Today in class we discussed Stoic and Epicurean philosophy. Dr. Layne started off by asking the class what Carpe Diem was. Carpe Diem means to seize the day. A example given was Elliot in E.T. when he kisses the girl he likes. We then started discussing Hellenistic philosophy, which was after the deaths of Plato and Aristotle, from the 4th century BC to the 1st century BC. During this time period there were four dominate schools, Plato’s Academy, Aristotle’s Lyceum, Zeno Stoa, and Epicurus Garden. The two main philosophical movements that were going on at the time were Pyrrho’s Skepticism, and Diogenes Cynicism. Pyrrho’s Skepticism is the idea that the only thing that they knew is what they could not know. Diogenes Cynicism was a movement to criticize conventions; the thought that all conventions were irrational. They thought, that most people who think to be true and rational had become perverted by convention. A important part of being a cynic was to critique conventional norms. By getting back to nature we would be getting back to what was rational. Epicureanism were atomists, which was the idea that everything is atoms and void. They believed everything was a plurality. The Stoics thought everything was a unity or monism. This effects there theological world view; theology being “the end”. For Epicureanism there is no end and everything is subject to chance. It is a accident that the world is were it is and we see what we see. For the Stoics everything is rational, that something happens from the effect of something else changing or happening. There are rational reasons for everything.
We then went on to discuss the difference between their ethics. For Epicureanism all human beings are motivated by pleasure and for the Stoics it is adherence to the good or duty. Epicurus Garden was a retreat from civic life. The philosophy was for peace of mind, it is suppose relieve suffering of everyday life. Epicurus believed the greatest pain that we received was from mental disturbances caused by false beliefs. Examples are, the nature of things, god, the soul of destiny, and moral intent. Once we realize that the world is atoms and void it will release us from suffering. Once we realize that all humans are motivated by pleasure it should release your guilt. There are different kinds of pleasure for Epicurus, kinetic vs. static. Kinetic pleasure is the pleasure in process or movement, for example; eating. Static pleasure is the pleasure of fullness. Static is the highest pleasure, which is the absence of pain. Once you eliminate pain in your life you are experiencing pleasure. “Human beings are plagued by worries and pain produced by unsatisfied desire, thus we must discipline ourselves to know what one should be desired.” The three desires are, natural and necessary, natural but unnecessary, and unnatural and unnecessary. A example for a natural and necessary desire would be food, shelter, clothing. A example for natural but unnecessary, would be sex; because you do not need this for survival. And a example of unnatural and unnecessary, could be drugs, power, and luxury items. For Epicurus we are more concerned for hollow desires, meaning morning the past or hope for the future. If we are expecting to be happy in the future, or if we mourn about being happy in the past, you will always be looking towards the future, or back at the past; and when will you truly be happy? The future has nothing to do with us, we need to focus on what is going on right now. If you are going to think about the past or future, think only of the pleasure of the past but experience pleasure now. “The life of the foolish man is fearful and unpleasant; it is swept away into the future” Once you feel pleasure in the moment it is infinite, because there is no duration for pleasure, there is just right now. Epicurus demands that we see every moment as a gift, because how we came to be was by atoms creating the universe and pure chance. He also believes that there is no afterlife,and so once you realize that there is no life after death you will learn to cherish the moment.
For the Hestoics present moment, it is not feeling pleasure, but it is attention to the present moment in accordance with nature. Everything is rational and your good is connected to nature. Everything depends on causes that are not up to us. We have luxury items, beauty, health, wealth, because of fait. We have no control over evils, (for example hurricanes) this is all fait. The only thing that could be good or bad is the moral intent. The only thing in your control is how you judge and act about certain situations. The study of nature can tell you what is in your power, we can not control events such as earthquakes or hurricanes. “Value judgements are the only thing that are good or bad, you can either accent or decent, this will is the only thing up to us all other thing are indifferent and are not up to us.” Hestoics believe that the past and future is indifferent, the only thing that is in are power is right now. Leave the past behind you, leave the future to fait, and live right now. The Epicureans enjoy the present moments like the gods vs. the stoics that will the present moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment