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A Lesson in Philosophy
Young Mag eagerly scampered through the ruins of an ancient city. Though only 11, he could deftly leap from stone to stone as his fluffy ears flopped in the breeze with each bound. The ruins lay in the shadow of a great alabaster and gold pyramid, long abandoned by the that civilization built it. The eerie memento formed the perfect background to Mag’s imaginary adventure, in which he pretended escape from the structure as it crumbled to dust. The young Shepherd enjoyed these outings, in spite their educational purpose, it allowed him to let loose with his imagination and adventurous spirit. Mostly, however, because it provided him a reprieve from his other class mates, who would mercilessly tease him since he could not yet get his ears to stand on their own.
“Mag”. The baritone sound of his tutor’s voice halted Mag’s stride. Stretching himself up to his full height, he managed to raise a single ear momentarily to try and find where the sound came from. Mag turned his head back and forth as though scanning for more sounds, trying to hear for the brief moment he could keep the one ear fully erect. Unable to find his pursuer before his ear flopped down, he bolted as quickly as he could to find cover. He hastily searched the area for a good hiding spot. Mag found his spot under a large pillar that had collapsed over a set of stones, forming a small cranny he could disappear into. Vaulting his feet forward, he slid into the cover, and poked his head out to where just eyes and ears could be seen, giggling ever so slightly as he watched for his tutor.
“Today is not a good day for your games,” the voice moaned with a hint of exasperation. Mag now could hear the footfalls of his tutor, Kiron. A powerfully built tiger, whose strong, muscularly features were hidden beneath the simple robes he wore on his shoulders. The cloak also hid a jeweled belt, holding numerous parchments and scholarly tools that Kiron carried with him in such outings. “Today’s lesson is too important for this.”
Mag let out another chortle as he watched Kiron’s vexation. The sound, however, did not go unnoticed by Kiron, who turned in the direction of Mag’s hiding spot. “Besides young pup,” he said with a grin, “you never were very good at hiding from me.” Kiron outstretched a single claw, and made a beckoning motion towards the pillar. The sound of rock scratching against rock filled the air as the fallen pillar began to rise. But as the stone to stone friction ceased, the pillar levitated gently in the air just in front of Kiron.
“Alright young one”, Kiron said, smiling warmly towards the impishly grinning pup, “today’s games are over, for in this lesson, I need your undivided attention.” Kiron extended a claw towards a small ledge near where the pillar originally stood. At this command, the floating pillar slowly lay itself on the ledge, releasing a slight stony “thud” once it was set. Mag took his tutor’s cue and bounded up to the now resting pillar, perching himself attentively on it for the day’s lesson.
“Today we will discuss the reason behind the rise and fall of civilizations” Kiron stated, extending one claw to the sky, and simultaneously motioning to the ground with his other paw. “Look around you and see the ruins of the First who were able to conquer the environment around them and submit it to their will.” Kiron motioned to the to the ruins surrounding them them. He then made a grand sweeping gesture towards the pyramids, and announced in a grand, booming tone, “Some, who know nothing of this history, believe that the fall of this civilization can be attributed to fickle and angry gods, who smote them out of boredom or displeasure,” he then leaned in closely to the young canine, lowering his voice to a harsh whisper, “but that tales are not so, and such stories are only useful to keep thieves and vandals away, but of wisdom, it teaches us nothing”. Kiron then stretched himself to his full height, and clasped his hands together. “Let me tell you the tale of a people born of stoicism, whose civilization died to epicureanism”.
Mag tilted his head in confusion. “What is epicu- epicurea- epic- … epicuism?”
Kiron chuckled heartily at the pup’s struggle with the word, “Epicureanism, young Mag, is the pursuit of pleasure above all else, a philosophy in which the highest good is to fulfill one’s own desires and pleasures, to the point one has no other duty, other than to fulfill their self-indulgent desires.”
“It only sounds like they want to have a bit of fun,” Mag protested.
