… continued from Part II

Against the Charlatans

Men who are charlatans, too, divert many, seizing them after some stress and enchanting them with their subtle kindness. – Philodemus, On Frank Criticism, Fragment 60

Things haven’t changed much since Philodemus.  Our world is still teeming with charlatans, and many of them have gained quite a following.  Mormonism –which originated as a polygamy ranch cult– is one of the most recent cults to become mainstream enough to be called a religion.  Its founder, Joseph Smith, had over 30 wives.  Some were also married to his own followers, others were only 14 when he appropriated them.

While pretending to be the latest member of the long list of God’s revered ventriloquists, he wrote a holy book that taught that the Native Americans were descended from a lost Jewish tribe –a claim which has been proven fraudulent by modern genetics research and for which there is no archeological base– and even promised his followers an afterlife as gods in their own planets with multiple wives.

Perhaps if triangles had gods, their gods would have three angles.

But let’s not digress: Philodemus claimed that charlatans enchant people with subtle kindness.  Christian churches have elevated the ability to charm with subtle kindness to an art.  They believe that there is a God-given mysterious ability known as charisma, which comes from the Holy Ghost.

 cha·ris·ma
1. a divinely conferred gift or power.
2. a spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people.
3. the special virtue of an office, function, position, etc., that confers or is thought to confer on the person holding it an unusual ability for leadership, worthiness of veneration, or the like.

This belief has opened the door for a tsunami of false prophets –too many to mention– that have throughout history claimed Christian revelation.  There are many prominent examples, both funny and tragic, of false prophets.  Marjoe, who made a name for himself as a child preacher, later in his life filmed a documentary exposing the entire evangelical industry.

Benny Hinn, a notorious and very wealthy televangelist, prior to being exposed once declared the false prophecy that in the mid-90’s “God would destroy the homosexual community of America”.  The prophecy was obviously false and never materialized, but when  he uttered it, he elicited the applause of his followers.

“Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery!” – Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:15-17

Sadly, crafty fellows have sometimes lacked creativity and have also appropriated aspects of Epicurean tradition to oblivion.  One of the revelations that emerges from reading Norman Dewitt’s St. Paul and Epicurus has to do with the way in which the New Testament took over our epistolary tradition.  The first literary evidence of didactic epistles being written in order to be read publicly by an entire community happens among ancient Epicureans.  It’s one of the ways in which our teachings propagated.  Today, most people know of the New Testament’s epistles, but almost no one knows of the original Epicurean ones, which were mostly destroyed by the enemies of Epicureanism.

 … Seizing Them After Some Stress

We can cite mountains of examples of how everyday charlatans prey upon the vulnerable: prison ministries, for instance, have had the repercussion of producing a nearly cancerous growth of Islam in Western prisons.

I’ve visited a prison as part of journalistic efforts to help uncover injustices against men, whom I believed were innocent and wrongfully convicted.  It was a very heart-wrenching experience, and I realize that it may seem unfair to criticize the noble efforts of people who visit prisons.  But we must recognize that people sometimes do noble things for the wrong reason.  This is a moral problem that should be pondered.

Christopher Hitchens eloquently pointed out once that Hamas is the largest charitable organization in the Gaza Strip.  I was reminded of this when, after Katrina, the Mormons were very active in the charity efforts in Mississipi and Louisiana, where many poor African Americans suffered greatly.  In these cases, Hamas also encourages people in these ailing communities to become suicide bombers and the Book of Mormon teaches that being black is a curse.

Wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them. – 2 Nephi 5:21, Book of Mormon

And so, these forms of charity (as I see it, altruism for the wrong reasons) have a certain price, and it’s extremely important to stand firm in the knowledge that the fact of their existence has nothing to do with neither the truth value nor the wholesomeness of the beliefs of people who engage in these charitable efforts, be it for ostentatious purposes or with sincerity.

It would be a fanatical mistake to consider altruism or charity to be evil merely on account on being carried out for the wrong reasons.  We also must recognize that there are many well-meaning persons who engage in altruism out of genuine compassion and kindness and for no personal gain, and that their beliefs are merely accidental facts.  Perhaps we should encourage people to consider not just the underlying reasons for their charitable efforts but also the effects of not discerning between charity for the right reasons versus for the wrong reasons, as well as encourage people to consider choosing intelligent channels for our altruistic tendencies.

