伊壁鸠鲁的“快乐”（2) —— 并非你所想的享乐主义！

欢迎回到我们的伊壁鸠鲁主义系列！在上一篇文章中，我们认识了伊壁鸠鲁本人以及他在雅典的“花园”社群。今天，我们将深入探讨伊壁鸠鲁哲学中最常被误解的核心概念：快乐。

当人们听到“伊壁鸠鲁主义者”这个词时，脑海中往往会浮现出大吃大喝、放纵享乐的形象。电影和文学作品常常将伊壁鸠鲁主义者描绘成追求感官刺激和奢侈生活的人。然而，事实与此相去甚远！这种流行观念是对伊壁鸠鲁核心教义的严重歪曲。

对伊壁鸠鲁而言，快乐是人生的最高目标。但他所说的快乐，与我们今天常常联想到的“享乐”有着根本性的区别。他将快乐分为两种主要类型：

1. 动态的快乐 (Kinetic Pleasure / 动态快乐):

• 这是指通过满足欲望而产生的快乐，例如饥饿时的进食，口渴时的饮水，或追求感官刺激（如美食、美酒、性爱）时的愉悦感。

• 伊壁鸠鲁认为这类快乐是短暂的。它们是暂时的缓解，一旦欲望再次出现，痛苦也会随之而来。它们就像一个无底洞，永远无法被完全填满，反而可能导致更大的痛苦和烦恼。

2. 静态的快乐 (Katastematic Pleasure / 静态快乐)：

• 这才是伊壁鸠鲁真正推崇的、更高层次的快乐。它并非来自满足欲望，而是来自痛苦的缺失和内心的平静。

• 身体无痛 (Aponia / 阿波尼亚)：指身体上没有任何不适或疼痛。

• 心绪宁静 (Ataraxia / 阿拉塔西亚)：指心灵上没有烦恼、恐惧或焦虑，达到一种平和、不受干扰的状态。

• 伊壁鸠鲁认为，一旦身体没有痛苦，心灵没有烦恼，你就已经达到了快乐的顶峰。多余的奢侈品或感官刺激并不能增加这种状态，反而可能打破它。

3. 名言：“我们所说的快乐，是指身体的无痛和灵魂的无扰。”这句名言再次强调了伊壁鸠鲁对真正快乐的定义，将其聚焦于身体的舒适和心灵的平静。

为了更好地理解如何实现这种静态的快乐，伊壁鸠鲁提供了一个关于欲望的实用分类法。正是通过明智地管理我们的欲望，我们才能避免不必要的痛苦和烦恼：

1. 自然且必要的欲望 (Natural and Necessary):

• 例如： 消除饥饿、口渴、寒冷（需要食物、水、基本的住所和衣物）。

• 伊壁鸠鲁的建议： 这些欲望必须被满足。满足它们能迅速消除身体的痛苦，并为心绪宁静奠定基础。这些是实现幸福生活的基础。

2. 自然但不必要的欲望 (Natural but Unnecessary):

• 例如： 美食（而非仅仅饱腹）、华服（而非仅仅蔽体）、奢华的住所。

• 伊壁鸠鲁的建议： 这些欲望是可以被满足的，但应适度。它们能带来动态的快乐，但如果不加以节制，可能会带来痛苦、依赖和失望。追求它们可能会分散我们对真正平静的注意力，甚至带来疾病或经济上的困扰。

3. 非自然也不必要的欲望 (Unnatural and Unnecessary):

• 例如： 名誉、权力、财富的无限积累、社会地位。

• 伊壁鸠鲁的建议： 这些欲望应被彻底摒弃。它们是由空洞的社会观念而非我们身体或心灵的真实需求产生的。追求它们几乎必然会带来焦虑、竞争、嫉妒和永无止境的烦恼，因为它们本质上是无限的，永远无法被完全满足。

4. 名言：“简朴的生活能带来快乐，对于那些能正确处理自己欲望的人来说，这是一种安全。” (此句虽非直接对应某个欲望分类，但很好地总结了通过欲望管理实现快乐的精髓。)

伊壁鸠鲁并非完全禁止动态快乐，他承认它们的存在和短暂的吸引力。然而，他警告我们，过度追求它们以及不必要的欲望会导致：

• 痛苦的循环： 感官刺激和虚荣的追求往往是短暂的，结束后会留下空虚和对更多刺激的渴望，形成一个永无止境的循环，导致烦恼和失望。

• 依赖与脆弱： 一旦你依赖外部事物和虚名来获取快乐，你就变得脆弱。失去这些事物会带来巨大的痛苦。

• 疾病与后果： 过度放纵可能导致身体疾病，比如暴饮暴食；而对权力的追求则可能带来危险和恐惧。

因此，真正的伊壁鸠鲁主义者会谨慎地选择快乐。他们会评估每一种潜在的快乐是否值得，是否会带来长期的痛苦或烦恼。他们宁愿选择简单的生活，以确保心灵的平静和身体的健康。

想象一下，一个真正的伊壁鸠鲁主义者会选择什么：

• 他不会寻求昂贵的盛宴，因为他知道一顿简单的饭菜也能满足饥饿，而奢侈品带来的短暂快感之后往往是消化不良或对更多奢侈品的渴望。

• 他不会追逐名利和权力，因为他知道这些会带来嫉妒、竞争和持续的焦虑。

• 他会珍惜与朋友的深度对话，享受大自然的宁静，并沉思哲学思想，因为这些能带来持久的心灵平静。

总结来说，伊壁鸠鲁的“快乐”教义是关于适度、明智选择和消除痛苦，而不是无节制的享乐。它是关于实现一种深层、持久的满足感，这种满足感源于内心的平静和身体的健康，而非短暂的感官刺激。他的欲望分类法为我们提供了一个清晰的路线图，指引我们如何通过明智的生活选择达到这种状态。

在下一篇文章中，我们将探讨伊壁鸠鲁如何帮助我们克服最大的恐惧——对死亡的恐惧。敬请期待！

Welcome back to our series on Epicureanism! In our last post, we met Epicurus himself and learned about his community in "The Garden" in Athens. Today, we're diving into one of the most commonly misunderstood core concepts of Epicurean philosophy: pleasure.