“Well,” Kiron began, pacing among the ruins, “for them, that is the truth. But remember this young one, you must balance the “fun” you seek with the responsibilities that you have. Right now, your responsibilities are few, and you should enjoy its freedom. But understand that as you grow older, your responsibilities will grow as well, and you cannot forsake those for the sake of fun. Remember this, lest you share the fate of those whose bones lie beneath these ruins”.
Mag shifted uncomfortably at Kiron’s words, but nodded hesitantly in agreement. “I- I think I understand, I can have fun, but I can’t just live for fun.”
Kiron nodded approvingly, then raised one of his massive paws towards Mag, facing it upwards, “Now observe as a I tell you the history of these people.” Small streams of energy flowed from his claws, connecting just above his palm, creating what looked to be a mirror. In it, scenes from a distant past began to play. A wide eyed Mag leaned in closely to peer into this world revealed by his tutor. In this vision, the same desert baked under the withering heat of the sun, except in this vision, there were no buildings, no monuments, no ruins. Instead, only small bands of people navigated across it, carrying all their scant belongings on their backs.
“Before the First's zenith, they were a nomadic people, travelling from oasis, to oasis, in pursuit of food. The entire focus of their civilization was on ensuring their survival. But one day”, Kiron said, pausing momentarily as the imagine above his paw flickered, revealing a set of images, showing sweat drenched beings amongst rich croplands, harvesting foods, while others dug irrigation trenches to channel water from the local river to irrigate them, “one day a discovery was made, quite by accident. One particularly clever and observant being discovered that if you take a seed and plant it in the earth, with enough time and water, you can produce your own food. This discovery revolutionized how these people lived, for now they no longer had to chase their food, instead, they could stay in one place and make it. So”, Kiron paused once more, the image between his claws flickered to reveal a bird’s eye view of the first city as it was constructed, “everyone became so excited over this discovery, the civilization’s effort shifted, from survival to harvesting crops and building their first home, so that never again they had to fear starvation, or death from exposure.” The illusion began to lapse rapidly, showing years of construction occurring within what seemed like only seconds.
“But,” Kiron said, clasping his paw into a fist, snuffing the image existence, “as they grew to their zenith, memories of how they’d suffered in the bowels of the desert faded, and later generations soon found it was easier to have others carry out their duties for them,” Kiron opened his clasped paw to reveal a new image between his claws. In this vision, a new race of beings appeared, a race enslaved by the First. Kiron’s expression darkened at this new apparition, “and so, the First began to forsake their duties, and sought to amplify their own personal pleasures, even to the point of enslaving others.” The image between Kiron’s claws flickered and shifted to a desert that was mostly covered in darkness. In the distance, however, an orange glow rose from the city, which was now bathed in flame, “but those who are enslaved for the pleasures of others will only tolerate it for so long, before the cries of freedom that burn within one’s soul drives one to rebel against the oppressor.” As flames continued to flicker within the city, a curtain of fire flashed across the vision, revealing a smoldering city now in ruins, abandoned to the elements. “And the oppressor, unwilling to surrender his hedonistic lifestyle would sooner lead to the ruin of their civilization than deny his personal pleasures.”
The image flickered and disappeared as he lowered his paw. “It is why we must always remember our history young one, and never forget our duty to be useful to our civilization. Now tell me, do you understand the significance of lesson which I have shared with you today young Mag?”
“I think so,” the pup uttered pensively, “but… There is just one thing I do not understand.”
“Oh?” Kiron asked, tilted his head arching one of his heavy brows, “and just what might that be?”
“Well, it was different, wasn’t it? They didn’t have someone powerful and wise to keep them safe and happy… I mean think about it, with all the things you can do, we’d never have to do what they did, like get slaves and all.”