I summon you to continuous pleasures and not to vain and empty virtues which have but a desperate hope for rewards. – Epicurus

Even if charity work is done for the wrong reasons, it might be deemed by some to be praiseworthy.  However, when the money raised by religious organizations funds lawyers and institutions who hide sexual predators from justice, when it funds the efforts of people who are trying to convince the world that gays should not have a family, or when it funds the activities of terrorist organizations, the problem of charity for the wrong reasons becomes obvious.

False-faith-mongers also have their lavish lifestyles subsidized by funds raised in the tax-excempt schemes of their churches.  Their flying around in private jets did not stop after the earthquake in Haiti or any of the other major fund-raising excuses that history furnished.  There are many worthy causes where money can be better spent than financing the Benny Hinn’s, the Marjoe’s and the Cardinal Bernard Law’s of the world.

Love Dances Around the World …

There are other stresses after which people are seized into religion.  One of the most prevalent ones is particularly poignant, and here we are inclined to agree with many of the great personalities of religion.

There is not enough love in this world. – Ammachi, the hugging saint of Hinduism

There is no doubt that Ammachi’s hugs have comforted thousands of lonely people.  In our own tradition, Norman DeWitt can be quoted as saying that Epicureanism runs on philos, which is more than friendship: it is love.

Friendship is an expression of love: it is more than solidarity, which is not entirely impersonal but also not entirely personal.  We can be in solidarity with an idea, but we can only befriend a person.  Friendship is definitely a personal and intimate relationship with another with whom we feel safe and can be ourselves.  It provides safety.  Ours is a philosophy of community and of friendship.

The City Without Walls

One final stress leaves people vulnerable to being seized by charlatans.  It is the universal problem of our mortality and that of our loved ones.

 It is possible to provide security against other ills, but as far as death is concerned, we men live in a city without walls. – Epicurus

Death leaves us extremely vulnerable.  We develop strong bonds with our kin and some people never fully recover from losing loved ones.  It produces great anxiety, and being a universal source of suffering, it is of course the main vulnerability by which charlatans entice the souls of mortals.

Religion also sublimates the idea of death by using euphemisms tied to paradise.  Perhaps the opium of religious belief here acts more or less, to use a metaphor from nature, as the compassionate venom of spiders or serpents who sedate their victims so that they will not suffer as they die.  But like other forms of opium, this sedative can become seductive and addictive, and many mystics embrace their desire to escape this world so fully that they might as well live on another planet.

In this city without walls, we Epicureans must challenge political atheists to become involved in the healing of the human condition.  The Epicurean teaching mission is of great importance because, while some of us may think it’s noble to join John Lennon in imagining no religion, it is pointless to engage in atheist politics without dealing with the human condition which produces the neuroses and vulnerabilities on which religion preys.  We can’t adress the many dangers of religion if we don’t adress, by living an analysed life, our anxieties and the causes of wanting an exit from this world.  The Hellenistic philosophers taught us that we must teach each other to take care of our existential health.

The Two Forms of Frank Speech

I realize that some of the issues I’ve addressed in this piece are difficult for some people.  Philodemus’ indictment against the charlatans occurs in a fragment of his book On Frank Speech, and if we place the fragment within its context we begin to realize why this reasoning is needed.

The translation of the book that I am reading includes commentary and mentions that the role of the philosopher is to give two forms of frank speech: one is to the individual and another one is to society in general.  Let’s call them private and public forms of frank speech.  Both are crucial and necessary for different reasons.  We have seen, in the first part of this trilogy of articles, the reasons why private frank criticism is necessary.

The philosopher must speak frankly and openly to outside society in order to help emancipate others from ignorance or from tradition, and from the forms of suffering that ignorance and tradition generate.

