Category: Stoicism (Against)
-
“How To Be Dead And Not Care”
Authorized Doctrine 2 contains one of the most famous sayings of all Epicureanism (“Death is nothing to us“) but its meaning is frequently misunderstood. Whether wielded maliciously by an enemy...
-
“Failure of Nerve?” Or “Failure to Pay Attention?”
I have a standing rule for my blog that I will not devote more space than absolutely necessary to discussing Ayn Rand and Objectivism. That is not to say that...
-
“If You Reject Absolutely Any Single Sensation … You Will Reject Every Standard of Truth.”
Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with a close friend and discuss philosophy. As we inevitably got to the point of discussing the “origin of the...
-
“Reasoning In Accordance With The Facts”
I have been reminded that I regularly make fairly pointed comments on the topic of “reason,” and I want to take this opportunity to explain why. This post is especially...
-
Celebrating 2000 Years of Epicurean Contempt For Stoicism and Platonism: Lucian of Samosata and His Dialog “The Double Indictment”
In his letter to Herodotus, Epicurus wrote that we should “treat with contempt” those like the Stoics and Platonists who argued that — apart from “religion” or “logic” — knowledge...
-
“Against The Vulcans”
The thoughts in this post will no doubt need review and revision, but I think they are significant enough to post. I am going to deal here not so much...
-
Do Harpsichords Go Sledding In the Snow For Fun?
Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage...
-
St. Paul vs. Epicurus
Norman DeWitt, who is in my opinion the author of the best book on Epicurus written since the ancient world, also wrote a second book: “St. Paul and Epicurus” (“SPAE”). ...
-
Leave Apathy To The Stoics, and Strive to “Never Be Taken By Surprise.”
There is an unfortunate strain of thought which poses a significant danger for those who do not discern the important differences between Epicurean and Stoic theory. Straying onto the Stoic...
-
The Key To Distinguishing The “Greatest Good” from the “Goal” of Life: “Every supreme good … is meaningless to the dead; every supreme good presumes life.”
Because the terms are so regularly discussed, it is necessary to work to gain and keep a clear view of the difference between the “greatest good” of life and the...