“Ah,” Kiron’s gaze hardened as he shook his head disappointedly, “but you miss the most important part.” Kiron’s eyes began to glow a cobalt blue as he took a few steps back, “it is true with the gifts that I have I could sustain our civilization for many years, perhaps hundreds of years even,” Kiron voice reverberated in the ruins as he planted his feet. Abruptly, he threw his arms towards the sky causing the ruins around him to tremble, bringing rubble and fragments to rise into the air, “I could do everything and more for our own civilization,” Kiron threw his head back as a surge of power coursed through him. As the wave of energy flowed through the ruins, the battered remains of the city began reconstructing itself and return to its old splendor. Mag watched in awe at how what was mere rubble moments ago had been fully rebuilt into the city, covered in alabaster trim. The same city moments ago he’d watched destroy itself in the visions offered by Kiron. “But answer me this pup,” he said lowering his arms, ending the flow of power that had momentarily brought the city back to life. “Who will keep it when I am gone?” Mag heard a faint cracking sound at the question, “tell me, will it be you?” Kiron’s gaze drilled into Mag as rubble began to pour from the cracks, “do you have the power to keep all that you hold dear from crashing down around you?” Almost as though cued to do so, the city collapsed back to its state of ruin. Dust and a debris filled the air as stones crashed to the ground around them. Kiron’s voice rose with the thunderous cacophony occurring around them, “and when I am gone, what is to keep your legacy from being yet another legacy of ash?”
The echoes of Kiron’s last word reverberated through the ruins of the city as the last of the stones fell. When the rubble stilled, and the dust settled, Kiron found Mag with his head hung low, chagrinned at the scolding and object lesson he received. Seeing the impact of his words and actions, Kiron softened his gaze and placed a conciliatory paw on the pup’s head. “There now pup, I am sorry, perhaps I was too harsh.” He grabbed the pup’s chin and looked softly into his eyes. “But do not worry, I will not let this legacy be your doom, for I am here to teach, and if you continue to listen as you have, I will provide you the knowledge to avoid the mistakes of the past… my mistakes.” Kiron’s voice trailed off momentarily, causing Mag to look up contemplatively at him. Kiron smiled hopefully towards the pup, reflecting the hopes held the future in his eyes, “and the wisdom to not make new ones.”
End Narration
The utterly amazing artwork was done by
Nomax and I truly enjoyed the opportunity to work with him!V/R,
Cap Mag.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Scenery
Species Tiger
Size 1033 x 1280px
File Size 1.52 MB
Thank you :) Well, I do suspect that I also have a bit of an editor's gift too ;P Here's a small "before and after" thing I did that shows what I mean: https://twitter.com/Magarnon/status.....88379619594240
I appreciate it :) No, I'm currently stateside for the moment, and will probably be going to a new duty station within a few months, so we'll see where I end up in the next few months.
V/R,
Cap Mag.
I appreciate it :) No, I'm currently stateside for the moment, and will probably be going to a new duty station within a few months, so we'll see where I end up in the next few months.
V/R,
Cap Mag.
No worries, I guess I'll place the example elsewhere as well. But agreed, as it would save me a massive amount of time to not have to edit XD
Thank you! I'll probably be changing duty stations soon, so here's hoping for something more European this go around! And agreed also on that, if anything it'll hopefully allow more freedom for the ground Commander to make decisions instead of calling D.C.
V/R,
Cap Mag.
Thank you! I'll probably be changing duty stations soon, so here's hoping for something more European this go around! And agreed also on that, if anything it'll hopefully allow more freedom for the ground Commander to make decisions instead of calling D.C.
V/R,
Cap Mag.
A lesson in philosophy indeed! As Kiron went through the visions of the ancient civilization, I kept thinking about fallen empires like Greece, Rome, and Egypt. While the fatality of epicureanism rings true in the these examples, it's also true of more recent ones. The kingdom of France came to mind. But the more I pondered this, I could not stop thinking about the States, and how we as a society have fallen into the same trap. Consdiering the passed several decades, the U.S. seems to have come into a highly individualized, self-centered culture. No sense of duty to our fellow man, nor our nor, not even those who protect it from inside and out. Am I being to pessimistic, Mag? What do you think?
