Eat Drink & be Merry. Life according to Epicurus

Eat, Drink and be Merry, the life of an Epicurean.

 

The vast number of food and cooking programmes currently being aired on Australian TV suggests a huge surge in Epicurean belief. How the Ancient Greek philosopher became a symbol for over indulgence is difficult to say, certainly the philosophy of Epicurus has little in bearing on modern day interpretation.

 

Historically our present situation offers parallels to the last days of the Roman Republic after years of civil war, a desertion of religious belief and general lax moral behaviour. The Roman poet Lucretius popularised Epicurean views on how to live a pleasurable life. Lucretius, however was driven to suicide at 39, after being driven mad by an excess of a love philtre. It would appear that he did not take kindly to Epicurus advice of abstention from sex.

 

The strange thing about modern day Epicureans and their fondness for gastronomy and fine wine is how far removed they are from Epicurus' Philosophy. How a simple philosophy may be bent and resharpen to meet new masters desires. His true philosophy revolved around the idea of the human purpose in life was to maximize pleasure. Not in the sense of living from moment to moment, but to live a life of full contentment without any nasty after effects. We all have desires of one sort or another, but we must keep them simple in order to lead a fully happy life. It is our desire for excessive pleasure that results in our down fall and discontent.

 

Epicurus divided our desires into three compartments. Those considered natural and necessary for life [food and sleep], things we are unable to do without. Others he considered natural but not necessary [sex, raising or having children], and finally those we should avoid at all cost. It is not continuous drinking and revelling, nor satisfaction of lust, nor the enjoyment of luxuries that produce a pleasurable life. Rather sober reasoning, searching out the true motives for all our choices and actions and avoidance and banishment of mere opinion to which are due the greatest disturbance of the spirit. Epicurus  was perfectly happy living on bread and water with the odd enjoyment of some fine cheese. Excess in all things he felt produced after effects that did not lead to pleasure. One final point about desire and religion, most religious teaching tell their follows to look forward to the next life for some reward. This is the major problem, whether there is a next world or not, such teaching introduces a pleasure outside our life span. Epicurus did not believe this to be possible as it was beyond life, no doubt this is why he fell into disfavour after the Christianizing of the western world, nor would the Islamic scholars be pleased. After all  they where the ones to hand down Classic philosophy to the western world in the 15th cent.

 

His views on life were to simply maximize pleasure, without the assertion of extreme discomfort was best. Only desires that are obtainable lead to full happiness. Unfulfilled dreams lead to discontent. Religion also was to be avoided as it taught people to dream of a world beyond the present, a world that did not exist in terms of now. Resulting in the creation of false hopes, hopes that are impossible. Insatiability is a disease. It would be fruitful for all of us to reevaluate our desires in our present materialistic world, were real happiness is rarely realised due to unfilled desires. Epicurus’ philosophy still has much to teach us today. It retains a freshness even after 2300 years. The fundamental condition for happiness is simple sustenance and friendship. One final point about desire in terms of religion. If one looks forwaed to pleasures in the next life, this suggest there is such a place. Epicurus did not beliece this, he felt the only pleasure was in this life, after death there may be another world, but it had no bearing on how you lived your life. The Greek gods were fairly indifferent to human behavour.