** This is the ninety-fourth in a series of weekly reports on news from the world of Epicurean Philosophy. Our home base for discussion is https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/ Copies of these posts, and links to active Epicurean websites, are stored at EpicurusCentral.wordpress.com.
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** As of tonight, our group has grown to 1418. Last week this time we were 1407. We continue to grow steadily, and we welcome all participants and lurkers. If you apply to participate and don’t receive a reply promptly, please send an email to an admin about your interest in the group. We are here to discuss Epicurean Philosophy, have fun, and in the words of Lucian, “strike a blow for Epicurus – that great man whose holiness and divinity of nature were not shams, who alone had and imparted true insight into the good, and who brought deliverance to all that consorted with him!”
**My title for tonight is A______X__XP_______X__P____. That makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? The absence of letters IS the same as meaningful communication, right 🙂 (A poor attempt at a joke.)
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*We have had some lengthy and highly productive discussions this week, and I want to thank everyone who participated. We have covered this week some really important issues, in good humor throughout, and I hope we have accomplished some things that both further our own understanding and better equip us to explain these issues to others in the future. The last couple of days have seens some of my most intensive blog-writing and posting in a while, so I will just summarize the key topics in case anyone wants to scan this and catch up that way:
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*First off this week marked the launch of a page dedicated to Gassendi’s Summary of Epicurean philosophy. This is a project in which several of us, primarily Ilkka, have invested a great deal of time, and I hope it proves useful. Most commentaries about Epicurus cite Gassendi’s work as of key importance in reawakening interest in Epicurus in Europe after many centuries of silence, but until now it has been extremely difficult to find a copy in English of any of Gaassendi’s work. We now have a link to a scanned version, which is largely transcribed for those who wish to cut and paste. Thanks to all who assisted. https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/789330374449258/
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*Yiannis T. posted a Richard Feynmann quote on the importance of atoms as a foundational concept in science: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/789203257795303/
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**Elli posted posted an ocean scene picture with commentary as to its meaning: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/788681251180837/
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** Takis P. posted more pictures from the 5th Epicurean Symposium in Athens: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/788955057820123/
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** Hiram posted a link to an article on Humanist economics. https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/789773351071627/
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** Ilkka found a link to an interesting video showing the intelligence of the ancient Epicurean mascot – the pig: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/790247161024246/
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**Uwe F. continued his assistance from the land of the Hyperboreans by posting information about the German translator of Epicurus, Karl Ludwig von Knebel: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/790479844334311/
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** In a post I made just after last week’s update, I linked an article about “Epicurean Leadership” from the Huffington Post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/788719447843684/ Now that I recall, that was the post that pretty much opened the door for a deluge the rest of the week –
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**Next, Hiram posted a good quote from Nietzsche on the importance of clarity. https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/791126797602949/
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**Then, on the Twentieth, I posted a new blog entry on “Epicurus v Aristotle and Plato on Pleasure.” https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/791530644229231/ There was some important information in there that bears on the meaning of PD3, but more importantly, it got me thinking that it was time to reopen the discussion on the full nature of pleasure.
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*Steve K memorialized the Twentieth by posting to an article on the joy of hot chili peppers – which also relates to the pleasure and pain issue – https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/791508604231435/
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*Then we had a new participant take a few minutes away from his work in the “International Gandalf Look-Alike Contest” to join our group – welcome Tommy H. https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/791728090876153/
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**I posted an article from Norman Dewitt about “The Worst Book Written about Epicurus by a Reputable Scholar” followed by other book recommendations by DeWitt https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/792046834177612/
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** Then, we launched three major intense discussions on the nature of pleasure and pain:
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*(1) “Is Pleasure an Attitude or A Sense? Focusing on the different perspectives on the nature of pleasure between Epicurus and other Greek philosophers
*https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/790184881030474/
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(2) “Twilight of the Absense of Pain” – A discussion on whether it is accurate to say Pleasure IS the absence of pain: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/791717817543847/*
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*(3) And most recently, a post asking a hypothetical question on the same topic of pleasure as the absence of pain, which generated lots of intense discussion and how this relates to Stoicism https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/permalink/792110150837947/
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*Rather than summarize these here I just want to recommend them to you if you have any interest. I appreciate the good humor with which everyone participated, and I want to repeat that I am going to work to see that these discussions are not completely “here today, gone tomorrow”. I am working on new formats for internet and “meetup-group” presentation of Epicurean philosophy, and I am going to incorporate all I can from what we learn about people’s perspectives on important topics. I know that the other Admins of the group share my goal that were are not just here to kill time, but to work toward greater re-popularization of Epiucurean Philosophy world-wide. I am sure they agree that the things we learn from these discussions will be of great help in that effort.
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*Thanks again to all participants.
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**All in all it was an excellent week. Thanks to one and all for your participation. Feel free to post any comments in this thread. I apologize if I missed anyone or anything. As always, if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please add a comment or participate in the Epicurean Philosophy Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/EpicureanPhilosophy/ or hop around the internet world of Epicurean Philosophy by checking the links here: EpicurusCentral.wordpress.com
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PEACE AND SAFETY!
Cassius Amicus
Epicurus Central 