Epicureanism & Stoicism

Honors 2101, Fall 2006

Bryan Benham
Outline
From Hellenism to Rome
Epicureanism
Stoicism
Comparisons
From Hellenism to Rome
Classical Athens: Rational Humanism
Power and stability of democratic city-state
Critical assessment of individual & community
Individual defined by capacity to reason
Aim at good society, good life via reason

Hellenistic Society: Cosmopolitanism
Political instability, monarchy, cultural expansion
Value of individual & community put into question
Issues related to alienation, fatalism, and virtue
Hellenistic Age (c. 323-30 BCE)
Decline of Athens (c. 404)
Rise of Macedon:
Philip (d. 336) & Alexander
Death of Alexander (323)
[Aristotle dies 322]
Hellenism
Alexandria cultural center
Fusion of peoples
Stoicism & Epicureanism
Mystery Religions
Roman Ascension
Roman Republic (509-133)
Collapse of Republic (133-30)
Roman Empire (30 BCE- 180 CE)
Alexander the Great (r. 336-323)
Succeeded his father, Philip II at age 20
Philip II unites Macedonia
Philip II defeats Athens and Thebes
Plans to invade Persia, assassinated on eve of campaign
Invaded Asia Minor with 37,000 in 334
Defeated Persian fleet on Asia Minor coast, without a navy.
Advanced to Egypt, made Pharaoh, founded Alexandria
Pursued Darius III (Persians) into Mesopotamia
Victory at Tigris when outnumbered by Persians
Bablyon surrenders
Reached northern India, defeated King Porus
Alexanders army resisted further advance
Returned to Babylon, planned next campaign (China?)
Died of a fever May 29, 323 BCE (left one son, Alexander IV)
Alexanders generals carve up empire
Ptolemy in Egypt
Seleucus in Near East/Asia Minor
Antigonus in Macedonia and Greece

Epicureanism
Epicurus (341-271 BCE)

A life devoted to worldly happiness
based on materialist account of
nature.

Encouraged withdrawal from political
life into communities of like-minded
individuals (Gardens in Athens)

Rational humanism, influence on
Romans, revived in 16th/17th
century with rise of science and
renaissance humanism.
Epicureanism
Materialism (Atomism)
All things are atoms & void; shape & size
Atoms are eternal (nothing from nothing), universe is
boundless

Ethics
Aim: eudaimonia = happiness is a mind free from
disturbance (ataraxia) and a body free from pain.
Means: fear and ignorance cause disturbances in mind and
body, so ataraxia achievable by understanding the true
nature of things; removal of source of fear and disturbance.
Body free from pain
Pleasure and pain natural and necessary sensations
Can reduce pain by avoiding painful things
Increase pleasure by pursuing pleasurable things.

But, a prudent life (virtuous) tells us not all pleasure is
good, nor all pain bad.
Moderation in pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain
Friendship and other social/intellectual pleasures included.

Moderate Hedonism
What causes fear? The gods
Fear punishment and arbitrary interference
a type of superstitious belief

But, gods are immortal and blessed,
Not celestial bodies aiming to pass judgment;
Not vengeful;
Only concerned with their own domain, not
humans.

So, no need to fear gods

What causes fear? Death
Fear the pain and misery of life after death.
Either the punishment or dreary life of death

But, death is nothing but cessation of life.
Atomism (death is separation of body and soul;
only through body is sensation possible;
dissolution of material components, including soul.

So, in life there is no death; in death there is
no life to be concerned with.

Lucretius (98- 55 BCE)
Roman expositor of Epicurean
philosophy
Not much known about his life,
other than he was a poet and
philosopher

De Rerum Natura:
Influential as exposition
Also poetic style and form

In this life
The banquet
Lucretius pp. 598-99

Death is nothing
Lucretius, pp. 596-98

Hell is in our lives
Lucretius, pp. 600-01 (Hell is in our lives)

And, knowledge of the nature of things
Lucretius, p. 602
Stoicism
Origins
Zeno of Citium (333-264 BCE)
Chrysippus (280-270 BCE)
Epictetus* (~130-50 BCE)
Seneca (3-65 CE)
Marcus Aurelius* (121-180 CE)

A life resigned to fate, acknowledging
limits of self-control and obligations of
duty. Aiming for a tranquility of mind and
evenness of emotional life.

