{"id":76,"date":"2017-11-07T01:32:29","date_gmt":"2017-11-07T01:32:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/histonaut.com\/?p=76"},"modified":"2017-11-23T02:09:47","modified_gmt":"2017-11-23T02:09:47","slug":"aristotle-and-epicurus-on-pleasure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/histonaut.com\/index.php\/2017\/11\/07\/aristotle-and-epicurus-on-pleasure\/","title":{"rendered":"Aristotle and Epicurus on “Pleasure”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Writing about Aristotle criticizing Epicurus we should bear in mind that the situation is purely imaginary because Aristotle died when Epicurus was only 19 (in 322 BC) and had no time to create any philosophical theory.\u00a0 It is highly probable that Epicurus was aware of Aristotle\u2019s teaching and included some elements of it in his own philosophy. \u00a0The notion of pleasure is in the centre of Epicurus attention and he does not make difference between the words \u201csweetness\u201d, \u201cpleasure\u201d, \u201chappiness\u201d and \u2018well-being\u201d. Aristotle\u2019s definition of \u201cpleasure\u201d is more restricted and clearly differs from \u201chappiness\u201d. The comparison of views of two famous philosophers on \u201cpleasure\u201d will show to us how Aristotle would criticize Epicurus.<\/p>\n

Epicurus considers pleasure as \u201cthe beginning and end of the blessed life\u201d (176 Epicurus) and recognizes it \u201cas the first good innate in us\u201d (176 Epicurus) from which \u201cwe begin every act of choice and avoidance\u201d. Pleasure to his mind can be used \u201cas the standard by which we judge every good\u201d(176 Epicurus). In such a way he takes the pleasure as a universal measure of human life.\u00a0 According to Epicurus pleasure consists in avoiding pain and fear. But never the less pain being the contrary of pleasure is necessary in human life \u201csince a greater pleasure comes to us when we have endured pains for a long time\u201d (177 Epicurus).<\/p>\n

Aristotle supports the view of his teacher Plato that pleasure is not the universal good and that a really pleasant life requires wisdom. At the same time, he is warning us about \u201cthe disgraceful pleasures\u201d which can be pleasant only \u201cto people of vicious constitution\u201d. Aristotle is not satisfied by the general notion of pleasure he distinguishes in it \u201cthe passive and the active factors\u201d i.e. \u201cthe intelligible or sensible object and the discriminating and contemplative faculty\u201d.\u00a0 Aristotle stresses that \u201cwithout activity pleasure does not arise and every activity is completed by the attendant pleasure\u201d. For him only \u201cvirtue and the good man\u201d are \u201cthe measure of each thing\u201d.<\/p>\n

In such a way, Aristotle would criticize the Epicure\u2019s notion of pleasure as very broad and universal on the one hand and as excessively important and fully equivalent to the good on the other. He would argue that only pleasures approved by the virtuous man can be considered as real pleasures. He would stress in difference with Epicurus that the only source of pleasure is human activity.<\/p>\n

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Works Cited<\/u>: (all from the course pack)<\/p>\n