When people hear the term "Epicurean," images of lavish feasts and unrestrained indulgence often come to mind. Movies and literature frequently portray Epicureans as individuals dedicated to sensory gratification and luxurious living. However, nothing could be further from the truth! This popular notion is a severe distortion of Epicurus's core teachings.

For Epicurus, pleasure was indeed the highest good. But the kind of pleasure he spoke of is fundamentally different from what we often associate with "hedonism" today. He distinguished between two main types of pleasure:

1. Kinetic Pleasure (Dynamic Pleasure):

• This refers to the pleasure that arises from satisfying a lack or desire, such as eating when hungry, drinking when thirsty, or the thrill of sensory gratification (like gourmet food, fine wine, sex).

• Epicurus saw these pleasures as fleeting. They are temporary reliefs, and once the desire returns, so does the discomfort. They are like a bottomless pit that can never be truly filled and can, in fact, lead to greater pain and disturbance.

2. Katastematic Pleasure (Static Pleasure):

• This is the higher, more profound form of pleasure that Epicurus truly advocated for. It does not come from satisfying desires, but from the absence of pain and inner tranquility.

• Aponia (Freedom from Bodily Pain): Refers to the state of having no physical discomfort or pain in the body.

• Ataraxia (Freedom from Mental Disturbance): Refers to a state of mind free from worry, fear, or anxiety, achieving a peaceful, undisturbed equilibrium.

• Epicurus argued that once the body is free from pain and the mind is free from disturbance, you have reached the peak of pleasure. Additional luxuries or sensory thrills cannot enhance this state and may even disrupt it.

3. 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 an4d trouble in the soul."This quote re-emphasizes Epicurus's definition of true pleasure, centering it on bodily comfort and mental tranquility.

To better understand how to achieve this static pleasure, Epicurus offered a practical classification of desires. It's by wisely managing our desires that we can avoid unnecessary pain and disturbance:

1. Natural and Necessary Desires:

• Examples: Eliminating hunger, thirst, or cold (i.e., needing food, water, basic shelter, and clothing).

• Epicurus's Advice: These desires must be satisfied. Fulfilling them quickly removes bodily pain and lays the groundwork for mental tranquility. These are fundamental to a happy life.

2. Natural but Unnecessary Desires:

• Examples: Gourmet food (rather than just enough to be full), elaborate clothing (rather than just enough to be covered), luxurious homes.

• Epicurus's Advice: These desires can be satisfied, but moderately. They offer kinetic pleasure, but if pursued without limit, they can lead to pain, dependence, and disappointment. Chasing them can distract from true tranquility and even lead to illness or financial stress.

3. Unnatural and Unnecessary Desires:

• Examples: Fame, power, unlimited wealth accumulation, social status.

• Epicurus's Advice: These desires should be completely rejected. They are generated by empty societal notions, not by genuine needs of our body or mind. Pursuing them almost invariably leads to anxiety, competition, envy, and never-ending vexation, as they are inherently limitless and can never be fully satisfied.

4. Quote: "The management of the pursuit and avoidance of desires rests upon right reasoning." (While not a direct quote for a specific category, it encapsulates the essence of managing desires to achieve pleasure.) A more general quote that aligns well: "Simple fare gives as much pleasure as a luxurious diet, when all the pain of want is removed." This highlights the result of wisely managing desires.

Epicurus did not forbid kinetic pleasures entirely; he acknowledged their existence and fleeting appeal. However, he warned that excessive pursuit of them, and of unnecessary desires, leads to:

• A Cycle of Discomfort: Sensory thrills and the pursuit of vain glory are often temporary, leaving behind a void and a craving for more, creating an endless cycle that leads to vexation and disappointment.

• Dependence and Vulnerability: If you rely on external things and fleeting renown for your pleasure, you become vulnerable. Losing those things will bring great suffering.

• Illness and Consequences: Overindulgence can lead to physical ailments, such as indigestion from overeating; and the pursuit of power can bring danger and fear.

Therefore, a true Epicurean would carefully select their pleasures. They would evaluate whether each potential pleasure is worth it, and if it might lead to long-term pain or disturbance. They would rather choose a simple life to ensure peace of mind and good health.

Imagine what a true Epicurean would choose:

• He would not seek out expensive banquets, knowing that a simple meal can satisfy hunger just as well, and that the brief thrill of luxury often leads to indigestion or a craving for more.

• He would not chase fame or power, knowing these bring envy, competition, and constant anxiety.

• He would cherish deep conversations with friends, enjoy the tranquility of nature, and contemplate philosophical ideas, as these bring lasting peace of mind.

In summary, Epicurus's doctrine of "pleasure" is about moderation, wise choice, and the elimination of suffering, not unrestrained indulgence. It's about achieving a deep, lasting satisfaction that stems from inner peace and bodily health, rather than fleeting sensory thrills. His classification of desires provides a clear roadmap for how to achieve this state through intelligent life choices.

In our next post, we'll explore how Epicurus helped people overcome one of their greatest fears – the fear of death. Stay tuned!