Principal Doctrine 19

<<Prev | Principal Doctrines | Next>>

Translation

Infinite and finite time afford equal pleasure, if one measures its limits by reason.

Analysis

In this Doctrine, Epicurus begins to present his understanding of the "durational" attribute of pleasure; this topic is continued in the following Principal Doctrine 20.

A (hypothetical) infinite amount of time contains no more pleasure than a finite one, claims Epicurus. With this terse, apostrophic pronouncement, he refers to several crucial tenets of his overall teaching: pleasure, wealth, mortality, et al.

Epicurus seems to hold the truth of this observation nearly self-evident, claiming that just about "anyone who has reasoned" about the limits of pleasures surely sees the point as he does. If, for example, one has had a satisfactory dinner that lasted for an hour, there is no good reason to stay around the dinner-table for yet another hour, or countless more; the pleasure would simply be no greater.

As wealth --at least "natural" wealth-- provides for the gratification of such natural and necessary desires as hunger for food, it, too, is time-indifferent: more wealth would only buy "more time at the dinner-table", and is therefore of no additional value.

Finally, death is, as far as the individual is concerned, "the end of time"; yet it is hardly to be dreaded, as it ends a time which, even if it had been extended indefinitely, would have contained no more pleasure whatsoever than it already has.