Letter to Menoeceus

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Letter to Menoeceus

• Epicurus

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Hedonism

• Hedonism is the view that pleasure is ultimately
  the only criteria for human welfare
• That is, hedonism holds that what makes a
  persons life go well for them is pleasure and
  only pleasure. What makes a persons life go bad
  for them is pain and only pain.
• Epicuruss Letter to Menoeceus is an early and
  excellent example of a hedonistic theory of
  prudence.

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Sensation

• Epicurus holds that all good and evil consists
  in sensation (p.178)
• By this he means that something can only be good
  for a person if it feels good to that person.
  Likewise something can only be bad for a person
  if it feels bad to them.
• This is why Epicurus advises against fearing
  death. There is no sensation in death, so it
  cant be good or bad.

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The best life

• Hedonists are often misunderstood to be advocates
  of lust and gluttony and wildness.
• Epicurus counsels a quiet life with a simple diet
  so that on those rare occasions when one does
  indulge, one can enjoy it all the more.
• Also, lust, gluttony, and wildness tend to be
  accompanied by as much or more pain than pleasure
  in the long run.
• It is more accurate to say that the Epicurean
  hedonist is a pain-avoider rather than a
  pleasure-seeker.

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Study Questions

• What is Epicurus likely to say to someone who has
  a choice between going to a big party and staying
  at home to study?
• Why is death neither to be welcomed nor feared?
• What is the difference between a hedonistic
  theory of morality and a hedonistic theory of
  prudence?