Epicurean Theory Analysis

The Epicurean theory essentially encompasses the thought that we as humans, have a natural instinct to seek pleasure and avoid pain and that this instinct in and of itself is what will ultimately cause us to achieve happiness and the ‘good life’. Pleasure is considered a feeling of satisfaction, joy and overall contentment with a particular situation or state of being. While pain as the polar opposite, being a feeling of immense physical or mental discomfort/distress.

Epicurus states that pleasure is “the starting point and the goal of a happy life” which could be interpreted as pleasure being both the means and the end of living a happy life. He believes that in order to achieve the goal of happiness, we must first understand that pleasure is the underlying cause of happiness.

An interpretation of the phrase “starting point” would be that when we are born into the world, when we are without literacy and experience, our initial desire is to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Epicurus says that we use “the pleasure feeling as our criterion” (PHIL132 Unit Reader, p3) when choosing between two particular actions or possible circumstances.

Although Epicurus states that pleasure is the pathway to happiness and the good life, he does not believe that all pleasures are good pleasures and that there is a distinct difference between pleasure and indulgence. One point he makes in the ‘Letter to Menoeceus’ is that “there are times when we forgo certain pleasures, particularly when they are followed by too much unpleasantness” (PHIL132 Unit Reader, p3). An example of this is indulging in alcoholic beverages; when one drinks too high a quantity of alcohol they may feel pleasure in the short term, however the day after usually result...

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...rom partaking in something productive, but it can provide mental relaxation that could be beneficial for someone with issues in balancing different segments of their life, though it does not fit in with the criterion of ‘the simple life’ Epicurus believes is optimal.

Epicurus provides some great ideas towards what constitutes happiness and ‘the good life’ that can be applied to many facets of life, however I believe some aspects must be further contemplated to find a more infallible theory. The view that one can only feel pleasure in the absence of pain seems to be one that is very black and white and does not seem to take in the intricacies of modern society. Fundamentally, the pursuit of certain pleasures and the minimisation of pain would likely result in happiness, however a mild dosing of the contrary could also contribute to ‘happiness and the good life’.