Confucius, for instance, confronted the ancient Chinese custom of burial of live slaves with their master with great moral stamina before a local ruler, and with his eloquence and intelligence singlehandedly ended the practice.  Siddhartha Buddha confronted the caste system and the Vedic practices of animal sacrifice.  Ancient Greek atomists confronted false healers with the theory that germs produce illness and assuaged people’s fears about the gods, prophecy, heavenly bodies, and earthquakes by teaching that natural laws govern the way things are.

The confrontation of charlatans by Epicurus, Lucian, Philodemus and other Epicureans is no less morally urgent and important.  It is this form of public frank speech that incites progress and evolution in human society.

 Through love of true philosophy, every troublesome and disturbing desire is ended.- Epicurus

Further Reading:
Epicurean education and the rhetoric of concern

Philodemus: On Frank Criticism

… continued from Part I

The Master as a Moral Model

One parallel between the Eastern Secular Humanism of Confucius and the Western one of Epicurus deals with the moralizing role of shame in both traditions.

… I hope you too are well and your mamma, and that you are always obedient to Papa and Matro, as you used to be. Let me tell you that the reason that I and all the rest of us love you is that you are always obedient to them. – Epicurus, in his Letter to a Boy or Girl

Confucius said that when leaders are virtuous, the people naturally feel shame when they are wrong whereas when leaders are not virtuous, they rule by fear instead and people follow the law for fear of punishment.  This is an interesting observation, particularly when we look at societies ruled by religious or political fear versus lenient, liberal societies.  What does this tell us about the leaders of these societies and their consistent ability to earn the trust of the people by their virtue or corruption?

Fear, not mercy, restrains the wicked. – Proverbs 69:17, AC Grayling’s The Good Book: A Humanist Bible 

We must also, to be fair, distill one further insight from Confucius’ observation.  Liberal societies are not a good thing in themselves: healthy association and wholesome leadership are required to make them virtuous and happy societies.  In other words, it’s not enough for people to not be ruled by fear, and one of the ways in which Epicureanism is meant to work for our constant moral self-betterment, is by us avoiding the shame of disappointing the love and loyalty of our caring friends, particularly the wisest and most virtuous among them.

When I brought up this Confucian observation among the Epicureans, Cassius Amicus tied it to Epicurus’ statement about reverencing the sage being of great benefit to those who do the reverencing, and also to the official adage of the Society of Friends: “Do all things as if Epicurus were watching“.

I share this because, within the writings of Philodemus, we see the profiles of some of the original Epicurean Masters as they were affectionately remembered by their pupils for generations: virtuous, truthful, powerful in speech.

The Examples of Metrodorus and Polyaenus

Some of the little that we know of Metrodorus came to us indirectly through people like Philodemus, which indicates that there was, among early Epicureans, a(n oral?) tradition of passing down anecdotes about the activities and the moral example of the previous Masters, or at least perhaps stories related to the original four (known collectively as the Men), a sort of early Epicurean extra-canonical hadith tradition which is mostly lost to us.

Philodemus frequently cites Metrodorus as an authority when he makes assertions about very important matters.  In one passage, he casually characterizes him as an attentive teacher given to frequent pruning of students:

… in the process of teaching … they will in no way differ from Cleanthes or Metrodorus  (for it is obvious that an attentive teacher will employ a more abundant frankness) … – Philodemus, On Frank Criticism, Column Vb

This paints a picture of an original Garden where, under the tutelage of the first four teachers, the first Epicureans developed a culture of frank speech and philosophical friendship.  We also find mention in On Frank Criticism of the following commentary:

… Even if one is rather sententious, as Metrodorus says Polyaenus was, “often insinuating himself into conversation and quite sociable” … – Philodemus, On Frank Criticism, Column VIa

The word sententious translates as:

 1. abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims
2. given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous
3. given to or using pithy sayings or maxims
4. of the nature of a maxim

… with pithy being a word that indicates vigor and forcefulness.  This paints the picture of a Master who carries in him an encyclopaedia of wisdom and acts as an efficient and wise instructor, constantly dispensing philosophy in a manner that is both powerful and easy to memorize and learn.

