The Wisdom of Hypatia: Ancient Spiritual Practices for a More Meaningful Life by Bruce J. MacLennan Page A
Authors: Bruce J. MacLennan
Ads: Link
will see in the next chapter that the Porch is more open to involvement in the wid-er world, and that it teaches techniques for living philosophically while doing so. But it’s worth returning to the Garden whenever ambition becomes an end in itself.
The Epicurean idea of tranquility is summarized well by Synesius in his first hymn, which he probably wrote while he was studying under Hypatia:
But I would choose to lead a life serene,
Humble, by all, except my God, unseen—
A life most fit for youth, most fit for age,
In which wise poverty can calmly smile,
Untouch’d by all the bitter cares that rage
Round those who with the world their hearts engage.
Let me have but enough to keep me free
From suing beggary at my neighbor’s door,
Lest hungry want should bend my soul to see
Nought but the loathsome cares that grind the poor.62
Ambition Assessment: Spend some time thinking about your career and your ambi-tions. What are your goals? What desires are you attempting to fulfill? You are
probably choosing present “pains” (work, stress, lack of leisure, competition,
etc.) for the sake of future pleasures (wealth, recognition, power, influence,
leisure, etc.), but what exactly are those hoped-for pleasures? Classify them and
do the Epicurean trade-off. Record your conclusions in your journal.
64 seeking tranquility in the garden
Justice
Although the ultimate ground of Epicurean ethics is individual experience of pleasure and pain, the philosophers of the Garden were well aware that it is difficult to be happy in isolation, first because we benefit from mutual aid, and second because companionship is itself a natural pleasure. Therefore, while the master pointed out the disadvantages of political and social ambition, he was also aware of the importance of society to human happiness.
In fact, Epicurus taught a kind of evolutionary anthropology, tracing the development of human culture from a primitive and brutal “every man for himself ” state to a social system recognizing justice as a central principle.63 The Garden’s justice is built on human nature refined by rational norms. The basis is “nature’s justice,” which is neither to harm another nor to be harmed:
Natural justice is a covenant for mutual benefit,
to not harm one another or be harmed.64
This justice, which is grounded in mutual aid, extends even to domesticated animals; they help us and in turn we care for them. Although animals cannot make contracts,
among humans there should be an implicit social contract to neither hurt nor be hurt, as the master said:
Absolute justice does not exist. There are only mutual agreements among people,
made at various times and places, not to inflict nor allow harm.65
Evildoers are prevented from harming people by the threat of punishment. Epicurus
is not concerned about punishment in an afterlife, for he says that the criminal cannot escape pain, either punishment now, or present anxiety in anticipation of future punishment.
Even up to the moment of death, he says, criminals can never be sure they have escaped, and so they will be afraid. On the other hand, the life of the just person is free of such worry, as the following maxim reminds us:
The just man is the freest of anyone from anxiety;
but the unjust man is perpetually haunted by it.66
Therefore you can see that the philosophers of the Garden are not “noble savage”
primitivists urging that everything would be well if we went back to living like our Pa-seeking tranquility in the garden 65
leolithic ancestors. Instead, they saw that human happiness depends on rational laws and constitutional government grounded in human nature.
Laws are made for the wise:
not to keep them from doing wrong,
but to keep them from being wronged.67
The Greek word dikê , which I have been translating “justice,” means to give everyone what they are due.68 All people are equal in that (1) they aspire to tranquility, (2) they have a right to it,
The Epicurean idea of tranquility is summarized well by Synesius in his first hymn, which he probably wrote while he was studying under Hypatia:
But I would choose to lead a life serene,
Humble, by all, except my God, unseen—
A life most fit for youth, most fit for age,
In which wise poverty can calmly smile,
Untouch’d by all the bitter cares that rage
Round those who with the world their hearts engage.
Let me have but enough to keep me free
From suing beggary at my neighbor’s door,
Lest hungry want should bend my soul to see
Nought but the loathsome cares that grind the poor.62
Ambition Assessment: Spend some time thinking about your career and your ambi-tions. What are your goals? What desires are you attempting to fulfill? You are
probably choosing present “pains” (work, stress, lack of leisure, competition,
etc.) for the sake of future pleasures (wealth, recognition, power, influence,
leisure, etc.), but what exactly are those hoped-for pleasures? Classify them and
do the Epicurean trade-off. Record your conclusions in your journal.
64 seeking tranquility in the garden
Justice
Although the ultimate ground of Epicurean ethics is individual experience of pleasure and pain, the philosophers of the Garden were well aware that it is difficult to be happy in isolation, first because we benefit from mutual aid, and second because companionship is itself a natural pleasure. Therefore, while the master pointed out the disadvantages of political and social ambition, he was also aware of the importance of society to human happiness.
In fact, Epicurus taught a kind of evolutionary anthropology, tracing the development of human culture from a primitive and brutal “every man for himself ” state to a social system recognizing justice as a central principle.63 The Garden’s justice is built on human nature refined by rational norms. The basis is “nature’s justice,” which is neither to harm another nor to be harmed:
Natural justice is a covenant for mutual benefit,
to not harm one another or be harmed.64
This justice, which is grounded in mutual aid, extends even to domesticated animals; they help us and in turn we care for them. Although animals cannot make contracts,
among humans there should be an implicit social contract to neither hurt nor be hurt, as the master said:
Absolute justice does not exist. There are only mutual agreements among people,
made at various times and places, not to inflict nor allow harm.65
Evildoers are prevented from harming people by the threat of punishment. Epicurus
is not concerned about punishment in an afterlife, for he says that the criminal cannot escape pain, either punishment now, or present anxiety in anticipation of future punishment.
Even up to the moment of death, he says, criminals can never be sure they have escaped, and so they will be afraid. On the other hand, the life of the just person is free of such worry, as the following maxim reminds us:
The just man is the freest of anyone from anxiety;
but the unjust man is perpetually haunted by it.66
Therefore you can see that the philosophers of the Garden are not “noble savage”
primitivists urging that everything would be well if we went back to living like our Pa-seeking tranquility in the garden 65
leolithic ancestors. Instead, they saw that human happiness depends on rational laws and constitutional government grounded in human nature.
Laws are made for the wise:
not to keep them from doing wrong,
but to keep them from being wronged.67
The Greek word dikê , which I have been translating “justice,” means to give everyone what they are due.68 All people are equal in that (1) they aspire to tranquility, (2) they have a right to it,
Similar Books
