Cannabis legalization is an idea whose time has come. Bill Maher recently gave us an eye-opening monologue on it, and in his newest book Waking Up, Sam Harris argued that experimenting with altered states of consciousness is certainly a civil right, and that everyone should have certain mind-altering experiences at least once in a lifetime. From an Epicurean perspective, we Continue Reading …
Religion as Play
To pray is natural. –Epicurus The plain dismissal of religion as barbaric, as primitive credulity, or as childish superstition—even if at times it exhibits all of the above symptoms, and even if its claims are ridiculous—impedes the acquisition of important insights into its varied nature and uses. Why have most members of our species, for most of our history, been Continue Reading …
Lucian: the Well of Laughter
I was … concerned … to strike a blow for Epicurus, that great man whose holiness and divinity of nature were not shams, who alone had and imparted true insight into the good, and who brought deliverance to all that consorted with him. –Lucian, in Alexander the Oracle Monger Lucian of Samosata (c. 125–180 CE) was a Greek-speaking Assyrian satirist. He’s particularly relevant Continue Reading …
The Epicurean Nag Hammadi
In the year 79 of the Common Era in Italy, Mount Vesuvius erupted. Its ashes famously piled over Pompeii for an entire day until the whole city was destroyed. Pompeii instantly became legendary, but its sister city Herculaneum, which was smaller, was less of a legend until recently. It did not yield the remains of people and animals who died instantly where they stood at the Continue Reading …
Contemplations on Tao Series
My Contemplations on Tao blog series (at the Society of Friends of Epicurus site) was an attempt to explore the parallels between Taoism and Epicurean philosophy which become evident when we study Taoism and read the Tao Te Ching. Sometimes the insights we get from both traditions mirror, complete and complement each other. Nature must not be forced. - Epicurus The first Continue Reading …
Epicurus’ Four Cures
As the annals of history have it, in the sixth century Emperor Justinian had all the schools of philosophy that competed with Christianity finally closed. This was the last we heard of the Epicurean School, whose tradition had remained culturally vibrant for seven centuries. Epicurus had been among the first to propose the atom (2,300 years ago), the social contract as a Continue Reading …