I like the simplicity of your story and how it captures this heavy subject. The tale definitely shows Kiron's wisdom, and Mag's lack of experience, but eagerness to learn. (And that description of Mag's cute fluffy, floppy ears contrasts with his usual badassery XD).
Oh, and Texas is the best.
I like the simplicity of your story and how it captures this heavy subject. The tale definitely shows Kiron's wisdom, and Mag's lack of experience, but eagerness to learn. (And that description of Mag's cute fluffy, floppy ears contrasts with his usual badassery XD).
Oh, and Texas is the best.
Ah, well spotted,
As I did derive inspiration from numerous culture that rose, bloom, withered, and fell, and I do think a major factor was the epicureanism that rotted out the core of many civilizations. Kind of along the vein of, "if you allow yourself to be too comfortable, you will stagnate, and eventually become irrelevant as others surpass you". But I don't think you are pessimistic in that sense, I am concerned not just the U.S., but much of Western Civilization is or has fallen into the Epicurean trap...
And thank you, I appreciate the feedback! Hopefully this really begins to established Kiron as a character!
V/R,
Cap Mag.
As I did derive inspiration from numerous culture that rose, bloom, withered, and fell, and I do think a major factor was the epicureanism that rotted out the core of many civilizations. Kind of along the vein of, "if you allow yourself to be too comfortable, you will stagnate, and eventually become irrelevant as others surpass you". But I don't think you are pessimistic in that sense, I am concerned not just the U.S., but much of Western Civilization is or has fallen into the Epicurean trap...
And thank you, I appreciate the feedback! Hopefully this really begins to established Kiron as a character!
V/R,
Cap Mag.
Not living in the US I learned the term MAGA and what it means only 5 years ago. I don't know when it was first used.
When I did learn it, my first question was which country would pay the price for this 'greatness'. No disrespect intended, but I don't see the US as united enough, nor willing to put the effort into making America great again by it's own means and efforts.
Mind that I see my own country lacking in many ways as well considering the global and smaller problems we face.
When I did learn it, my first question was which country would pay the price for this 'greatness'. No disrespect intended, but I don't see the US as united enough, nor willing to put the effort into making America great again by it's own means and efforts.
Mind that I see my own country lacking in many ways as well considering the global and smaller problems we face.
Great art and nice story, though I wouldn't mix up epicurean philosophy with what you describe here, overindulgence and pursuit of pleasure at the expense of others are actually quite in opposition to the teachings of Epicuros, who, despite the popular image, was probably more akin to a zen-buddhist philosopher, rather than a pleasure-seeking debauchee. Hedonism is a broader term and probably more ok here, but it too has slightly different connotations in context of philosophy compared to the usual use of the word in lay language. ;-3
"Epicureanism is the pursuit of pleasure above all else, a philosophy in which the highest good is to fulfill one’s own desires and pleasures, to the point one has no other duty, other than to fulfill their self-indulgent desires.”
Epicureanism is none of those things. It's a philisophical doctrine that addresses the nature and path to happiness. And no, the answer isn't orgies and 20 course meals. Epicurus himself is said to have lived off bread, olives, and cheese, and his only indulgence was watered down, home-made wine. Happiness is called pleasure in Epicureanism, but it's not the sort momentary physical experiences we associate with the word, but rather a feeling of lasting contentedness and self-assurance. Pleasure, when defined that way, can't come from power, wealth, or fame, as these make you a target of others who desire those things. Furthermore, if you can change what you find desirable, it's best to enjoy things that are simple, easily obtainable, and free of negative consequences. For example, if you had to choose between eating some tasty bread or buying some expensive imported wine, a strict epicurean would choose the bread, since the experience of eating both takes the same amount of time, but the wine requires more toil to acquire, doesn't sustain you, and worst of all makes your future bread eating adventures slightly less enjoyable.
As for the whole misconception that one's own desire is more important than everyone elses, well the very first maxim of Principle Doctrines is "A blessed and indestructible being has no trouble himself and brings no trouble upon any other being; so he is free from anger and partiality, for all such things imply weakness."
