Pleasure & Prudence

Shauna Solaman BMCC Fall 2002 PHI 081 Essay #1

My paper topic is about the Letter to Menoeceus by Epicurus. I intend to discuss the virtues of pleasure, and prudence because the way that Epicures presented them and made them sound was quite interesting. In the Letter to Menoeceus, Epicurus writes about many things, from philosophy, death, god(s), pleasure and prudence. Pleasure and prudence serve as pillars for living well, and interestingly enough, Epicurus made them work together as he explains to his student. The two pillars of leading a blessed life were indeed quite ethical, I shall go on to explain why.

The first pillar that Epicurus begins to talk about is pleasure. (272) Epicurus feels that pleasure is the beginning point of living blessedly. It is the innate good. From pleasure, we can make decisions as well as know what has to be avoided. Pleasure acts as the criteria, that everything else is measured to. We compare many things that will come along in our lives to pleasure, choosing whether to go through with it, or to avoid an outcome. In our quest of an ultimate pleasure, we will pass up many chances to experience minimal moments of pleasure with an ultimate pleasure as our ends. However that doesnt mean that we ignore, or pass up all pleasures that come our way. The same that goes for pain, we do not ignore it. There are times where we choose more pains over pleasures in order to achieve a greater pleasure. Humans have the tendency to avoid pain, however they will experience moments that arrive, since it is not good to avoid them altogether.

It is in our nature, to try to avoid pain. We rather experience pleasure. However we will suffer through pain in order to achieve a greater sense of pleasure. We will not enjoy every moment of pleasure either, if we wanted to achieve a greater pleasure. Humans attempt to avoid pain unless there is a greater pleasure as a goal, but we cannot escape moments of pain. In order to have pleasure, we must have pain and vice versa. For when pain comes, we are relieved with pleasure, but we will have to experience pain once again in order to have pleasure again. In experiencing pleasure, we ought to be able to make due with what we have. We ought to be self-sufficient, and make do with things on a normal basis, but not all the time. Epicurus means that we should not be extravagant, and suffer pain with want. By accustoming ourselves to a simple life, it would be the same as living a complex life, without the problems. By doing so, we also eliminate the hesitancy we may suffer when making decisions. Leading a simple life would make us fearless when a chance arrives, and we would be able to handle a bit of extravagance if it ever comes our way. A simple life would put things into perspective, and we would know what to do when something out of the ordinary comes our way. Wed have no hesitancy, wed know what to do and when. I realize that Epicurus is speaking from his time. In our times, Im not sure what he would mean by a complex life. We are so complex in this day and age, what exactly is a normal life? A normal life is with luxuries, such as a microwave, stove, a television set and cable. Thats what normal is to us now. To Epicurus,

each could be a luxury. Indeed we indulge ourselves with something that isnt normal to our daily lives, but how does taking away any of those complex things makes decisions any easier to decide. Epicurus makes the distinction of what type of pleasure he means by pleasure being a goal. Instead of pleasure being the type that indulges in wickedness, consumption, or ignorance, but rather the deliverance from pain and disturbance of the soul. Pleasure doesnt mean indulging in ones self, but being self sufficient, keeping to a simple lifestyle, practical reasoning and prudent calculation. In my opinion, Epicurus makes a good point here. Pleasure is a virtue that everyone wants to achieve and maintain. A person will base their life upon pleasure, and ensuring that it stays that way. However within life, one ought to know the boundaries of too much and too little. It should be in between, for a person should experience pain. Pain brings pleasure, for a human will go and search for pleasure when he/she is in pain. Pleasure therein acts, as the guidelines of what life will be like what the person will go out and achieve. Pleasure along with being a guideline of life, becomes the basis of what we choose to do. We can make valid choices or avoid an experience altogether. The virtue of pleasure sets up guidelines of how we live our lives, and how we may flourish.

The second pillar of living a blessed life is prudence. Prudence governs over pleasure, and is the prime good. Prudence is more valuable than

philosophy, for it serves as a means of virtue (272). Epicurus felt that it was impossible to live a good life without prudence, for it taught honor, and justice (272). I dont think Epicurus explained his ideas of prudence to the detail, but he gets to the point whereas prudence is concerned. Epicurus felt as if there is nothing better than a person who lives a life of pleasure and prudence. What makes a person better, is one who knows that the limit of good things is easy to achieve completely and easy to provide (272) and that the limit of bad things either has a short duration or causes little trouble. (272) A contemporary dictionary definition of prudent means to be wise or judicious in practical affairs. Epicurus makes a good point about prudence being a pillar. He went into depth about pleasure, and put in restrictions of how pleasure should be viewed, attained, and practiced. Prudence introduces the element of control and living life perfectly in a sense.

These two pillars help aide the soul. For Epicurus first begins with implying that philosophy brings health to the soul (271). By living a good life that is simple and not complex, a persons soul would have no trouble being at rest with the gods. A person whose actions are governed by prudence would have no trouble with law. Their sense of justice ought to be their guidance for a good life, without a problem with the law.

Epicurus teachings made sense as to how the two virtues are entwined with each other. Prudence governs pleasure, a person is then careful of his or her own interest. If a person can live a life blessedly, then there should be no problems with the soul or justice. For both should be satisfied. Indeed Epicurus was correct in expressing that pleasure is often sought; yet passed up at times, just as pain is. Pleasure was sought in the wake of pain. Prudence then overlooks pleasure, governing a persons thoughts, and actions. They work together in helping humans flourish and enjoy life. For they shouldnt have too much nor too little, just enough to savor it, and enjoy what they have. A person, who is prudent, is in a way, a person that is well and living life as it should lived. These virtues serve as ethical principles that humans can observe to live a prosperous life. Epicurus felt that the virtues of pleasure and prudence went along with life, and life along with the virtues.

1. Epicurus, Letter to Menoeceus, ed. Steven M. Cahn (Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett, 1999), p. 271-273 2. Websters Universal College Dictionary, (New York: Random House, 1997)