx's ideas on communism were influenced by Epicurean principles, although communism as it was implemented diverged significantly from the original Epicurean ideals.

Highlights

Epicurus was an Ancient Greek philosopher born in 341 BC, focused on understanding happiness.

Epicurus debunked rumors of debauchery, lived modestly with two cloaks, bread, olives, and occasional cheese.

He believed in the importance of friendship over romantic relationships for happiness.

Epicurus observed that friendships are generally more positive and less possessive than romantic relationships.

He suggested that we don't spend enough time with our friends to truly benefit from their presence.

Epicurus argued that the pursuit of money often involves significant sacrifices and negative behaviors.

He believed that work satisfaction comes from autonomy and helping others, not from wealth.

Epicurus identified a common misconception that luxury and material wealth equate to inner calm.

He questioned whether luxury actually contributes to a sense of tranquility.

Epicurus concluded that happiness requires only three things: friends, meaningful work, and inner peace.

He practiced what he preached by living with friends in a communal setting.

Epicurus and his community chose a simpler life, focusing on self-sufficiency and personal fulfillment.

The Epicurean movement spread widely, with communities across the Mediterranean.

At its peak, the movement had up to four hundred thousand members.

The Christian church eventually ended the movement, converting Epicurean communities into monasteries.

Karl Marx's Ph.D. thesis was on Epicurus, highlighting the influence of Epicureanism on his ideas.

Epicurus' legacy suggests that humans often misunderstand what truly brings happiness.

He encouraged reflection on what truly satisfies in life and the courage to live accordingly.

Epicurus envisioned a life of happiness with minimal possessions, good friends, and philosophical contemplation.

Transcripts

This is a philosopher who helps us think about money, capitalism, and our runaway consumer societies

Epicurus was an Ancient Greek born in 341 BC.

What made him famous was that he spent all his life trying to work out the largest puzzle there is:

what makes people happy?

Philosophers before him had discussed at length what could make people good

Epicurus preferred to look at what is fun

Unfortunately, the world was bitter and bitchy even then

and when people heard that Epicurus had set up a school to study happiness

the rumors went off the scale

There were tales that the school hosted ten course feasts, and orgies every night

Epicurus was said, by one critic, to have orgasmed 18 times in a single evening in a bed full of virgins

It wasn't true

Epicurus and his team were studying happiness, but they were doing it very soberly

The philosopher owned only two cloaks, and lived on bread, olives, and for a treat, an occasional slice of cheese

As for the bedroom, he merely responded demurely that he'd married philosophy

Having patiently studied happiness for many years

Epicurus came to a set of remarkable and revolutionary conclusions about what we actually need to be happy

He proposed that we typically make 3 mistakes when thinking about happiness:

Firstly, we think happiness means having romantic, sexual relationships

but Epicurus looked around and saw so many unhappy couples

their unions marred by jealousy, misunderstanding, cheating, and bitterness

at the same time, he observed how much nicer friendships are:

How people tend to be so decent and unpossessive with their friends

Friendship seemed to be where human nature was at its sweetest

The only problem Epicurus noted was that we don't see our friends enough

The next thing we ordinary think that we need to be happy is a lot of money

but we tend not properly to factually the unbelievable sacraficies we gotta have to make to get this money:

The jealousy, the backbiting, the long hours

What makes work really satisfying, Epicurus believed, ins't money

but it was able to work alone, or in small groups, like in a bakery, or boat repair shop

and when we feel we helping others

in our own, minor way improving the world

Isn't really large sums or status

that we want deep down

Its a sense of making a diference

and lastely

Epicurus observes how obsessive we are with luxury

especially involving houses and beautiful serene locations

but beneath our love of luxury there is really something else we trying to get out

What we want is a feeling of calm

We want our minds pure, free...

Not full of the normal boredom and chaos

But the great question is: Does luxury actually make us calm?

Epicurus wasn't so sure...

Having looked happiness in depth

Epicurus anounces a revolution reset of insights

That we really need only three things to be happy in this life

Firstly

You need your friends around

No sex, no orgy, just your mates

Enough of seen them only now and then

Its regularity of contact that counts

So he did that thing that most of us ocasionally dream of doing

but never actualy get around do

He bought a big house and start living with all his friends

Everyone had your own quarters and there was pleasant share areas too

There's always someone nice to talk to you in the kitchen

Secondly

Everyone downshifted

All the members of the comune stop working for other people

They took big pay cuts in return for doing their own stuff

some farming, some cooking, some potring or writing

And thirdly

Epicurus and his friends stop thinking you could be calm just by having a beautiful view to look out to

They devote themselfes to finding calm in their own minds

To spending time on their own, reflecting, writing stuff down, reading things, meditating

The experiment was so successful, the members of the comune so happy

the idea spread like wildfire

Epicurean communities open up all around the mediterranean

at height of the movement

there was four hundred thousand people living in comunes from Spain to Palestine

It was only the christian church that ending things in the fifth century

But in most of the respect to the community somehow

cause they converted all in to monasteries

what we know as monasteries are really just epicurean comunes

with a christian top soil

Another interesting fact: Karl Marx it's Ph.D thesis on Epicurus

and what we call communism, a gigantic

failed system

it's really a grown up, corrupted, not very successful version of epicureanism

The real Legacy of Epicurus is that human beings aren't very good make themselves happy

especially because they think it's so easy

We think we know, it's about sex, money, luxury

We just want to how to secure all this

but no, says Epicurus

Reflect on the moments that truly bring you happiness

and they are to do with this

Have the courage to change your life, in accordance with the moments that actually delivery satisfaction

You might end up living in a very different way

Out in the country with just some cheese, a couple of clothes, a few philosophy books and

some very good friends down the corridor