We know that aphorisms and maxims are short and can be easily memorized through repetition, and much of what survives of Epicurus’ 300 scrolls and the writings of the other Four Men is in the form of sayings and short doctrines, which might be an indicator of the frequency and universality with which these maxims were shared and utilized.

The pharmacology, the spiritual cures of Epicureanism, originally took the forms of these small but vigorous pills of wisdom.  Perhaps the frequency of short but forceful Epicurean memes on social media (twitter, facebook, etc.) might be a modern variety of them.

continues in Part III …

 Philodemus: On Frank Criticism

The Role of Frankness in a Philosophy of Freedom and Friendship

Among the most important works written by Philodemus is Peri Parrhesias, usually translated as On Frank Criticism. I sought a single-word definition for parrhesia in English, but failed to find one.  I considered candor, or frankness, but here is dictionary.com’s definition of candor:

1. the state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression
2. freedom from bias; fairness; impartiality

I find the definition does not go far enough.  Epicurean discussions on this matter invariably get into territory that is filled with tension.  We believe that a friend MUST tell the truth to a friend, and sometimes this is done with suavity, but not always.  Truth can be bad medicine, but it is ALWAYS medicine to us.  The criticism portion of the translation is crucial in order to understand what we mean and how we use parrhesia in therapeutic ways to help heal the moral ills of the soul and to mutually encourage constant self-betterment among true well-wishing friends.

Some points on the dictionary definition, as well as the history, of the word frank:

1. honest and straightforward in speech or attitude
2. outspoken or blunt
3. open and avowed; undisguised

Frankness must certainly be a quality of parrhesia.  Notice also the history of the term: francus was Latin for free, and when Gaul was governed by the Frankish tribes only the Franks were free.  This meant that they could express their minds without fear of tyrants or elites.

Similarly, in the ancient Greek world, as democracy flourished, parrhesia was tied to the egalitarian and democratic ideals of the polis, sort of similar to how we understand the concept of free speech, which to us Westerners is sacred and enshrined in our Constitutions and books of laws.  Free speech is quintessential to citizenship in a free country.  Only the free can be frank.

But by the time Philodemus was teaching philosophy in Italy, values had shifted.  He found himself in a Roman society that honored social class divisions, in fact he was instructing wealthy Romans, and parrhesia no longer carried the political weight that it did in the polis.  Among his chief preoccupations we find tensions having to do with people of lower class giving frank criticism to the wealthy and with how to distinguish between friend and flatterer, a matter of great concern among wealthy Romans.

The Garden: a Habitat for Wisdom

All the revered ancestral wisdom traditions of humanity evolved organically in settings where people came to those who were deemed wise in order to seek practical guidance when they were confused or in need of counsel from a trusted friend.  Invariably, these traditions celebrate friendship and warn people about distinguishing between true and false friends, because not being able to distinguish clearly between true and false friends has always been one of the most prevalent sources of disillussion and suffering among mortals.  This is why we notice that every wisdom tradition, from the oral Yoruba tradition in Africa, to the Ramayana epic in India, to the Scandinavian Havamal, and certainly within our own Epicurean tradition, this issue has always had to be addressed.

There are many examples of friendship-related advise in the wisdom traditions.  They begin by stressing the importance of association, and then elaborate the finer details on how to nurture wholesome friendships.

The Havamal, which emerged among the Nordic skalds (poets), compares the lonesome man with the stump of a dead tree.  The Biblical wisdom tradition, which according to legend was nurtured in the court of Kings Salomon and David, also contains the following prudent and beautifully expressed advise:

 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.  Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?  And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Krishna exemplifies the ideal friend when he gives the saddened and confused Arjuna frequent encouragement in the Bhagavad Gita: “Carry on, champion!  Conqueror of your enemies”, and the many dramatizations of how an ideal friend should behave in the Hindu epic of the Ramayana, where Rama and Hanuman frequently verbalize how they love each other like brothers.  The didactic value of these dramatizations is undeniable, as they help children to understand what a supremely important human value friendship is.

