Installment #1
December 5, 2017
Sociology #9
Is Epicurus Right about Sex?
Epicurus states that sex is not beneficial for one's peace of mind. In Epicurus's opinion, the best things you can do for yourself is engage in activity that relaxes one's mind, satisfies your desires, and live a rather simple life.
Epicurus is easy to understand when he claims desires are either selfless or selfish, necessary or unnecessary. Pursuing your selfish desires include: pleasure, fame, difficult to obtain, or a fetish. He states that none of the selfish desires are necessary, but that does not stop humans from wanting to do them. His necessary desires are food, water, housing, clothing, air. He believes our happiness is having a simple taste for the basics of life.
Although, one desire that he says requires special attention is our sexual desires. This desire is unnecessary for survival, but wanting it is just as natural as being hungry or thirsty. Our bodies are wired for sexual reproduction and we will always feel a need to engage in sex.
He states that sex is not a necessary desire, although it is necessary for the survival of the human race. Given that one of the purposes of sexual intercourse is procreation with other mammals. If every person living right now followed Epicurus's belief of simple and natural living, the population would die out. Nevertheless, regardless of what we as humans do, Epicurus's beliefs are still in fact that no one should pursue or wind themselves up in a sexual relationship with another person.
Anyone can agree that sexual desire is the most intense physical pleasure between two people. Epicurus believes that sexual desire and its pleasure is too intense. And can cause an immense amount if chaos in one's life. When you explore your thoughts on this generation, it makes you think about all of the love songs and mindless actions caused by people being in love and in relationships. Love and sex aid in the mindless actions and make us unable to think realistically. Love, in his opinion, is disaster.
When you begin to put love into the equation of sex, it really broadens the idea of all things. Like what if two in a relationship do not share similar feelings? What if one loves more or loves less than the other? The depression, anxiety, mood swings, memories of better times, memories of terrible times, marriage, children, bills, schooling, all factor into an even more chaotic lifestyle.
Epicurus offers us a simple solution. Put more effort into your friends rather than intimate relationships, because those intimate relationships will more than likely end up ending badly. If you relish your heart into your friends, you will not engage in the strings attached feeling and will not have such a hard comedown when the relationship terminates.
Anna Morgan
ReplyDelete#9
I think Epicurus's view is very interesting and makes me think very introspectively. I love what you said about putting more effort into friendships rather than intimate relationships.
Epicurus may just not have met the right person(s).
ReplyDeleteFor a report on sexuality this is sure lacking in "fun" stuff... surely you can find some appropriate images, links, etc. to complement your text?