Some Self Analysis

Well it appears that we have been philosophically opposed to getting on with this project for a couple of months. The central issue, apart from pure laziness, is a difficulty in identifying a new “ism” which provides for clear rules and practical application.

So, instead of digging into a philosophy and adapting ourselves to meet the espoused principles, we are instead going to take a page out of one of the many books of English ponderer Michael de Montaigne. De Montaigne advised his friends that if they wished to know who he truly was, they should visit the library. The quotidian aspects of his own life were the subject of his musings and he was more open and honest with his readers than with anyone else. He analysed his own habits and behaviours, from what he liked to eat to his preferred circumstances for taking a shit. A novel concept in the 16^th century.

 Living an analysed life is central part of many philosophies and after a bit of poring over de Montaigne’s essays, we’ll be back with some rules on doing just that.

Montaigne, The Essays

Epicurean wrap-up

Well Geoffrey, I’d say you certainly had a more successful Epicurean experience this week than me, although I did rally towards the end, clocking up a number of specifically scheduled meals with friends in order to get my numbers up and try to savour the experience.

Despite that, my big lesson out of the week has been that making the most out of life (Epicurean style) can take quite a lot of effort to arrange, which feels counterintuitive. I’m sure that over time one could form established habits, but as a 7 day experiment, it was unexpectedly much harder to implement than the constant virtuousness of Stoicism.

I liked the “always eat when hungry and only then” rule - harder to implement than it sounds, but a great reason to snack the moment the munchies hit. Avoiding anxiety was also very tricky, but I did my best to take deep breaths on some current causes of such, and live more in the moment. Remembering the Epicurean viewpoint of no afterlife helped focus on enjoying the now - the only time we know we still have.

What did you learn last week Geoff?

“Let no one be slow to seek wisdom when he is young nor weary in the search thereof when he is grown old. For no age is too early or too late for the health of the soul.”

Epicurus in Letter to Menoeceus, from Lives of the Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laërtius, translated by Robert Drew Hicks

Simon.

* * *

Well Simon, I think the impediment for us was the inability to commit 100% to the specifications of this philosophy. While our rules moved us closer to the happiness espoused by the Epicurean philosophy – unsurprisingly feeding myself, addressing my worries rather than ignoring them, and spending an increased amount of time with people I like was all very pleasurable – we weren’t able to commit to one concept that I think was essential: freedom.

Without uprooting our lives entirely and moving into a commune with a like minded group of pleasure seekers willing to abstain from the modern world and live in self-sufficient harmony, I don’t think we were ever going to live quite as Epicurus and his mob suggested. If I could live in a world where going to a paying job each day and having to use the Myki system were not realities, it is quite apparent how much happier life could be. But you and I suffer the very fear that Epicureans advocated the need to free ourselves from. We were not willing to sacrifice the apparent security of this world, its pressures and expectations, to find happiness on our own terms.

As with the Stoic concept of virtue, it’s not that hard to identify just what it is that you find to be virtuous or pleasurable, it’s just difficult to commit to change even if that would lead to a good or happy life.

Geoff.

Three days of Epicureanism: a status report in chat form

Simon: So Geoff, how goes Epicureanism for you?

Geoff: Fucking peachy Simon. How about you?

S: Quite terrible. I am failing at this right now.

G: I don’t think that can be quite right. I have read quite consistently that there is a strong link between Epicurean and Stoic philosophies but I’ve actually found that while Stoicism required a real focus and a constant fear that you were “failing”, Epicureanism, if it has anything to do with the rules that we have set for ourselves (probably not?) is a wonderful excuse to enjoy life. I’ve been living three days of doing what I please. In fact, I have been pushed into doing more of the things that bring me pleasure than I otherwise would.

S: I think it’s just a confluence of events that is conspiring to have me fail, in particular, the friendship challenges we set ourselves. My day job and my hobby are all, this week in particular, taking up a lot of my time, and it seems that if there is one thing you need to maintain friendships, it’s time.

G: Yeah, but again, you can’t actually fail. By having to eat with other people, you’re pushed to value that time and to actually take the time to engage with people.

S: Sure, but the fact that I’ve eaten the majority of meals since Sunday alone, would beg to differ.

G: Mmm, maybe you need to write more journals at the end of the day and reflect on how you’re not using your time pleasurably...

S: Yes, well, I have been examining my anxieties...

G: Anxieties? I have no anxieties! Everything is pleasure and happiness.

