The chapter explores the importance of balancing ambition with fulfilling necessary desires and finding satisfaction. It delves into the concept of different types of desires according to Epicurus and discusses the challenges of giving up necessary desires for extravagant or corrosive desires in the pursuit of success and status.
Over 2,000 years ago, Epicurus, a Greek philosopher, made a simple yet bold claim. The key to the good life, he said, is to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. Is it really that easy? To answer that question, we turn to Emily Austin, a professor of philosophy at Wake Forest and author of “Living for Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life.”
(This episode first aired in January 2023.)