Question

How would you define Lucretius's views on pleasure in his work De Rerum Natura?

Accepted Answer

This is an excellent question. A few preliminary sentence will be important to answer this question.
First, it is correct to say that Lucretius was an Epicurean, which meant that pleasure or the absence of pain was one of the chief aims of this philosophy. In this sense, the work of Lucretius can be seen a hedonistic. However, there is a big qualification here. We must not be anachronistic. This leads me to my second point.
Second, for Lucretrius the way to gain pleasure was to live modestly and to understand the workings of the world. Lucretius believed that if a person understood that the world was made of atoms and that the gods were far off and did not really care about the everyday lives of humans, then people would live modestly and without fear. When this took place, then they would reach a state of tranquility (ataraxia). Here is a small quote that exemplifies this point from Lucretius "The greatest wealth is to live content with little, for there is never want where the mind is satisfied." This was the goal for Lucretius and other Epicureans.
Lucretius' massive epic poem on the Nature of Things is a manual for Epicurean living and an apologetic to defend the Epicurean worldview and to free people from the fear of death, so that they could live "pleasurable lives."

Answer

For Lucretius, as with all Epicureans, pleasure is conceived of primarily in intellectual terms. Contrary to popular belief, Epicureans did not advocate a life of gluttony and hedonistic excess. Instead, they argued that the pleasures of this world should be enjoyed in moderation. This would allow them to be sustained over time.
And it's the same with intellectual pleasure. If what Lucretius regards as the correct mental attitude can be sustained, then the individual will experience the pleasure that comes from being freed from the fear of death. Here as elsewhere, true pleasure transcends the fleeting moment. Anyone can enjoy the pleasures of the here and now; it certainly doesn't require much in the way of intellectual effort to eat or drink to excess. But sustaining the right attitude towards death is a different matter entirely. That requires substantial commitment and self-discipline. On this reading, enlightenment is a work in progress towards which the wise individual is constantly striving. And this in itself induces pleasure.

De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) by Titus Lucretius Carus

How would you define Lucretius's views on pleasure in his work De Rerum Natura?

Expert Answers info

Unlock This Answer Now

Related Questions

Ask a Question

Popular Questions

Additional Links