So tl;dr: don't be a dick to other people, don't overindulge, spend time with friends, eat bread.
As an aside, you know Christian monasteries? Those places devoted to asceticism and contemplation. A lot of them started as Epicurean communes that converted to Christianity.
Here's some links in case you would like to learn more. https://www.epicurus.net/en/principal.html www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg_47J6sy3A https://www.reddit.com/r/Epicureanism/
Epicureanism is none of those things. It's a philisophical doctrine that addresses the nature and path to happiness. And no, the answer isn't orgies and 20 course meals. Epicurus himself is said to have lived off bread, olives, and cheese, and his only indulgence was watered down, home-made wine. Happiness is called pleasure in Epicureanism, but it's not the sort momentary physical experiences we associate with the word, but rather a feeling of lasting contentedness and self-assurance. Pleasure, when defined that way, can't come from power, wealth, or fame, as these make you a target of others who desire those things. Furthermore, if you can change what you find desirable, it's best to enjoy things that are simple, easily obtainable, and free of negative consequences. For example, if you had to choose between eating some tasty bread or buying some expensive imported wine, a strict epicurean would choose the bread, since the experience of eating both takes the same amount of time, but the wine requires more toil to acquire, doesn't sustain you, and worst of all makes your future bread eating adventures slightly less enjoyable.
As for the whole misconception that one's own desire is more important than everyone elses, well the very first maxim of Principle Doctrines is "A blessed and indestructible being has no trouble himself and brings no trouble upon any other being; so he is free from anger and partiality, for all such things imply weakness."
So tl;dr: don't be a dick to other people, don't overindulge, spend time with friends, eat bread.
As an aside, you know Christian monasteries? Those places devoted to asceticism and contemplation. A lot of them started as Epicurean communes that converted to Christianity.
Here's some links in case you would like to learn more. https://www.epicurus.net/en/principal.html www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg_47J6sy3A https://www.reddit.com/r/Epicureanism/
What you point and link fails to offer is any history and fall out of the failed philosophy,
For the idea devolved inevitably devolves into the pursuit of self (happiness) rather than the betterment of society (duty). This offshoot of Epicurean philosophy is known as Egoism and Eogistic hedonism, and is utterly deadly to society, and has a number of historical examples of this, including the falls of societies into hedonism. Since I tend to view things philosophically more closely as a Stoic, I share the very strong criticism of the Epricurean Philosophy that the Stoic school offers:
"To the Stoic charge that Epicurus lacked a doctrine of providence (since he viewed the gods as being lazy), Epicurus answered that “mythical gods are preferable to the fate” posited by the Stoics. It has been suggested that he might equally well have added that the “unmoved mover” of Aristotle’s theology was hardly less lazy than Epicurus’s gods.
The effort of Epicurus to reduce the good to pleasure reflects the only criterion to which he would entrust himself, the “evidence of those passions immediately present,” which give humans the word of nature. In the argument of psychological hedonism, here implied, the Epicurean holds that human beings as a matter of fact do take satisfaction in pleasure and decry pain, and he argues then to an egoistic ethical hedonism that identifies the (objective) good with pleasure. Most moralists, however, have felt that a thoroughgoing psychological hedonism cannot be defended; that desire is often, as a matter of fact, directed toward an object with no thought at all about the pleasure that it will bring; that a mother’s impulse to save her young from danger is more fundamental than any pleasure involved (which usually comes only afterward); that the tendency of a child to imitate his parents can be, in fact, quite painful; and that, as 19th-century utilitarian Henry Sidgwick argued in what he called the “hedonistic paradox,” one of the most ineffective ways to achieve pleasure is to deliberately seek it out."
From: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ep.....anism#toc68370
Give my view tends to be far more along the lines of the stoic view of duty, I do understand, and am highly critical, of the epicurean philosophy, particularly since it so often devolves into the hedonistic view of life due to the nature of humans to seek one's own selfish whim.
