Epicurean Pleasure as Tranquility

Epicurean Pleasure as Tranquility

One philosophy that has been misunderstood since it was first articulated is that of Epicurus. Writing around 300 BCE, he came to prominence after Plato and Aristotle and was a contemporary of the early Stoics. One of his core ideas centered around the value of pleasure. Epicurus argued that pleasure is the only realistic measure we have of evaluating our lives. When we experience pleasure, things are good, and thus the pursuit of pleasure ought to be the driving force behind our choices.

The emphasis on pleasure can sound like an invitation to constant indulgence. But Epicurus asks us to consider the pain that a pleasure may bring later. The source uses a bell curve to illustrate this contrast between harmful extremes and a tranquil life; it is an analogy, not a measured distribution of life experiences.

Key Insight: Pleasure as Non-Pain

In his “Letter to Menoeceus”, Epicurus writes, “No pleasure is a bad thing in itself. But the things which produce certain pleasures bring troubles many times greater than the pleasures.” These latter types of pleasures are the ones we should avoid, because what positive feeling we gain in the short term is outweighed by the ensuing negative experience.

In the source’s bell-curve illustration, pain sits on one side and indulgence with painful consequences on the other. The center represents tranquility. This should not imply that Epicurus seeks an absence of pleasure: freedom from pain is itself pleasurable in this account. As Daniel Klein writes, for Epicurus, “Happiness is tranquility.” The aim is a life free from pain and from the avoidable troubles that certain pleasures bring.

Far from promoting the pursuit of indulgence in all things pleasurable, Epicurus writes, “For we are in need of pleasure only when we are in pain because of the absence of pleasure, and when we are not in pain, then we no longer need pleasure.” For Epicurus, “ ‘Pleasure’ is the logical opposite of ‘pain.’ In other words, for him pleasure meant non-pain.” On this view, a pleasure is evaluated partly by its consequences. The bell-curve image adds no statistical basis for deciding which choices will bring tranquility.

Living Simply

What might a tranquil life require? Epicurus said, “Therefore, becoming accustomed to simple, not extravagant, ways of life makes one completely healthy, makes man unhesitant in the face of life’s necessary duties, puts us in a better condition for the times of extravagance which occasionally come along, and makes us fearless in the face of chance.” He presents simple living as a way to reduce dependence on costly or unreliable satisfactions.

Pain reduction gives the account a practical focus. As Catherine Wilson explains in How to Be an Epicurean, Epicurus “stated clearly that the best life is one free of deprivations, starting with freedom from hunger, thirst, and cold, and freedom from persistent fears and anxieties.” Some indulgences produce more pain than the pleasure is worth. From the more visceral experiences of pain, such as a stomachache from too much rich food, to the painful psychological consequences of always choosing what feels right now at the expense of future satisfaction, when we focus on immediate gratification, we often sacrifice the happiness and contentment of our future selves.

For Epicurus, paying attention to the knowledge we gain from our experiences is critical for achieving a pain-free life. We need to be in tune with ourselves, noticing how our actions impact our bodies and psychological states. We also need to actively perform second-order thinking, considering the effects of our actions.

This account asks us to look beyond the immediate attraction of a purchase or experience. Wilson explains, “Regardless of the trouble other people can cause for us, Epicurus believed close human relationships to be the greatest source of pleasure in life.” Friendship and freedom from persistent anxiety can provide satisfaction without requiring continual consumption.