The evolution of a wisdom tradition requires what I like to think of as a habitat for wisdom: a socially acceptable outlet for this dynamic where people seek out trusted and wise friends, a space where prudence can be nourished within the culture.  I choose the word habitat, firstly to stick to naturalist verbiage and metaphors, and secondly to accentuate the importance of spacial and relational factors as well as time and stability, all of which are always required for organic things to emerge wholesomely as they should.  Such is the case with philosophical friendship.

Within this context, frank criticism becomes a process of pruning the plants within the Garden.  It has evolved from its original political context into a new contextual framework: to us, it serves philosophical friendship.  It is here that we find the Epicurean sense and use of the word parrhesia.

A true friend must never lie to us and must always be a good influence, never a bad one.

Philodemus taught that the words of a true friend must be profitable morally.  They must help us to live a good life and become happier, more productive and wholesome people with good character.

Good friends must be like a philosophical Gardener pruning us with their speech, which constitutes constructive criticism.  They must be a good influence and must from time to time be willing to give us bad medicine for our own good in the form of frank criticism.

Only those who love us will give us this frank criticism in a spirit of friendship and love, with sincere desire to help us get better and not out of envy or animosity.  They will choose their words carefully.  Their intention wil not be to hurt us, but to help us.

The Flatterers and Other False Friends

Flattery is specifically treated as a form of evil speech which opposes frank speech.  In the Nordic Havamal, in the writings of Philodemus, and in other wisdom traditions the flatterer is invariably a type of false friend.  He is the one who tells us what he thinks we wish to hear without caring whether or not it’s profitable to our character and happiness.  In the Havamal, the friend is not the guy that laughs at our jokes, but the one with whom we can fully blend our mind.

The man and woman of wisdom is always unmoved by the apparent grace and innocence of a superficial “Daaarling, you look fabulous!” and will look for whether an acquaintance demonstrates a genuine interest in the wellbeing and happiness of the other before considering that acquaintance a friend of the other.

This does not mean that praise is a sign of a non-friend: it simply means that frank speech is always a sign of a true one.  A true friend will feel at liberty to both praise and criticize whenever it’s prudent.

If I bruise a friend’s ego but, in doing so, save him from addiction to drugs or gambling, from ending up in jail or from an abusive relationship, then I deserve that friend’s love, loyalty and trust.  If I watch a person self-destruct and make no attempts to assist, then I do not deserve that person’s trust and loyalty.

In addition to the flatterer, there is also the kind of false friend who tells the truth harshly and inspired by ill-will.  Truth-telling is not in itself a sign of a true friend: one always needs care and prudence to identify a true friend.  In Philodemus’ instruction book about frank criticism, he refers to this false friend under the heading that helps to discern between “one who is frank from a polite disposition and one who is so from a vulgar one”.  He goes on to list the virtuous qualities of a polite truth-sayer:

… everyone who bears goodwill and practices philosophy intelligently and continually and is great in character and indifferent to fame and least of all a politician and clean of envy and says only what is relevant and is not carried away so as to insult or strut or show contempt or do harm, and does not make use of insolence and flattering arts ... – Philodemus, On Frank Criticism, Column Ib

Similarly, it is oftentimes difficult to know the true intentions of a person who is friends with an enemy, or whether or not that person is a well-wisher.  The Havamal counsels plainly that a friend of our enemy is no friend of ours.  It is always advisable to be mindful of alliances.

The Imprudent and the Incurable

The dynamics and the mellows of the pleasure of friendship are many and complex.  It is natural in all friendships that difficulties and differences of character will surface.  This does not mean that there isn’t genuine love between friends.

It is understood that oftentimes people who are well-meaning lack the wisdom to provide frank speech to friends.  A man’s inability to be a loving, guiding presence for another does not translate into his being a vicious or evil person.  There are superficial friends, and then there are deep, intimate, caring friends.  There are prudent friends and those who are less prudent.  In this case, we should encourage the friend with the most prudence, if he is or wishes to be a true friend, to provide from time to time pruning to the one with less prudence, always noting that we all learn with our own heads and that some don’t take frank speech well and will display animosity or anger, or suspect ill intentions when they encounter it.  These are called incurable by Philodemus.

