Vatican Saying 77

From Epicurus Wiki

Jump to: navigation, search

<<Prev | Vatican Sayings | Next>>

Translation

Template:Vatican Saying 77

Analysis

Despite its extreme brevity, this Saying encapsulates the essence of Epicurean teaching: the benefit of attaining self-sufficiency (i.e. by applying Epicurus' doctine of the desires) is nothing less than freedom (from anxiety, thus ataraxia). Self-sufficiency is therefore not an end-goal itself (as ascetic idealists would argue), but a means to the ultimate goal of a life ridden of anxiety.

It would have been virtually impossible, within the workings of the Greek language, to say so much in so few words.

Personal tools