cover of episode CM 277: Emily Austin on a Recipe for Happiness

CM 277: Emily Austin on a Recipe for Happiness

2024/10/21
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Gayle Allen: 本期节目探讨了如何运用伊壁鸠鲁的哲学思想来提升幸福感,并与斯多葛学派进行了比较。 Emily Austin: 伊壁鸠鲁的快乐观并非简单的享乐主义,而是追求一种长久的宁静状态。他认为,最好的快乐是消除焦虑,这需要我们专注于对身心健康至关重要的快乐,并避免那些会带来痛苦和不满的快乐。他将欲望分为三类:必要的欲望、奢侈的欲望和腐蚀性的欲望。必要的欲望是维持幸福生活的必需品,例如食物、住所和朋友;奢侈的欲望是可以享受但并非必需的;腐蚀性的欲望是永无止境的,会带来焦虑和痛苦。 伊壁鸠鲁强调友谊的重要性,他认为真正的友谊建立在信任和共同价值观的基础上,朋友不仅能在困难时提供帮助,还能共同享受快乐。与斯多葛学派不同,伊壁鸠鲁认为幸福需要策略,并非仅仅追求容易获得的快乐。我们需要规划我们的生活,将我们的价值观融入到日常生活中,并在追求目标的同时保持内心的平静。他还认为,死亡并非坏事,我们应该坦然面对死亡,避免对死亡的恐惧影响我们的生活。 伊壁鸠鲁的哲学思想对现代人仍然具有重要的指导意义,它帮助我们更好地理解快乐、幸福和焦虑之间的关系,并为我们提供了一套追求宁静与幸福的策略。 Emily Austin: 伊壁鸠鲁的哲学思想的核心是追求一种长久的宁静状态(ataraxia),这与斯多葛学派的观点有所不同。斯多葛学派强调美德是唯一善,而伊壁鸠鲁则认为美德是获得宁静的关键,但并非唯一善。伊壁鸠鲁认为,最好的快乐是消除焦虑,这需要我们专注于对身心健康至关重要的快乐,并避免那些会带来痛苦和不满的快乐。他认为,朋友是幸福的关键,而对科学的理解有助于消除迷信带来的焦虑。他还提出了一种三分类的欲望理论,将欲望分为必要的欲望、奢侈的欲望和腐蚀性的欲望,并强调要避免追求腐蚀性的欲望。在处理人生重大事件,例如死亡时,伊壁鸠鲁主张理性地看待,避免不必要的焦虑。

Deep Dive

Shownotes Transcript

When we’re looking for insights on how to make friends, manage our anxiety, or just live a happier life, we rarely look to the past. Instead, we tend to focus on what today’s thinkers have to say.

But what if the recipe for happiness lies in the past, specifically the 2000-year-old past? What if the ancient writings of Greek philosopher Epicurus hold the answers?

That’s what modern-day philosopher, Emily Austin, argues in her book, Living for Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life. She teaches us what Epicurus really thought about pleasure and why he made it a cornerstone of his life. She also points out the advantages of an Epicurean mindset over a Stoic one.

Emily’s book is proof that we still have much to learn, for our work and our life, from the ancient Greek philosophers, especially Epicurus!

Episode Links

The Good Life is the One Where Anxiety Falls by the Wayside

The Epicurean Search for Happiness and Serenity

Interview with Tali Sharot

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Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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