 … continues in Part II

Philodemus: On Frank Criticism

February 15-16, 2014

Cultural Center of Pallini, Athens

Dear Friends,

As you know, 2013 was a year of growing visibility for the Epicurean wisdom tradition here in the United States with the creation of the webpage for the Society of Friends of Epicurus and the proliferation of Epicurean memes in social media, which makes the pleasure of philosophy so much easier to share with others!

In 2014 there will be increased activity with the addition of the monthly newsletter, titled Happy 20th!, as well as the publishing of my book ‘Tending the Epicurean Garden’ via Humanist Press (the publishing branch of the American Humanist Association), which will happen later this year and will reach a vast audience that identifies as Humanists within our country and abroad.  I wish to let you know that I’ve kept the Spanish and Greek language rights to the book in the hopes of someday having the book translated into your language as well as the language of my ancestors.

You are all an inspiration to many of us here in the U.S. not only because prudence is so necessary in our world today but also because both our countries are going through severe financial crisis and Epicurus’ teachings of self-sufficiency and limiting of our desires may help lead us out of the trap of ever-increasing debt and of blind consumerism and may even be our societies’ salvation.

Please consider the importance of the Epicurean teaching mission and continue to share the good news of this philosophy with the world!

In warmest friendship,

Hiram Crespo

Founder of Society of Friends of Epicurus / editor of societyofepicurus.com, author of Tending the Epicurean Garden

Also, watch the video with the message from Cassius Amicus (of newepicurean.com ) to the 4th Epicurean  Symposium in Athens  (voiceover is in English)

One of the main foundations of European civilization is philosophy. Aristotle and Epicurus realized that the purpose of philosophy is happiness (well-being), since it is the only good that people desire for its own merit. Epicurus taught that happiness corresponds to absence of mental and physical pain and may be attained though observation of nature, prudence, free will, virtue and friendship.

Many centuries later, in 1776, the main author of the American Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, influenced by Epicurus’ teachings, included among basic human rights the right of pursuit of happiness. In 2012, the United Nations decided to recognize that the pursue of happiness is a fundamental human goal and right, designating the 20th of March of every year as International day of Happiness.

Given the fact that the right to pursue happiness is not included in the 54 articles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2010/C 83/02), we ask for the recognition of this right of happiness in the European Union, since it is self-evident that it is a fundamental human right and its non-recognition in any part of the world constitutes the violation of this natural right.

The Friends of Epicurean Philosophy “Garden” of Greece
4th Pan-Hellenic Symposium of Epicurean Philosophy
Pallini, Athens, Greece
February 15, 2014

Español

Declaración del derecho a la felicidad en la Unión Europea

Una de las principales bases de la civilización europea es la filosofía. Aristóteles y Epicuro se dieron cuenta de que el propósito de la filosofía es la felicidad (bienestar), ya que es el único bien que la gente desea por su propio mérito. Epicuro enseñó que la felicidad corresponde a la ausencia de dolor mental y fisico y puede ser alcanzada a través de la observación de la naturaleza, prudencia, libre voluntad, virtud y amistad.

Muchos siglos mas tarde, en el 1776, el autor principal de la Declaración de Independencia norteamericana, Thomas Jefferson, influenciado por las doctrinas de Epicuro, incluyó entre los básicos derechos humanos el derecho a la búsqueda de la felicidad. En el 2012, las Naciones Unidas decidieron reconocer que la búsqueda de la felicidad es una meta y derecho humano fundamental y designaron el 20 de marzo de cada año como el Día Internacional de la Felicidad.

Debido a que el derecho a la búsqueda de la felicidad no está incluído en los 54 artículos de la Carta de Derechos Fundamentales de la Unión Europea (2010/C 83/02), pedimos que se reconozca este derecho a la felicidad en la Unión Europea, ya que es auto-evidente que es un derecho humano basico y su no-reconocimiento en alguna parte del mundo constituye una violación de este derecho natural.

