When we say, then, that pleasure is the end and the aim... we mean the absence of pain in the body and trouble in the soul.
Epicurus

The Tumult of the Soul
Topic: Joy & Happiness
When we say, then, that pleasure is the end and the aim, we do not mean the pleasures of the prodigal or the pleasure of sensuality, as we are understood to do through ignorance, prejudice, or willful misrepresentation. By pleasure we mean the absence of pain in the body and trouble in the soul. It is not an unbroken succession of drinking bouts and of revelry, not sexual lust, not the enjoyment of fish and other delicacies of a luxurious table, that produces a pleasant life. It is rather sober reasoning, searching out the grounds of choice and avoidance, and banishing those beliefs that lead to the tumult of the soul.
Letter to Menoeceus
Cook, Vincent. “Epicurus - Letter to Menoeceus.” Epicurus & Epicurean Philosophy, www.epicurus.net/en/menoeceus.html, [Epicurus, Letter to Menoeceus].
Epicurus
Epicurus
Resources
Related Quotes
Copyright © 2017 – 2023 LuminaryQuotes.com About Us