According to Epicurus, ethics are based on sentience. The epicurean way of life revolves around attaining what is pleasurable and avoiding what is painful. The life of pleasure is a good life per Epicurus and is by no means a life of excess. The pleasure that Epicurus refers to is found in his “Letter to Menoeceus” where he summarizes his ethical doctrines and identifies the appropriate amount of pleasure one needs to live a good life. The good is pleasure for Epicurus, and it is not something one should take for granted. The pleasure one gets by doing the simple things in life is what Epicurus is trying to get across in his letter. Pleasure in most lives is something thought of as an excess or something you must go out of your way to get like pizza or a back rub. Epicurus believes that pleasure is accessible to all with the right amount of wisdom. An individual who has nothing at all can experience extreme pleasure from a piece of bread and a splash of water. Epicurus defines pleasure by “the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the soul” (epicurus,3). The definition means that we can all experience pleasure by avoiding pain. So, if one is hungry or thirsty, they are experiencing some pain, one only needs a simple solution to these problems. He uses the example of an entire banquet of delicacies and fish which he deems unnecessary. One should turn to a simple solution rather than one blown out of proportion. Therefore, pleasure attained by one who practices a minimalist lifestyle and an ethical life will follow from that practice.
“the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the soul”
- Epicurus
An ethical life for Epicurus is a minimalist approach to avoiding pain and savoring pleasure. The implication that he makes in this letter clearly gives the reader a message to act in a straightforward fashion. One will do good to others if they are avoiding pain. He uses the gods as an example of how one should act; if you are a fine model of the gods, then your reward is their blessing. The absence of pain in combination with simple actions are what create a good society for Epicurus. As a citizen to this society, wisdom will serve you well towards a pleasant life; for “we cannot live pleasantly without living wisely” (Epicurus, 3). The statement demands that wisdom is necessary for a good life because if we cannot live pleasantly then what else but pain is there? A person wisdom will know how much is enough when it comes to pleasure and what to avoid when it comes to pain. The act of living right as an old man is mentioned in the text as a person that embraces death and dismisses it. The old man should not have to live in fear of something he does not know. Therefore, if you are living then you are not dead, so how does one know death? Why should one even worry about it? The old man, therefore, will live a better life as one who embraces the concept in a meager way and dismisses it in a rational way.