Greek philosophy aspired to be a philosophy of life, asking the question what was the real purpose of human life. Or rather, how one could best fulfil this life.
Fame, power, money and pleasure were the usual suspects. While philosophers also put forward knowledge, and especially self-knowledge. But how did this relate to traditional pursuits like pleasure? Even on a more theoretical level, ancient philosophers explored pleasure as a concept. How do you define pleasure? Are there different kinds? How did it originate? And how should one deal with it?
On both a practical and theoretical level, there have been numerous views on pleasure since Socrates and Plato.
Throughout the history of philosophy, numerous visions of pleasure have passed in review. Danny Praet focuses on hedonism and how it relates to Epicureanism. He compares both movements with the ideas of the Stoa, a philosophy that is not usually linked to pleasure. However, Praet concludes that pleasure is not just a ‘passion’ to be renounced. Pleasure is given a very nuanced place in all philosophical schools, both on a theoretical and practical level.
Curious to see what lessons we can take away for our everyday lives.
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