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 Plato
A just or well-order soul Eudaimonia: happiness as a well ordered life as a whole Eudaimonia: Ataraxia or mind and body free from disturbance Eudaimonia: Ataraxia or pathe: rational constancy in accord with nature

Means
Each part of the soul doing its part well; reason rules Virtues: character traits that are means between extremes Moderate Hedonism: Prudent action and understanding of nature; avoid pain, moderate pleasure Moderate Fatalism: Knowing what is/is not within ones control; adjusting desires to nature of things.

Comments
Knowledge of the good is paramount; wisdom Hierarchy of goods and necessities of good life; a whole life Materialism and removal of irrational fear as cause of distrubances Pantheistic, fatalistic, moral conventionalism, modesty; cosmopolitanism

Aristotle

Epicureanism

Stocisim

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?