Epicurus’ philosophy has often been described as hedonistic, however this is somewhat debatable. Throughout the following essay I will outline and discuss the main ideals of Epicureanism and provide evidence to show that this philosophy is anything but hedonistic. In the Epicurean school of thought, it is believed that three things are truly necessary for the flourishing, or ataraxia, of human beings: friendship, an analysed life which includes the study of philosophy, and self-suffiency. I will elaborate upon each of these – as these are the core tenets of Epicureanism – along with reference to Epicurus’ four basic truths throughout the essay. Furthermore, I will explain why I believe that for some individuals Epicurus’ viewpoint is the path to true happiness, while for others it is not. Additionally, I will discuss the heavy emphasis Epicurus’ places on security, which is actually the underlying need that human beings have that ties all the aforementioned points together.
Any discussion of Epicurus’ path to happiness must begin with his beliefs regarding pleasure and desire, as these are vital to understanding his philosophy. While some people continue to assert that Epicureanism is a hedonistic way of life, it is easy to see that this is not really the case in reference to the modern understanding of the word ‘hedonism’. Hedonism, according to the dictionary, is the, “Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses” (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 2003). It is important to mention that the Epicurean use of the word ‘pleasure’ denotes a lack of pain or need, not pleasure in the usual sense. “The removal of pain (the satisfaction of necessities) is the highest pleasure for Epicurus” (Mitchell, 2001), so rather than Epicureanism being a pursuit of “pleasures of the senses”, it is more like the pursuit of relief from pain, and this is hardly hedonistic. Epicurus also believes that we should never overindulge and that “Natural wealth is both limited and easily obtained, but vanity is insatiable” (Epicurus, The Principal Doctrines of Epicurus, 2004). Vain desires, according to Epicurus are those which are unnecessary and unnatural; for example the desire for fame or fortune. When we are hungry, thirsty or desiring something which we need (a necessary and natural desire) Epicurus’ sees us as being in pain because we want something that we do not have. After having satisfied this desire we have removed the pain and are better capable of being happy. Epicurus also believes that if a little is not enough for us, nothing ever will be. “… The pursuit of luxury does not increase pleasure”, but it can, “enlarge your desires…” (Bergsma, Poot, & Liefbroer, 2007). If we are able to curtail our desires, his belief is that we will be happy because we are no longer in pain wanting the things we do not have.
Despite all this control we should supposedly have over our desires, there are three good’s that Epicurus believes we can safely desire and we should have in our lives: friendship, the study of philosophy and self-sufficiency. Among Epicurus’ Principle Doctrines is written, “Of all things that wisdom provides for living one’s entire life in happiness, the greatest by far is the possession of friendship” (Epicurus, 2004). On first glance the significance that Epicurus places on friendship appears to be highly contradictory to the rest of his philosophy. However, it can be explained as follows: although the beginning of a friendship starts as hedonistic and pleasure-seeking, once the friendship has grown the person becomes a part of us and a part of our life and they are no longer just a channel to our own happiness (2007, p. 405). Epicurus feels that although friendship is of the utmost importance, sexual relationships are not and that “Intercourse, say they, is never any good to a man, and we must be quite content if it does no harm.” (Laertius, 1994). This is quite a negative outlook on something that can potentially bring great pleasure and union for two like-minded souls. It seems that Epicurus’ view here is basically that there is no point putting effort in to a sexual relationship because it will only bring us pain, which is quite a cynical attitude for someone who is generally considered a ‘pleasure-seeking hedonist’. The issue here is Epicurus’ dismissal of romantic and marital relationships but, as Bergsma points out, “Epicurus may have had a higher opinion of marriage as it is in the modern age, because partner relationships nowadays are more often based on the friendship between equals” (2007, p. 405). However, it is interesting to wonder how it was possible that in the garden of Epicurus, with a mixture of both men and women, sexual intercourse did not take place
Living an analysed life is another vital tenet in Epicurean philosophy and is closely related to two of Epicurus’ four basic truths: do not fear the gods and do not fear death (Hutchinson, 1994, p. iv). The ultimate idea is that through the study of philosophy one can achieve a sense of peace both in the mind and in the body. Studying philosophy is regarded as being therapeutic for Epicureans. In his letter to Menoeceus (Internet Classics Archive), one of the first things that Epicurus suggests that all people do is study philosophy, regardless of age “For no age is too early or too late for the health of the soul”. It is easy to see why the study of philosophy was important in Ancient Greece and this is still pertinent today. Studying philosophy helps people understand the world and everything that is in it in an entirely different way than science, for example. Similar worries about financial matters, love, the family, politics, etc., would have been rife in Ancient Greece just as they are today and the study of philosophy aids people in gaining clarity, while “you learn to think for yourself and to ground all your opinions in deep reflection” (Van Hooft). Philosophy can certainly aid in learning not to fear death. Epicurus himself makes a clear point in his Letter to Menoeceus that “When we are, death is not come, and when death is come, we are not”. His meaning here is that if we are unable to experience something and feel nothing from it, then it cannot harm us and need not be feared. Understanding this particular theory of Epicurus’ can help people eradicate a huge source of unhappiness from their lives, and this is especially relevant in the present day. Epicurus also suggests that we need not fear the Gods, this may not be as relevant today for a lot of people (religion is no longer as important in society as it was then) but in Ancient Greece expunging this fear would certainly improve one’s quality of life. His reasoning for this is that the gods are happy and immortal and have no interest in human activity (2007, p. 401).