V/R,
CapMag.
For the idea devolved inevitably devolves into the pursuit of self (happiness) rather than the betterment of society (duty). This offshoot of Epicurean philosophy is known as Egoism and Eogistic hedonism, and is utterly deadly to society, and has a number of historical examples of this, including the falls of societies into hedonism. Since I tend to view things philosophically more closely as a Stoic, I share the very strong criticism of the Epricurean Philosophy that the Stoic school offers:
"To the Stoic charge that Epicurus lacked a doctrine of providence (since he viewed the gods as being lazy), Epicurus answered that “mythical gods are preferable to the fate” posited by the Stoics. It has been suggested that he might equally well have added that the “unmoved mover” of Aristotle’s theology was hardly less lazy than Epicurus’s gods.
The effort of Epicurus to reduce the good to pleasure reflects the only criterion to which he would entrust himself, the “evidence of those passions immediately present,” which give humans the word of nature. In the argument of psychological hedonism, here implied, the Epicurean holds that human beings as a matter of fact do take satisfaction in pleasure and decry pain, and he argues then to an egoistic ethical hedonism that identifies the (objective) good with pleasure. Most moralists, however, have felt that a thoroughgoing psychological hedonism cannot be defended; that desire is often, as a matter of fact, directed toward an object with no thought at all about the pleasure that it will bring; that a mother’s impulse to save her young from danger is more fundamental than any pleasure involved (which usually comes only afterward); that the tendency of a child to imitate his parents can be, in fact, quite painful; and that, as 19th-century utilitarian Henry Sidgwick argued in what he called the “hedonistic paradox,” one of the most ineffective ways to achieve pleasure is to deliberately seek it out."
From: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ep.....anism#toc68370
Give my view tends to be far more along the lines of the stoic view of duty, I do understand, and am highly critical, of the epicurean philosophy, particularly since it so often devolves into the hedonistic view of life due to the nature of humans to seek one's own selfish whim.
V/R,
CapMag.
First of all, I'm not going to defend epicurean metaphysics. Pretty much all Greek descriptions of the physical word are horribly inaccurate.
Second, how do you quantify "the betterment of society?" I would define a good society as one that maximizes all its members potential to pursue a life that they can enjoy without disrupting or impeding other members search for happiness, and anything that facilitates that is a betterment. A fascist might say society is bettered whenever the state is given an edge over competing nations. A communist would view betterment as anything that maximizes equality of resource distribution.
Also, you are conflating other philosophies with epicureanism. If you would like to argue that epicureanism inevitably turns into egoism, then do so, but so far you have only shown that the latter is inspired by the former.
You say there are a number of historical examples of societies that fell due to hedonism, but provide none. Before you list off hedonistic societies that collapsed, please try to establish a causal link between the hedonism and the fall and argue why those hedonistic practices were spread by or a consequence of epicureanism.
"To the Stoic charge that Epicurus lacked a doctrine of providence (since he viewed the gods as being lazy), Epicurus answered that “mythical gods are preferable to the fate” posited by the Stoics. It has been suggested that he might equally well have added that the “unmoved mover” of Aristotle’s theology was hardly less lazy than Epicurus’s gods."
I see no evidence of providence in nature, human or otherwise. There is no objective "goodness" written into the fabric of the universe. What self evident property can goodness said to be had? Are rocks good? Why can spiders eat their young without fear of divine retribution but not us? Questions like that don't make sense because goodness is based in a person's perception. Therefore, equating goodness to pleasure isn't a "reduction," it's just another way to define it. The best way to define it in my opinion, as it naturally leads to people to minimize suffering for themselves and others too, since human beings tend toward altruism for evolutionary reasons.
