EPICURUS - MAN

<BODY> <CENTER><FONT SIZE=5><B><FONT SIZE=6>EPICURUS</FONT><BR> THE MASTER OF PLEASURE</B></FONT></CENTER><P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>Man</B></FONT><P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>THE LIFE OF PLEASURE</B></FONT><BR> Pleasure alone is good and always good. But some pleasure may still result in pain, so not all pleasure is desirable. The Epicurean must choose his pleasures wisely using prudence and sober reasoning, "searching out the motives for all choice and avoidance." (Diogenes Laertes X.132) Far from indulging himself, the wise Epicurean ate simple fare and drank mainly water. "Send me a little pot of cheese, that, when I like, I may dine sumptuously." Such was the request of the man accused by the <A HREF="../t03/g050.html" TARGET="_top">Stoics</A> and later generations of encouraging self indulgence.<P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING ELIMINATES ANXIETY</B></FONT><BR> Epicurus contended that the greatest source of man's anxiety is the belief that the gods or Fate influence the fate of man on earth and after death. Mental tranquillity means being released from all these troubles and cherishing a continual remembrance of the highest and most important truths. Only by acceptance of such scientific explanations can man free himself from the fear of the unknown. "Exclusion of myth is the sole condition necessary; and it will be excluded if one properly attends to the facts. " (X.103-4) Once man acknowledges that some things happen of necessity, some by chance, some through our own agency, he is free to act independently of external restraints. It could be argued that modern atomic theory has had the opposite effect.<P> <TABLE ALIGN=Left BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=2 CELLPADDING=1> <TR> <TD><IMG ALIGN=Left SRC="0708a.jpg" WIDTH="183" HEIGHT="200" ALT="ZEUS"></TD> </TR> </TABLE> Where Olympian religion explained lightning as the thunderbolts of Zeus, Epicurus explained it scientifically:<P> "A thunderbolt is caused when winds are repeatedly collected, imprisoned and violently ignited; or when a part is torn apart and is more violently expelled downwards, the compression of the clouds making the neighbouring parts more dense... And there are several other ways in which thunderbolts may possibly be produced."<P><BR clear=left> These speculations may seem naive in view of modern scientific knowledge. But consider the reason why Epicurus considered such speculation about this and other natural phenomena important. <BR clear=left><BR> <HR width=100%> <A HREF="http://www.creatorix.com.au"><IMG SRC="../creatorix.gif" WIDTH="85" HEIGHT="40" BORDER="0" ALT="Creatorix" align=right></A> </BODY>