Epicurus (341 BC – 270 BC)

 
The point that the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus makes in this excerpt from his letter to the historian Herodotus is, essentially, "define your terms," a point that initially seems so basic that it's hardly worth saying, but I have come to believe more and more that it would be extremely helpful if it were tattooed on the inside of every television pundit's and politician's eyelids some time before the year's campaigning gets into full swing. They might not understand it, or comply with it, but at least the process would cause them considerable discomfort, as the quote is rather long:

In the first place, Herodotus, you must understand what it is that words denote, in order that by reference to this we may be in a position to test opinions, inquiries, or problems, so that our proofs may not run on untested ad infinitum, nor the terms we use be empty of meaning. For the primary signification of every term employed must be clearly seen, and ought to need no proving; this being necessary, if we are to have something to which the point at issue or the problem or the opinion before us can be referred. -- Letter to Herodotus

Today the word "epicurean" means hedonistic or voluptuary, devoted to the extreme pursuits of pleasure, but Epicurus counseled moderation in all things as the surest path to happiness. He was also a very smart man, whose ideas about the nature of the physical world prefigured quite modern thinking. For example, as his Wikipedia article states:

Like Democritus, [Epicurus] was an atomist, believing that the fundamental constituents of the world were indivisible little bits of matter (atoms, Greek atomos, indivisible) flying through empty space, khaos). Everything that occurs is the result of the atoms colliding, rebounding, and becoming entangled with one another, with no purpose or plan behind their motions. (Compare this with the modern study of particle physics.) His theory differs from the earlier atomism of Democritus because he admits that atoms do not always follow straight lines but their direction of motion may occasionally exhibit a 'swerve' (clinamen). This allowed him to avoid the determinism  implicit in the earlier atomism and to affirm free will. (Compare this with the modern theory of quantum physics , which postulates a non-deterministic random motion of fundamental particles.)

He also admitted women and slaves to his academy because he believed in absolute human equality. Greece was the birthplace of democracy, but it was democracy of a a very selective sort. Slaves were slaves, and basically women were too.)

Comments

[Pixie]

I like him.

Very much.

[gail]

yeah, he was a cool guy.

[iamnot]

Can I do the tatoos?
Please....