Epicurus third ‘good’ is self-suffiency. He believes that we should live off the land and disengage ourselves from normal society by making a separate commune where we would only interact with fellow people, and friends, of the same mindset. This relates to another of Epicurus’ four basic truths: what’s good is easy to get (Hutchinson, 1994, p. vii). Being self-sufficient would mean that we would have everything we need to survive and to survive happily, thus limiting unhappiness due to desire. This idea of self-sufficiency is different in modern times because public life back in Ancient Greece did not consist of the same things as it does today. People did not have the freedom they do now, social activities were not so numerous or pleasant, and society was not as peaceful (PsyBlog, 2007). However, rather than avoiding public life today, Bergsma and colleagues argue that:
Happiness is typically higher among employed people, among people who go out often and among members of voluntary associations. The withdrawal from the many is not the optimal choice for the majority of people. (2007, p. 407)
Bergsma suggests that “Happiness is better served by a full life with pleasure, meaning and engagement, than with an empty life that focuses on avoiding pain” (2007, p. 412), but this entirely misses the point Epicurus makes when he suggests we become self-sufficient. Life is not empty in the garden of Epicurus, but full of friends to eat and drink with (in moderation). It is not solely about avoiding pain but seeking pleasures that are not extravagant or unnecessary.
Throughout Epicurus’ entire philosophy there is one desire that binds everything else together – security. Having friends, studying philosophy and being self-sufficient all lead to more security, particularly the lack of sexual relationships (if you do not set yourself up for disappointment you will never be let down). When you surround yourself with your friends you feel safe and content. When you study philosophy you learn about yourself, other people and the world, and the more knowledge one has about things the less they have to fear, such as the all too common ‘fear of the unknown’. When you are self-sufficient you do not need to fear going bankrupt or not being able to feed your family because you only need to rely on yourself. As Epicurus states, “…security in general depends upon peace of mind and social detachment” (The Principal Doctrines of Epicurus, 2004). Epicurus four basic truths are also profoundly connected with achieving a sense of security: you eliminate fear by not being afraid of the gods or death; you know that what is good is easy to get, so you cannot be fearful of not having everything necessary for happiness; and you know that “what’s terrible is easy to endure” (Hutchinson, 1994, p. iv) so whenever an unfortunate event occurs you can be secure in the knowledge that it will not be difficult to bear. According to Hutchinson’s understanding, this is because “Sickness is either brief or chronic, and either mild or intense, but discomfort that is both chronic and intense is very unusual” (1994, p. viii).
Epicureanism can provide the path to true happiness but it always depends on the individual. The philosophy of Epicurus may be the perfect way to lead life for some, while the path of stoicism or perhaps true hedonism might be better for others. For one individual, living in a remote commune away from society, being self-sufficient and never marrying might be a perfect life; whereas another individual’s idea of happiness is meeting the man of her dreams, having many children and being heavily involved in local politics. The same things do not make everybody happy, and oversimplifying it by suggesting that there are only a few simple things we all need for true happiness does not change this fact. Furthermore, if we are to follow the path of the Epicureans in the pursuit of happiness we must be prudent as, “Epicurus finds prudence the most important of all virtues; without this virtue we will not be able to decide what contributes most to our pleasure” (2007, p. 404). For some people, knowing what is good for them is not an easy chore, and those people will be at a disadvantage in attempting to follow the Epicurean path. Epicureanism is also quite disciplined and this can also be of great difficulty for some people. Having to constantly keep your desires in check and having to remove yourself from those who may not share the same mind frame as you do – some who may be friends or family – is not an easy task. Moreover, you are expected to refrain from sexual relationships, which for human beings is one of the most natural and innate longings.
In order to achieve true happiness, according to Epicurus, there are certain things that we must do, or possess. We must have friends, be self-sufficient, study philosophy, be unafraid of both the gods and death, and understand two simple rules: what’s good is easy to get, and what’s terrible is easy to endure. If we can do or understand all of these things sufficiently then we can be happy, but for the person who, for example, has no interest in philosophy, is extremely god-fearing and religious or has a social disorder that makes it difficult for them to make friends this will be far too difficult. This is why each individual person’s path to happiness will not be the same and why Epicureanism is not the one and only option. Although it can be right for some, it will never be perfect for everybody and so to say that the Epicureans provide the path to true happiness would be false.