In Defense of Desire and How to Enjoy It

 

First I will give some background about what I came out of before studying Epicureanism. For a time I studied Buddhism and attended a Zen Buddhist group. In Buddhism, meditation is the practice by which one seeks to quiet one's desires, because certain unfulfilled desires can cause mental anxiety and stress. One may discover a momentary inner sense of contentment while sitting still, but after leaving the meditation cushion, one discovers that those all too human desires are right back there again. 

Desire is what keeps humans beings alive. If we don't eat food we die; likewise water and shelter are naturally essential needs. Yet what of all the other myriad desires that come with being alive and human? As Epicureans we seek to live a happy and enjoyable life, and we learn how to dance with our desires. 

Epicurus said in his Letter to Menoeceus:

"And we must consider that some of the passions are natural, and some empty; and of the natural ones some are necessary, and some merely natural. And of the necessary ones, some are necessary to happiness, and others, with regard to the exemption of the body from trouble; and others with respect to living itself;"

First briefly on alcohol: everyone knows that the drinking of excessive alcohol can lead to pains far greater than the original pleasure, and so knowing this an Epicurean takes care of the body's enjoyment by choosing to drink the amount which stays within their own individual bodily limits.

Principle Doctrine 3: "The limit of enjoyment is the removal of all pains. Wherever and for however long pleasure is present, there is neither bodily pain nor mental distress."

Principle Doctrine 8: "No pleasure is bad in itself; but the means of paying for some pleasures bring with them disturbances many times greater than the pleasures themselves." 

For myself, I have never had trouble with excessive alcohol intake, because my body gives me very clear and painful messages when I drink more than I should. I also notice that I enjoy alcohol best by only drinking a few times a month in small quantities, so I have on hand non-alcoholic drinks such as carbonated mineral water and non-alcoholic ginger beer. Alcohol is not a necessary need for the body, and one must sense the inner feelings of the body to determine for oneself when the pleasures of drinking alcohol are worth a loss of vigor and vitality which can accompany even moderate consumption. There can be a personal hedonic calculus to decide if and when to drink and there are times when alcohol can have a much needed medicinal value, but it should be respected and not abused to the point of addiction.(See this earlier post: https://epicureanphilosophyblog.blogspot.com/2021/12/evaluation-of-activities-for-benefit_6.html)

Some people really enjoy their sweets, and find they have frequent and excessive sugar cravings. This can become like an addiction when one constantly thinks about or plans for the next sweet treat. In modern times sweets are both easily procured and inexpensive. Sugar is everywhere and in many foods, and it is very hard to avoid the consumption of sugar. I'm sure this was not the case in Epicurus' time. So we must think about this and see how to best to deal with sugar cravings. There is a very unsettling feeling in the mind when sugar cravings become too prominent in one's consciousness.

I have tried at times to completely eliminate sugar from my diet. This may work for some people, but doesn't work for me. (Maybe my brain chemistry is permanently wired to enjoy sugar - life is just not very fun without it). It is important to realize that there is a bodily limit to the enjoyment of sugar that can be found, but just as with alcohol each person must discover this limit for themselves. This limit is what I call the "sugar yuck factor", when sugar no longer feels pleasureable. This requires one to be especially sensitive to the feelings which arise within the body while eating more sugary treats than one "should". For example, this excessive feeling can occur when eating too much homemade sugar cookie icing. Feeling the unpleasant feelings in the body is a great way to "reset" the sugar cravings, but it must also be combined with choosing to buy healthier foods and avoiding bringing home large quantities of sugary treats. One focuses the mind on learning to desire foods which are healthy and good for the body, and which increase feelings of vigor and vitality. I still choose to eat sweet treats on occasion, and I do so keeping in mind moderation, and that if I eat a treat every day it isn't as pleasureable as spacing out the treats over time. 

It's up to every individual to determine their own sugar limit, and to do so with respect for maintaining the pleasureable feeling of health of the body.

Enjoy!

Philosophy of Epicurus: Overview of Sources

Epicurus is said to have originally written over 300 works on various subjects, but the vast majority of these writings have been lost.

1) Diogenes Laertius - A major source for Epicurean doctrine is Diogenes Laertius, a Greek biographer (3rd century CE). Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers Book 10 contains three of Epicurus’ letters to his disciples: the "Letter to Herodotus" on physical theory, the "Letter to Menoeceus" on Epicurean ethics, and the "Letter to Pythocles" on astronomical and meteorological matters. Also contained in this book are the “Principal Doctrines” (Kuriai Doxai) in which Diogenes quotes a collection of short sayings excerpted from the writings of Epicurus. Diogenes also fills in topics not covered in the Letters, and provides a list of Epicurus’ writings and other biographical information.

https://monadnock.net/epicurus/principal-doctrines.html
https://monadnock.net/epicurus/letter.html

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0258%3Abook%3D10%3Achapter%3D1

http://www.attalus.org/old/diogenes10c.html

2) Lucretius - wrote the philosophical Latin poem "On the Nature of Things" (De rerum natura) in six books of hexameter verse (first century BCE). This poem covers Epicurean physics and natural philosophy. 

http://classics.mit.edu/Carus/nature_things.html

3) Diogenes of Oenoanda - erected a large inscription on a stone wall in the city of Oenoanda (second century CE, in what is now modern day southwestern Turkey). The Greek inscription contains the basic tenets of Epicureanism, including a treatise on ethics. To this day it is only partially excavated, and the work to reconstruct stone fragments continues.

http://www.english.enoanda.cat/the_inscription.html

4) Herculaneum scrolls - Several works of Epicurus, including parts of his major treatise, On Nature have been recovered in damaged condition from the library of a villa in the town of Herculaneum. The papyri rolls were buried and preserved in the ash from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE.  They were rediscovered in 1752, but early attempts to read the scrolls proved difficult and unrolling destroyed the papyri. Scrolls are now being virtually read by newly created technology.

