欢迎来到一个新系列，我们将探索伊壁鸠鲁主义 —— 一个常被误解，但对寻找美好生活却极其相关的哲学。还有什么比认识这位哲学家本人更好的开始方式呢？

伊壁鸠鲁出生于公元前341年左右的萨摩斯岛，生活在古希腊思想百家争鸣的时代。他不是一位深居象牙塔的哲学家；他的一生致力于实践智慧并与他人分享。

他创立了自己的哲学学派，即著名的“花园”，在雅典，大约公元前307年。这并非像柏拉图或亚里士多德那样正式的学院。相反，“花园”是一个社群，一个宁静的避世之所，伊壁鸠鲁和他的追随者们——包括女性甚至奴隶（在当时这是一种激进的包容）——在这里共同生活、学习并追求幸福。这是一个充满热烈讨论、简单餐食和深厚友谊的地方。

伊壁鸠鲁，尽管人们普遍误解他的哲学（我们稍后会讨论这些！），却绝非一个饕餮者或低级享乐主义者。事实上，许多轶事和他的言论描绘了一个极其节制甚至禁欲的形象：

• 简单的喜悦： 伊壁鸠鲁深知真正的满足来自对简单事物的欣赏。 名言：“给我大麦饼和水，我将在幸福上与宙斯竞争。”这句名言不仅显示了他的节制，更强调了真正的快乐源于内心，而非外部的奢华。对伊壁鸠鲁而言，即使是简单的奶酪，也能带来极大的满足感，他甚至曾为此写信给朋友。

• 友谊的基石： “花园”以其坚固的友谊而闻名。伊壁鸠鲁本人非常珍视他的朋友，认为友谊是幸福生活的核心。 名言：“在所有智慧所提供的，用以获得完整幸福的东西中，友谊是其中最重要的。”这充分体现了其哲学的社群性，友谊被视为比任何物质财富都更宝贵。

• “隐秘的生活”： 伊壁鸠鲁提倡过一种“隐秘的生活”（希腊语：λάβέ βιώσας, lathe biōsas）。这并非意味着孤立自己，而是避免公共生活、政治抱负以及随之而来的名利和权力带来的焦虑。 名言：“过隐秘的生活。”这一箴言是为了培养内心的平静，不受外部压力的干扰，因为追求公众的认可和权力往往会带来更多的烦恼而非幸福。

那么，伊壁鸠鲁到底追求什么呢？其核心是，伊壁鸠鲁主义是一种专注于通过**心绪宁静（ataraxia）和身体无痛（aponia）来达到幸福（eudaimonia）**的哲学。

以下是他核心思想的最简要概括，我们将在后续文章中详细探讨：

• 快乐是目标，但并非你所想： 对伊壁鸠鲁而言，快乐并非指放纵。它主要是指没有痛苦和免于烦扰。最高的快乐是智力上的，来源于内心的平静。 名言：“我们所说的快乐，是指身体的无痛和灵魂的无扰。”这直接定义了伊壁鸠鲁主义的快乐观，将其与感官放纵区分开来。

• 恐惧是我们的敌人： 许多痛苦来源于非理性的恐惧——尤其是对死亡的恐惧和对神的恐惧。伊壁鸠鲁试图通过理性和理解来使人们摆脱这些焦虑。

• 神灵是冷漠的： 伊壁鸠鲁相信神灵是完美、幸福的存在，但对人类事务不感兴趣。他们既不惩罚也不奖励，所以无需惧怕他们。 名言：“如果上帝倾听人类的祈祷，那么所有人很快就会灭亡：因为他们总是互相祈求邪恶。”这有力地说明了伊壁鸠鲁对神灵超然存在的看法，以及对人类本性的深刻洞察。

• 死亡与我们无关： 伊壁鸠鲁认为，死亡仅仅是感觉和意识的停止，从而没有什么好惧怕的。 名言：“死亡与我们无关；因为只要我们存在，死亡就不存在；当死亡来临时，我们就不再存在了。”这句名言简洁而深刻地表达了伊壁鸠鲁对死亡的看法，旨在消除人类对死亡的根深蒂固的恐惧。

• 友谊是关键： 真诚的友谊对于幸福和安稳的生活至关重要。

• 节制和自给自足： 简单生活、培养适度的欲望以及自给自足是减少焦虑和实现满足感的重要途径。

这仅仅是我们伊壁鸠鲁主义之旅的开始。在接下来的文章中，我们将深入探讨这些引人入胜的概念，消除常见的误解并揭示伊壁鸠鲁为今天生活提供的深刻智慧。

敬请期待！

Meet Epicurus (1） – The Philosopher of Joyful Living

Welcome to a new series where we'll explore Epicureanism, a philosophy often misunderstood, yet profoundly relevant to finding a good life. And what better way to begin than by meeting the man himself?

