Chapter 10: Epicurus’ ethics: the goal of life
Random number: 81
Epicurus proposes that the goal of life is pleasure. Epicurus argues that this is the case by considering a newly born child. As soon as the child is born, it seeks pleasure and avoids pain. The judgement of a newborn child however is a pure judgement based on nature, that has not yet been corrupted by teachings/society/opinion. The counterexamples that could be raises (e.g. someone willingly seeking pain) can be explained as someone wanting to maximise their pleasure, perhaps there is some great pleasure in store if one endures some momentary pain.
There are two types of pleasure however. There is the transient type of pleasure, which moves our body and mind to temporary delight (e.g. eating a cake), and there is also the complete absence of pain both physical and mental. The second is the better form of pleasure however, for the former is only temporary, whereas the second is a state that makes everything about life pleasurable.
To this end, Epicurus proposes the Tetrapharmakon (the fourfold remedy) as a recipe for happiness. "God presents no fears, death no worries. And while good is readily attainable, evil is readily endurable." The part about God is addressed in Epicurus' Physics. Epicurus explains that we should not fear death however, for death is simply the severing of the soul from the body. After death, we do not exists, so there is nothing for us to feel. "He who does not exist cannot be unhappy".
For the Hellenistic philosophers, it was important to link your Epistemology, Physics and Ethics together. For instance, in Epicurus' philosophy, his Physics (an infinite amount of atoms in an infinite void colliding and creating the world) complements his Ethics by arguing that God presents no worries.