5) Philodemus - The Herculaneum library also held the writings of Philodemus, an Epicurean philosopher in the first century BCE. Philodemus' writings both preseved Epicurean philosophy and also dealt with ongoing developments within Epicurean communities. New editions and translations continue to come forward.

6) The "Vatican Sayings" - a collection of short sayings which partially overlap with those from Diogenes Laertius. Some of these maxims might not be attributable to Epicurus. This 14th century manuscript was rediscovered in 1888.

https://monadnock.net/epicurus/vatican-sayings.html

https://archive.org/details/EpicurusTheExtantRemainsBaileyOxford1926OptimizedForGreekOnLeft/page/n376/mode/1up

7) Cicero - presented and also criticized Epicurus’ ideas, especially concerning ethics, in several of his philosophical works, including "On Moral Ends" (De finibus) and the "Tusculan Disputations".

8) Plutarch, Sextus Empiricus, and the Greek commentators on Aristotle - these writings which contain short citations of Epicurus’ works, however they are often taken out of context or presented in a polemical and distorted fashion.

References:

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epicurus/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicurus
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucretius
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_rerum_natura
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Oenoanda
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herculaneum_papyri
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/philodemus/

Evaluation of Activities for Benefit and Pleasure

The following blog post came to me after reading an email in which a friend wrote the phrase: "I guess I better....". It got me thinking, because I've also noticed that phrase in my self, in various situations. It is sometimes also phrased as "I guess I better stop...."The following is intended to be helpful for evaluating whether or not a given activity is "working" or bringing benefits or bringing pleasure for your unique situation.

Based on some of my philosophy studies, this personal exploration of a hedonic calculus leads to an evaluation of activities and possible future decisions in light of one's own individual pleasure and benefit. Of course we must honor all social commitments and agreements, as well as deeply consider the well-being of our loved ones.

In Epicureanism the word "pleasure" has a complicated understanding - it's not just short-term sensory pleasures, but also includes long-term mental pleasures such as peace of mind. The following is a way to evaluate a given activity for both long-term and short-term benefits and pleasure. Life is a balance of activities between working for daily provisions/long-term security, meeting daily needs (eating, sleeping, etc.), people engagement/commitments (friends/family/community), cultural engagement/expression (art/music), and aesthetic/sensory enjoyment (walking in nature, enjoying the smell and taste of fresh coffee, etc.). Also consider how relationships/friendships/good family connections, when they function well, can contribute to a greater overall sense of security, peace of mind, and mutual/shared enjoyment of life.

"Activities Evaluation" (both short-term and long-term).
State the specific activity (or possible future decision) that you wish to evaluate:

Evaluate this activity (or possible future decision) by choosing the best guess for each point below:

1) How likely is this to result in the pleasure and enjoyment of increased future security?(Increased resources of monetary, material goods, or friendship/community).
---Gauranteed/Likely/Uncertain/Unlikely/Impossible---            -(or not applicable)-

2) How likely is this to result in the pleasure and enjoyment of increased status or good reputation? (Being evaluated by others as knowledgeable, wise, skilled, courageous, or compassionate AND which also leads to increased resources of friendship/community. *Virtuous activities engaged in during isolation and/or exhibited only in the presence of strangers are less likely to increase "social security" and less likely to lead to long-term benefit).
---Gauranteed/Likely/Uncertain/Unlikely/Impossible                     -(or not applicable)-

3) How likely is this to result in the pleasure and enjoyment of more stable existing relationships and/or new friendships/new community engagement?

---Guaranteed/Likely/Uncertain/Unlikely/Impossible---                 -(or not applicable)-

4) How likely is this to result in pleasure and enjoyment from increased skill and artistic flow? (The joy of doing this, and the enjoyment of the focused discipline to do this).
---Gauranteed/Likely/Uncertain/Unlikely/Impossible---                 -(or not applicable)-

5) How likely is this to result in immediate sensory pleasure and enjoyment?
---Gauranteed/Likely/Uncertain/Unlikely/Impossible---                 -(or not applicable)-

6) How likely is this to result in a bad outcome? (Loss of property/wealth/reputation, loss of friendship/community, loss of good health, emotional/physical pain caused to self or to others, or a conflicting opportunity cost (time which could have gone to establishing future security -or- a more pleasure-worthy endeavor).
---Gauranteed/Likely/Uncertain/Unlikely/Impossible---                 -(or not applicable)-

7) How likely is this to lead to an immediate sense of satiation or feeling of satisfaction?
---Gauranteed/Likely/Uncertain/Unlikely/Impossible---                 -(or not applicable)-

8) How likely is this to lead to more opportunities for long-term personal well-being, such as peaceful abiding, intellectual engagement, social involvement, feelings of satisfaction, or simply more freedom to make personal choices?

---Gauranteed/Likely/Uncertain/Unlikely/Impossible---                 -(or not applicable)-

9) Over-all, will a small amount of pain now (effort of an input of time and work to overcome some obstacles) result in more long-term well-being in the future?

---Gauranteed/Likely/Uncertain/Unlikely/Impossible---                 -(or not applicable)-