Epicurus on Wealth and Happiness.ppt

1、Epicurus on Wealth and Happiness,Money is Not the Key to Living a Good Life,In times of economic hardship it is natural to take stock of (估计，反思)our financial situation, but also wise to review what makes us truly happy.,The chief characteristic of Epicureanism: a good life was founded upon sensual p

2、leasures and by sensual he meant the pleasures of all the senses（感官享受) the taste of a good meal; the sight of aesthetic forms; an exchange of friendly conversation; and, yes, this includes sexual pleasures.,The Pleasure Principle,Epicurus eventually established a commune on the outskirts of Athens d

3、evoted to the pursuit of happiness. However, it would be a grave error to confuse Epicureanism with hedonism.,For Epicurus, to be successful in the pursuit of pleasure, one needs to have a thorough understanding of what true happiness means . In the case of Epicurus, such pleasures were actually sim

4、ple and inexpensive.,(1) Genuine Friendship “Of all the things that wisdom provides to help one live ones entire life in happiness, the greatest by far is the possession of friendship.”,Epicurus stressed that dining in good company was even more important than what was on the menu. That true friends

5、 relate to each other at a deeper level than mere casual acquaintances, and are always there for each other. A handful of genuine friends could not be purchased with any amount of money and power.,(2) Personal Freedom The Epicurean commune also removed itself from the economic and political life of

6、Athens, becoming as self-sufficient as they could. They forsook wealth for simplicity, and placed their freedom to be happy above the desire for status and being employed in the service of another.,They measured their wealth in terms of happiness rather than gold.,(3) Liberty of Thought This third n

7、ecessary ingredient is in the great tradition of Greek philosophy; that only the analyzed life is truly worth living. The ability to think clearly and openly was the best way to resolve both the smallest domestic problems to the largest questions of life.,Having the freedom to share issues openly wi

8、th friends would more likely lead to their resolution rather than having thoughts swirl around inside ones solitary troubled mind.,What is Necessary and Natural,Epicurus divided desires into three categories. He placed freedom, friendship and thinking into what was both natural and necessary adding

9、here the obvious physical necessities such as food and shelter.,Those things that were considered natural but not necessary were luxuries such as a fine house, sumptuous food and exotic holidays. . In the last category, Epicurus placed fame and power as desires that are neither natural nor necessary

10、.,Money and Happiness,Money is both natural and necessary in order to further those desires that are themselves natural and necessary. If life is already fulfilled and pleasurable then earning the extra money needed to finance those luxuries may not be necessary but is not harmful either.,However, i

11、f the aim of accumulating wealth is in order to fulfill desires that are unnecessary, without first having satisfied those that are, then life is liable to remain unfulfilled and unhappy.,For Epicurus, happiness is the absence of either physical pain or mental suffering. He is not interested in an o

12、stentatious display of either wealth or joy, but rather the inner tranquility that comes from leading a good life.,Epicurus Five Steps to Genuine Happiness,Imagine your current desire projected into the future. For example, you want that fast sports car.,2. Now imagine that your desire does not actu

13、ally lead to the expected happiness. For example, the car is fantastic but youre always driving on your own. Alternatively, going for a drive in your existing car might be more pleasurable if in the company of the right person.,3. If you find such cases that do not lead to happiness then the origina

14、l object of desire was neither natural nor necessary and therefore will ultimately not lead to the hoped for pleasure.,4. By such analysis the original desire should be recast to take into account any exceptions just found. In this example, it becomes clearer that whether you have an expensive car or not, true happiness comes from sharing the experience with the right person in the passenger seat.,5. Your true needs should now be clearer than your impulsive initial desire. In the