S: Don’t interrupt, happy boy.

G: Okay, this blog post is weird and going nowhere. I’m leaving. Be sure that I’ll be enjoying whatever it is I move onto. Out.

S: Well, that’s our status report, I guess. Epicureanism in action?

Epicureanism - A Week in the Pursuit of Pleasure

March 30 - April 5

"Pleasure is the beginning and the goal of a happy life" Epicurus as cited by Botton in The Consolations of Philosophy, p.50

Epicureans believe that:

• the pursuit of happiness is the purpose of life
• there is a hierarchy of humans needs; in order to be happy we must first address our primal needs for shelter, food and warmth
• happiness is acquired through:
• the possession of friendship;
• the experience of sensual pleasures;
• the avoidance/cessation of pain;
• ataraxy: freedom from anxieties and the fear of death.
• there is no life after death

Alain de Botton, author of The Consolations of Philosophy, has been accused of grossly oversimplifying philosophical concepts. This has worked in our favour and we will be basing our rules this week predominantly on his sifted version of Epicureanism...

1. Friendship

"Of all the things that wisdom provides to help live one's entire life in happiness, the greatest by far is the possession of friendship" Epicurus as cited by Botton in The Consolations of Philosophy, p.57

• Rule: dedicate time every day to maintaining friendships

"Before you eat or drink anything, consider carefully who you eat or drink with rather than what you eat or drink: for feeding without a friend is the life of a lion or a wolf" Epicurus as cited by Botton in The Consolations of Philosophy, p.57

• Rule: always eat in company

2. Meeting basic needs

"... happiness (eudaimonia), according to Epicurus, is ... a form of pleasure in its own right - ... kinetic pleasures involve ... the pleasurable elimination of hunger or thirst. As the need is met, however, the pleasure associated with replenishment diminishes: one does not enjoy eating for replenishment when full." Epicurus; Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

• Rule: always eat when hungry and only then; enjoy the moment; choose quality over quantity

3. Living an analysed life

"Mankind is perpetually the victim of a pointless and futile martyrdom, fretting life away in fruitless worries through failure to realise what limit is set to acquisition and to the growth of genuine pleasure" Epicurus as cited by Botton in The Consolations of Philosophy, p.70 

• Rule: at the end of each day write down your anxieties. Reflect on their impact on your pursuit of happiness. Are they baseless? What can you do to eliminate them?

March: Epicureanism

Reading list:

Letter to Herodotus by Epicurus, from Lives of the Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laërtius, translated by Robert Drew Hicks

Letter to Menoeceus by Epicurus, from Lives of the Eminent Philosophers by Diogenes Laërtius, translated by Robert Drew Hicks

Of The Nature of Things by Lucretius, translated by William Ellery Leonard

Epicurus; Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Takeaways after 7 days

Gotta agree with Geoff - a lot of perseverance was required to get through this week. I was very glad to see Aurelius himself pardoning my failures, for they were many, and they weighed on me (which is another failure, I guess!)

Today I attempted some reflection on my week, with a focus on any lessons learnt. My self-imposed virtuous restrictions directed a lot of my energy over the last 7 days to ticking things off a to-do list. That list still has a lot of things on it, but I'm genuinely happy to have made a dent in it, and I'd like to keep chipping away at it. The 100% focus was obviously too much, but perhaps I can set a somewhat more forgiving routine that none the less schedules mandated daily time to the task. It'll take resolve, but I know I'll appreciate the results. We'll see.

Stay tuned for news of Simon and Geoff's next adventure in philosophy - a new subject and a new reading list should be coming your way soon.

Simon

On Having a Go

With one more day of Stoicism through which to persevere, and it has felt like perseverance, I thought I might reflect briefly on how the week has gone and what has come of it.

We've eaten plainly but not avoided flavour entirely, nor ignored hunger. We've slept on soft beds with pillows and blankets. We've paid little attention to our dress (not much of a change there) but not stepped bravely outside societal norms to meet some utilitarian ideal. We've held our tongues and reflected on our actions. We've avoided (mostly) the idle, shallow pursuits that are usually our daily companions and focused our energies instead on what we knew needed to be done.

Were we successful? Were we good Stoics? Well, we had a go.

As always, I'll let Marcus weigh in on the subject:

"Your attempt was always subject to reservations, remember; you were not aiming at the impossible. At what, then? Simply at making the attempt itself. In this you succeeded; and with that, the object of your existence is attained." (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book VI, 50)

Geoff