Extremely influential in Roman era, as
well as in early Church doctrine.
Stoicism
Aim: to achieve a tranquility of mind (ataraxia) and
emotional stability (apathe)

Means: to understand the nature of things
Understand what is or isnt under ones control
No control over the events of life, but ones reaction to those
events
So, reason-guided life in accord with the nature of things

Precepts:
Fatalism: world determined by divine providence
Conventionalism in moral action and social responsibility,
including modesty
Cosmopolitanism: reason is divine spark that unites
individuals
Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE)
Roman military and political leader
Reigned 161-180 CE
last of the Five Good Emperors who
governed the Roman Empire from 96 to
180, and is also considered one of the
most important stoic philosophers.

Meditations are stoic maxims to himself, a
diary of a ruler
written on campaign between 170-180, is
still revered as a literary monument to a
government of service and duty and has
been praised for its "exquisite accent and
its infinite tenderness."

Meditations
Ideal Man (Antonius Pius)
pp. 827-28: what are the qualities of his father that
Aurelius holds in esteem?
Fatalism
p. 831 (VI.1); p. 832 (X.2); p. 833 (XII.)
Death
p. 829 (II.2); p. 830 (IV.); pp. 831-32 (VII.)
Duty and Virtue
pp. 828-29 (II.1); pp. 829-30 (III.1); o, 830-31
(V.1); p. 832 (X.1 & .3)
Archer Simile
(apathe)
A wise man is like an archer who cares less about actually
hitting the target than about doing his best to hit it; wisdom
includes understanding the difference. (apath)

So, if a perfectly wise man saw his child in danger of drowning
he would try to save the child; but if he failed (or succeeded) he
would accept this without feeling distress or pity (or pride or
relief), and without his happiness being diminished (or
enhanced).

Moral virtue is the only good, wickedness the only evil: childs
death or survival is not a good or an evil; so long as the wise
man tried his best, he has nothing to regret.
Philosophy Comparisons
Aim Means Comments
Plato
A just or well-order
soul
Each part of the soul
doing its part well;
reason rules
Knowledge of the
good is paramount;
wisdom
Aristotle
Eudaimonia:
happiness as a well
ordered life as a
whole
Virtues: character
traits that are means
between extremes
Hierarchy of goods
and necessities of
good life; a whole life
Epicureanism
Eudaimonia:
Ataraxia or mind and
body free from
disturbance
Moderate Hedonism:
Prudent action and
understanding of
nature; avoid pain,
moderate pleasure
Materialism and
removal of irrational
fear as cause of
distrubances
Stocisim
Eudaimonia:
Ataraxia or pathe:
rational constancy in
accord with nature
Moderate Fatalism:
Knowing what is/is not
within ones control;
adjusting desires to
nature of things.
Pantheistic, fatalistic,
moral
conventionalism,
modesty;
cosmopolitanism
Thoughts
We have looked at four different views of the
good or virtuous life: Plato, Aristotle,
Epicureanism, Stoicism.

If you had to pick one of the four, which would
you favor? Why?

Are there any contemporary parallels with
any of these four views?
Some Paper Topics
Both Epicureans and Stoics think fear of death is irrational and
contrary to a good life. Pick one and describe how that school
view death and its relation to a good life. Compare this view with
another view we have discussed in the course? Are there any
interesting contemporary parallels or alternatives?
Epicureanism has been accused of being a materialistic and
thus hedonistic view of life. Is this true? Evaluate the virtues of a
hedonistic life. Is it all good or all bad? Explain.
Stoicism emphasizes a resignation to fate, but they dont believe
everything is up to fate. Explain what is not under control of fate
and why this is important for the Stoic view of the good life. Do
you agree with the Stoics? How do they compare to other views
of fate we have come across in our readings?