Born around 341 BCE on the island of Samos, Epicurus lived in a time of great intellectual ferment in ancient Greece. He wasn't a philosopher who stayed cloistered in an ivory tower; his life was dedicated to practical wisdom and sharing it with others.

He founded his philosophical school, famously known as "The Garden," in Athens around 307 BCE. This wasn't a formal academy like Plato's or Aristotle's. Instead, The Garden was a community, a serene retreat where Epicurus and his followers, including women and even slaves – a radical inclusion for the time – lived, studied, and pursued happiness together. It was a place of lively discussion, simple meals, and deep friendship.

Epicurus, despite the common misinterpretations of his philosophy (we'll tackle those later!), was far from a glutton or hedonist in the base sense. In fact, many anecdotes and his own words paint a picture of a remarkably moderate and even ascetic individual:

• The Joy of Simplicity: Epicurus understood that true contentment came from appreciating simple things. Quote: "Give me barley-cake and water, and I will vie with Zeus for happiness."This famous quote not only illustrates his moderation but also emphasizes that true happiness stems from within, not from external extravagance. For Epicurus, even simple cheese could bring immense satisfaction, and he is said to have written to a friend specifically for it.

• The Cornerstone of Friendship: The Garden was renowned for the strength of its friendships. Epicurus himself cherished his friends deeply, considering friendship a cornerstone of a happy life. Quote: "Of all the means to ensure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the possession of friends."This powerfully demonstrates the communal aspect of his philosophy, valuing friendship above any material wealth.

• The "Hidden Life": Epicurus advocated for living a "hidden life" ( λάθε βιώσας, lathe biōsas). This didn't mean isolating oneself, but rather avoiding public life, political ambition, and the anxieties that come with fame and power. Quote: "Live unknown." (Often translated as "Live a hidden life.")This maxim was about cultivating inner peace, undisturbed by external pressures, as the pursuit of public recognition and power often brings more vexation than happiness.

So, what was Epicurus really about? At its heart, Epicureanism is a philosophy focused on achieving happiness (eudaimonia) through tranquility (ataraxia) and freedom from bodily pain (aponia).

Here are the briefest of glimpses into his core ideas, which we'll explore in much more detail:

• Pleasure is the Goal, But Not What You Think: For Epicurus, pleasure isn't about wild indulgence. It's primarily about the absence of pain and freedom from disturbance. The highest pleasures are intellectual and come from peace of mind. Quote: "When we say, then, that pleasure is the end and aim, we do not mean the pleasures of the prodigal or the pleasures of sensuality... By pleasure we mean the absence of pain in the body an1d trouble in the soul."This quote directly defines the Epicurean view of pleasure, distinguishing it from mere sensory indulgence.

• Fear is Our Enemy: Much suffering comes from irrational fears – especially the fear of death and the fear of the gods. Epicurus sought to liberate people from these anxieties through reason and understanding.

• The Gods are Indifferent: Epicurus believed the gods were perfect, blissful beings, but uninterested in human affairs. They neither punish nor reward, so there's no need to fear them. Quote: "If God listened to the prayers of men, all men would quickly have perished: for they are forever praying for evil against one ano3ther."This powerfully illustrates Epicurus's view of the gods' detached existence and his keen insight into human nature.

• Death is Nothing to Us: Epicurus argued that death is simply the cessation of sensation and consciousness, and thus nothing to fear. Quote: "Death, therefore, the most awful of evils, is nothing to us, seeing that, when we are, death is not come, and, when death is come, we are not."This concise and profound statement encapsulates Epicurus's argument for overcoming humanity's deeply ingrained fear of death.

• Friendship is Key: Genuine friendships are crucial for a happy and secure life.

• Moderation and Self-Sufficiency: Living simply, cultivating moderate desires, and becoming self-sufficient are vital for reducing anxiety and achieving contentment.

This is just the beginning of our journey into Epicureanism. In the coming posts, we'll dive deeper into these fascinating concepts, dispelling common myths and uncovering the profound wisdom that Epicurus offers for living a fulfilling life even today.

Stay tuned!