Paper on Epicurus

Epicurus
Epicurus is famous for being a ancient Greek Philosopher that created the school of philosophy called Epicureanism. His thoughts of pleasure and pain go much deeper than crying or smiling. He went beyond what others were doing, by standing back and watching the bigger picture of what’s morally right and wrong. Epicurus had a goal for human life and it is being happy, but happiness comes from absence of physical pain and mental disturbance. What that says is that we put ourselves through so much mental and physical pain to receive very little happiness. Epicurus as a Philosopher was ahead of his time and really put everyone’s ideas, thoughts, fears, and pleasures in words and explained how they worked in our bodies.
There are two types of pleasure that we endure. The two are Kinetic and katastematic. The kind of pleasure we receive from kinetic is such as performing something just like eating or drinking. The food now makes us happier and satisfied for time being. Basically kinetic is some sort of activity that makes you feel happy. When your happy, you are more prone to live a exciting and progressive life. Katastematic gives us pleasure that feels like almost being totally isolated. What this means is you are receiving pleasure from not being distracted or bugged by others, makes you feel free. The absence of katastematic pleasure in the soul, is the highest good according to Epicures. The importance of kinetic and katastematic pleasures is that they occur in the body and soul.
Epicurus thoughts on anxiety were that when people thought of death or other things most people don’t want to go through, they receive anxiety. Most of the anxiety you can have is probably from the thought of outrageous and impossible desires. By setting future goals and not obtaining them, this also can give you anxiety.
The elimination process of anxiety can be done by nothing fast pace, his process is time. Our society already has an idea on how the world works and the thought of a change is not handled very well. He purposed various trainings to help assist the change there way of thinking. The first one was to eliminate politics for good. Secondly, not concerning ourselves with others problems, their way of there livings, nor the behavior they express. The role as a friend is very essential but the role of sex and marriage are seen as unsure in the removal of anxiety.
The removal of anxiety Epicurus thought it would make everyone’s emotions be totally different, this would allow us to never forget or regret, it leaves us free and open to a world of adventures. Epicurus thought temptations would cause us anxiety also. When our minds find something’s unreachable or unable to get, we seem to get nervous or excited when around the temptation. By pursuing mental and physical pleasures the result is the thought of peace of mind or knowing a goal was achieved. Getting over the fear of death and the misunderstanding of gods, there is no afterlife. He believed that the soul dies with the body. The overcoming of those fears will lead order to live a pleasant life. I believe that Epicurus has some points to ponder on such as removal of anxiety and to work on mental and physical pleasures. The reason of his philosophy is to make ourselves happy within by taking care of ourselves and the ones who love us. Happiness comes within our bodies; the only person that can make you happy is yourself. You are the only one who knows your mental and physical pleasures. I don’t agree with Epicurus about the social evolution habits because in today’s day of growth, a lot of traditions are mixed in the United States and not many are seen as different as much as decades before.
Epicurus words seem to be right in the aspect of our minds thinking that we wont succeed it will produce depression or despair. By producing misery, it makes us unhappy for what ever we feel the want for. Epicurus words look, as there are no excitements in life and all emotions play off absences of pain. This is also a thing I disagree with. I believe that you can have happiness and feel it too, but you can also feel and have sadness. The way you live you life in your choice, what will you choose to feel and have?