Amigos de la Filosofía Epicúrea
Jardín de Grecia
4to Simposio Pan-Helénico de Filosofía Epicúrea
Palini, Atenas, Grecia
Febrero 15, 2014

Διακήρυξη του δικαιώματος ευδαιμονίας στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση

Ένα από τα θεμέλια του Ευρωπαϊκού πολιτισμού είναι η φιλοσοφία. Ο Αριστοτέλης και ο Επίκουρος αντιλήφθηκαν πως ο σκοπός της φιλοσοφίας είναι η ευδαιμονία (ευτυχία), καθώς είναι το μόνο αγαθό που οι άνθρωποι το επιθυμούν γι’ αυτό το ίδιο. Ο Επίκουρος δίδαξε πως η ευδαιμονία αντιστοιχεί στην απονία του σώματος και την αταραξία της ψυχής, και προσεγγίζεται μέσω της παρατήρησης της φύσης, της φρόνησης, της ελεύθερης βούλησης, της αρετής και της φιλίας.

Πολλούς αιώνες αργότερα, το 1776 ο συντάκτης της Διακήρυξης της Αμερικανικής Ανεξαρτησίας Τόμας Τζέφφερσον, επηρεασμένος από την διδασκαλία του Επίκουρου, συμπεριέλαβε στα δικαιώματα του ανθρώπου το δικαίωμα της αναζήτησης της ευδαιμονίας. Με απόφαση του 2012 ο Οργανισμός Ηνωμένων Εθνών αναγνώρισε ότι η αναζήτηση της ευδαιμονίας είναι βασικός σκοπός και δικαίωμα του ανθρώπου, ορίζοντας την 20ή Μαρτίου κάθε έτους ως Διεθνή Ημέρα Ευδαιμονίας.

Με δεδομένο ότι το δικαίωμα της αναζήτησης της ευδαιμονίας δεν περιλαμβάνεται στα 54 άρθρα του Χάρτη των Βασικών Δικαιωμάτων της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης (2010/C 83/02), ζητούμε να κατοχυρωθεί αυτό το δικαίωμα της ευδαιμονίας στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, εφόσον είναι προφανές ότι είναι βασικό φυσικό δικαίωμα του ανθρώπου και η μη αναγνώρισή του σε οποιαδήποτε περιοχή του κόσμου στοιχειοθετεί την παραβίαση αυτού του φυσικού δικαιώματος.

Φίλοι Επικούρειας Φιλοσοφίας «Κήπος»
4 ο Πανελλήνιο Συμπόσιο Επικούρειας Φιλοσοφίας
Παλλήνη, Αθήνα, Ελλάδα
15 Φεβρουαρίου 2014

Esperante

Deklaro de la rajto de feliĉo en la Eŭropa Unio

Unu el la bazoj de la civilizo europa estas la filozofio. Aristotelo kaj Epikuro rigardis, ke la celo de la filozofio estas feliĉo (bon-esti), ĉar ĝi estas la nura aĵo dezirata pro sia propra valoro. Epikuro instruis, ke la feliĉo estas la neekzisto de doloro mensa kaj korpa, kaj ke ĝi povas esti atingata per observo de la naturo, prudento, libera volo, virto kaj amikeco.

Post multaj jarcentoj, dum 1776, la ĉefa verkisto de l’Usona Deklaro de Sendependeco, Thomas Jefferson, influita de Epikuraj instruaĵoj, in9kludis inter la bazaj homaj rajtoj tian de serĉi la feliĉon. Dum 2012, la Unuiĝintaj Nacioj decidis agnoski, ke la serĉo de la feliĉo estas fundamenta homa celo kaj rajto, kaj deklaris la 20-an de marto de ĉiu jaro kiel Internacia Tago de Feliĉo.

Konsiderante la fakton, ke la rajto de serĉi la feliĉon ne estas inkludita inter la 54 artikoloj de la Ĉarto de Fundamentaj Rajtoj de la Eŭropa Unio (2010 / C 83/02), ni petas l’agnoskon de tiu rajto de feliĉo en la Eŭropa Unio ĉar estas mem-evidenta, ke ĝi estas fundamenta homa rajto kaj ĝia ne-agnosko en ajna parto de la mondo konsistas je la malobservo de tiu natura rajto.

