Epicurean solutions for our burning problems – Prof. Hossenfelder’s views (2): needs-based economy for more happiness

August 22, 2009 · Filed Under Epicurean Happiness Guidance, Epicurean solutions, happiness-boosters, sustainability · Comment 

Malte Hossenfelder sees Epicurus’s topicality in the first place in the fact that the economy propagated by Epicurus and practiced by his followers for 800 years was a needs-based economy. Practicing it today would eliminate two of the major problems we are facing:

 

 

a.The overexploitation of natural resources:

Epicurus’s taught that power, status and material wealth arte not relevant for a happy life. The Epicurean communities had been practicing the frugal, needs-based economical way of life they learned from Epicurus and were happy with it. They professed and practiced sustainability for 800 years. Living in a needs-based economy we wouldn’t have to worry about our natural resources or climate change. We could lead far more stressFREE and thus happier lives.
 

 

b. The social tensions between rich and poor

Tahe social tensions between rich and poor are at the heart of numerous conflicts and collisions that would disappear – or at least significantly decrease –  if people lived according to Epicurus’s teachings. Instead of producing more for the richer, we could share our resources with the poorer thus reducing antagonisms and thereby also stress.

to be continued

 

 

 

   

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

   

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

   

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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Epicurean solutions for our burning problems – Prof. Hossenfelder’s views (1)

August 21, 2009 · Filed Under Epicurean Happiness Guidance, happiness-boosters, sustainability · Comment 

Malte Hossenfelder is one of the few professional philosophers who had the courage to tackle and understand and explain convincingly Epicurus’s SUBdivision of necessary and natural desires (the “non-professional”  - in the sense of amateur in the sense of making a living from something else – philosophers having tackled this successfully are Victor Kioulaphides and Tome Merle in the Epicurean Group  on Yahoo).

Beyond a good understanding of Epicurus’s philosphy Hossenfelder expresses his conviction that the Epicureay Way of living has a high topicality for all of us today. He sees Epicurus’s topicality in the 21st century in five fields.

As his book on Epicurus  (Epikur,  Verlag C.H. Beck, 1998, München) is available only in German as far as I know, I will summarize here his recommendations.

  1. The role of needs-based economy in producing happiness
  2. The role of science in producing happiness
  3. The role of autarky in producing happiness
  4. The immediate and direct availability of happiness
  5. The role of philosophy in forming ethical norms and defining a lifestyle

I will shortly present each of these domains in the next days.

You may get more information in German on Professor Hossenfelder here:

 http://www.uni-graz.at/malte.hossenfelder/site.php?show=1

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