Epicurean Ethics: Katastematic Hedonism (Studies in the History of Philosophy)

Ch. 1. Introduction -- Ch. 2. The Gods. Universality Of Belief In Gods. Epistemology: The Skeptical Background. The Truth Of Sensations. From Sensation To Existence. A Procedural Theory Of Truth. The Existence Of The Gods. The Indifference Of The Gods. The Nature Of The Gods. The Ethical Relevance Of The Gods -- Ch. 3. Death. We Are Mortal. The Desire For Immortality. A Mortal Life Can Be Good -- Ch. 4. The Good. Work Or Pleasure. The Good: A Platonic Notion. Pleasure: A Familiar Good. The Cradle Argument. The Conceptual Argument. Pleasure As The Good. Pain As The Bad -- Ch. 5. Pleasure And Pain. Pleasure And The Absence Of Pain. The Limit Of Pleasure. Pleasure And Pain Are Evaluations. Pleasure And Pain As Ethical Criteria -- Ch. 6. Kinetic And Katastematic Pleasure. Two Recent Interpretations. Gosling And Taylor. Rist And Merlan. Kinetic And Katastematic Pleasure -- Ch. 7. Social Philosophy: Justice And Friendship. Justice. Friendship -- Ch. 8. The Good Life. The Pleasant Life. Virtue. General Advice. The Good Life -- Ch. 9. Conclusion. The Core. The Periphery. Peter Preuss. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [265]-269) And Indexes. The fundamental problem of Epicurean philosophy is understood as the problem of being human in a mechanical universe, which brings out the philosophical importance of Epicurus and guards against treating him as a museum piece. This interpretation of Epicurean ethics is developed against the background of a critical discussion of earlier interpretations. Although the whole range of the "tetrapharmakos" is covered in the book, as well as the Epicurean social philosophy of justice and friendship, the argument focuses on Epicurus' understanding of the nature of pleasure, and pain and on the distinction between kinetic and katastematic pleasure.