L’Amikoj de l’Epikura Filozofio “Ĝardeno” de Grekio
4a Tut-helena Simpozio de Epikura Filozofio
Pallini, Ateno, Grekio
Februaro 15, 2014

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This scroll focuses on Metrodorus’ disagreement with the destitute life of the Cynics, and his doctrine of the natural measure of wealth, which corresponds to that which is needed to secure the natural and necessary pleasures, and to have the confident expectation that we will be able to secure them in the future.

Nature’s wealth at once has its bounds and is easy to procure; but the wealth of vain fancies recedes to an infinite distance. – Principal Doctrine 15

Metrodorus argued that some things cause pain when present, but cause even more pain when absent and, therefore, shouldn’t be avoided.  This is the case with health, which requires some work and some inconvenience to secure, but without it we suffer greatly. It is also the case with family members and friends who oftentimes are difficult to understand and to get along with, but whom we miss when absent. 

Indeed, I think that the right management of wealth lies in this: in not feeling distressed about what one loses and in not trapping oneself on treadmills because of an obsessive zeal concerning the more and the less. – Metrodorus

Social Capital

When we invest our time, money and effort in our dearest friends, Philodemus compares this with “those who sow seeds in the earth. From these things … it becomes possible to reap many times more fruits”. He says that the philosopher who manages property will secure his natural measure of wealth, and use some of the surplus generously with his friends. He will be able to count on his friends when in need, and they will also add to his happiness and security in the present. On the other hand, a property manager who is not informed by Epicurean philosophy, will likely avoid spending time with friends, and will deprive himself of the enjoyment of their company and of the many other benefits that come from having good friends.

Philodemus concedes that a good property manager may be immoral or amoral, and may suffer from greed and other vices, and that the practice of philosophy among friends may lead to a shift in priorities that puts losses and gains aside to some extent. However, he says a philosopher may still be a good property manager, and gives advice to help his students enjoy a life of pleasure while managing property. 

Since, he says, “the philosopher does not toil”, some of his advice involves the delegation of tasks to assistants. Earning a living from teaching philosophy is the noblest profession. He praises having a diverse nest egg, rather than putting all of our eggs in one basket: investing seems like a legitimate contemporary outlet for a philosopher. 

Philodemus said that rental income is a dignified way to make a living, as is the gainful employment of others–so long as it’s not in a dangerous or demeaning activity.

Metrodorus sought to demonstrate that the Epicurean methodology of hedonic calculus is highly practical when applied to how we manage our money, our business, and our property.

We believe that the tranquil administration of one’s property does not require great subtlety and that wealth is superior to poverty. At the same time we believe that it’s necessary to hand down a tradition of the most general principles and to outline many details in the treatises concerning the care and preservation of possessions.

Towards the end of the scroll, ancient Epicureans were instructing their students to keep outlines of Metrodorus’ doctrines on economics, saying that it was considered “necessary to hand down a tradition” of the general principles they were discussing. One of the goals of the study of this scroll is to plant the Epicurean conversation on economics and self-sufficiency firmly in the modern world so that the people of our day can relate to the teaching and more easily apply its prudent calculations to their lives. I have distilled the contents of the scroll into Seven Principles of Epicurean Economics. They are as follows:

1. There is a natural measure of wealth (as opposed to the corrupt, cultural measure of wealth), which is tied to natural and necessary desires. Understanding this will provide us with serenity and indifference to profit and loss.

2. There is social wealth in addition to the wealth of things and possessions.

3. Philodemus plainly stated it: the philosopher does not toil. However, we must always remember that toil is evil, not productivity.

4. Association is important in labor. We must choose our company prudently.

5. Our revenue must more than meet our immediate needs: it must facilitate a dignified life of leisure.

6. It’s always prudent to cultivate multiple streams of income, among which deriving fees from the Garden’s teaching mission, rental property income and business ownership, which includes gainful employment of others, have special priority.

7. It’s also prudent to have fruitful possessions. The various forms of ownership of means of production is another way to independence that can potentially relieve us of toil.

Further Reading:

Philodemus, On Property Management (Writings from the Greco-Roman World)

 Horace, Ofellus and Philodemus of Gadara in Sermones 2.2, by Sergio Yona

An Epicurean measure of wealth in Horace