Thoughts on Epicurus

My post to the PHI110 discussion board; thoughts on Epicurus, happiness, pleasure et al.

I think that today, especially is a First World, Western country, our happiness is heavily mediated by consumer pressure. We're bombarded with the message that we need 'things' in order to be happy; an iPod, a flat-screen TV, the Crazy Frog ringtone... all these pointless things that will supposedly make us happy. And so we immerse ourselves in a lifestyle where work takes precedence, and other pleasures are slotted into the gaps between work shifts - all so we can afford these 'things' which bring us happiness. I'm reminded of the current situation in New Orleans. The media is quick to differentiate between looting and scrounging for food. We see people running through the streets with armfuls of designer t-shirts, and we shake our heads and scowl. But I think it's symptomatic of this consumer pressure, the way happiness is sold to us, and the blurring of the lines between necessary and unnecessary desires. I don't think people would have been under such pressure during Epicurus' time, although that's not to say there wasn't social pressure for wealth and prestige. Epicurus may have been the original 'drop out' hippy, shunning a life governed by money and consumerism to live 'the good life'; but I wonder if such a lifestyle would have been easier in Epicurus' time. To 'drop out' Epicurus-style today would involve paying taxes, land rates, purchasing land, it would probably require petrol, machinery, basic telecommunications (at least for emergencies), etc. As for today's definition of pleasure; I think that although it's different from Epicurus' definition, there are still connections. Today, pleasure is about escaping the drudgery of daily life; it can be a sleep-in or a walk by the river, or an high-class hotel room or tropical island holiday. In essence, it's about escaping the mental and physical anxieties of work. As an aside, one ad currently running on TV that really irks me is the one where a guy signs for his neighbour's new flat-screen TV. So enraptured by the pleasures it brings him, he considers deceiving his neighbour in order to keep the TV. I think this would have horrified Epicurus; seeking unnatural and unnecessary pleasures to such an extend that we're willing to steal from our neighbours. He would have pointed out that this highlights the dangers of seeking such pleasures. Indeed, the ad makes out that this is a perfectly reasonable thing to do - something we can all imagine doing. "Then you ask yourself; 'Did I sign for a package?'".

Responses have been encouraging.