Your example of the mother protecting the child and a child imitating a parent as antithetical to epicurean thought show you truly do not understand it. Lasting happiness is not, I repeat, NOT simply informed by moment to moment actions. Epicurus held the consequences of pleasures in the same regard as the pleasure themselves. "8. No pleasure is a bad thing in itself, but the things which produce certain pleasures entail disturbances many times greater than the pleasures themselves." https://www.epicurus.net/en/principal.html Sometimes, pleasures have negative consequences that make them unjustifiable. At other times, the feeling of accomplishment one gets from achieving a goal far outpaces the pain required to get that feeling.
You also fail to consider that we are not only driven by a desire to seek pleasure, but also avoid suffering. While a mother may not think of the pleasure of having a child when it is in danger, the suffering caused from losing it is most certainly on her mind.
Finally, yes, pursuing pleasure directly is ineffective, but epicureanism in it's ultimate form is mindful of that and proposes not to chase after pleasure but cultivate an environment that encourages good feelings to come to you. Your life is going to be miserable if you are constantly chasing after the heights of pleasure, or try to connect your happiness with material possessions. But if you set aside some time to have a cup of tea, watch a sunset, or spend two hours calmly thinking about your world view whilst writing an impromptu essay on a furry image board, you're probably going to feel a lot less stressed.
Second, how do you quantify "the betterment of society?" I would define a good society as one that maximizes all its members potential to pursue a life that they can enjoy without disrupting or impeding other members search for happiness, and anything that facilitates that is a betterment. A fascist might say society is bettered whenever the state is given an edge over competing nations. A communist would view betterment as anything that maximizes equality of resource distribution.
Also, you are conflating other philosophies with epicureanism. If you would like to argue that epicureanism inevitably turns into egoism, then do so, but so far you have only shown that the latter is inspired by the former.
You say there are a number of historical examples of societies that fell due to hedonism, but provide none. Before you list off hedonistic societies that collapsed, please try to establish a causal link between the hedonism and the fall and argue why those hedonistic practices were spread by or a consequence of epicureanism.
"To the Stoic charge that Epicurus lacked a doctrine of providence (since he viewed the gods as being lazy), Epicurus answered that “mythical gods are preferable to the fate” posited by the Stoics. It has been suggested that he might equally well have added that the “unmoved mover” of Aristotle’s theology was hardly less lazy than Epicurus’s gods."
I see no evidence of providence in nature, human or otherwise. There is no objective "goodness" written into the fabric of the universe. What self evident property can goodness said to be had? Are rocks good? Why can spiders eat their young without fear of divine retribution but not us? Questions like that don't make sense because goodness is based in a person's perception. Therefore, equating goodness to pleasure isn't a "reduction," it's just another way to define it. The best way to define it in my opinion, as it naturally leads to people to minimize suffering for themselves and others too, since human beings tend toward altruism for evolutionary reasons.
Your example of the mother protecting the child and a child imitating a parent as antithetical to epicurean thought show you truly do not understand it. Lasting happiness is not, I repeat, NOT simply informed by moment to moment actions. Epicurus held the consequences of pleasures in the same regard as the pleasure themselves. "8. No pleasure is a bad thing in itself, but the things which produce certain pleasures entail disturbances many times greater than the pleasures themselves." https://www.epicurus.net/en/principal.html Sometimes, pleasures have negative consequences that make them unjustifiable. At other times, the feeling of accomplishment one gets from achieving a goal far outpaces the pain required to get that feeling.
You also fail to consider that we are not only driven by a desire to seek pleasure, but also avoid suffering. While a mother may not think of the pleasure of having a child when it is in danger, the suffering caused from losing it is most certainly on her mind.
Finally, yes, pursuing pleasure directly is ineffective, but epicureanism in it's ultimate form is mindful of that and proposes not to chase after pleasure but cultivate an environment that encourages good feelings to come to you. Your life is going to be miserable if you are constantly chasing after the heights of pleasure, or try to connect your happiness with material possessions. But if you set aside some time to have a cup of tea, watch a sunset, or spend two hours calmly thinking about your world view whilst writing an impromptu essay on a furry image board, you're probably going to feel a lot less stressed.
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