PHIL 2131 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Menoeceus, Epicureanism, Epicurus
Document Summary
Injustice is bad because of your fear of being caught. You can never guarantee you"re not going to get caught. Wise man seeks most pleasant period of time, not the longest life i. e. doesn"t want to eat a lot, but wants to eat good food at a banquet. Study science to conquer your fear of the sky and death. You can"t dispel fear if you believe in myth. To epicurus, the role of education is to dispel myth: prudence: body of knowledge that lets you know how to live. This is more important than philosophy/knowledge of first principles. The best source of protection is living a quiet life in retirement. Epicureanism: gods are detached from this world - the ultimate aim of philosophy is to provide a guide to living well, maximizing pleasures, and minimizing pains. Practice philosophy when you are old and young because it will make you wiser when you"re young, and younger when you"re old.
