On the Nature of Things by Lucretius
Translated by Cyril Bailey
On the Nature of Things by Lucretius - Twos
The Nature of Things (Penguin Classics)
Philosophy
We must be careful not to interpret the past by the present. To each generation, its problems present themselves in their own peculiar manner.
Philosophy professed to place men above the conflict of religions and to give them what religion did not claim to offer, a guide to moral conduct.
We want to know about ourselves and our conduct as a single human being.
The keystone of the whole Epicurean philosophy is the simple assertion: ‘Sensation is true,’ ‘I know what I feel’
Wherever the senses give us evidence, we are to accept their evidence as finally and certainly true.
Nature
Nature made all the world and ‘all that in them is’. There is no need for the aid of the gods, there is not even room for their interference. They are rather a part of nature’s creation, immortal creatures, of a body of infinitely subtle formation.
The soul, like all other things, a corporeal aggregate of atoms, which owes its sensation to the shape and movements of its constituents, and its union with the body: neither can exist without the other, at death, the soul is dissolved just like the body, and it can have nothing to feat for all time to come.
Nature has freed man from the tyranny of the gods and the fear of death, and in the knowledge of nature, he will find not only the guarantee of his freedom but the highest pleasure of his free life.
Man’s actions are no exception to the universal law, free will is but a delusion.
It is no use telling a man what he ought to do unless he is free to do it.
Man can do what he will because there is an element of spontaneity — not of course conscious spontaneity — in the atoms. It is the ‘swerve’ then which enables the atoms to meet in their downward fall, it is the ‘swerve; which preserves in inorganic nature that curious element of spontaneity which we call chance, and it is the ‘swerve’, becomes conscious in the sensitive aggregate of the atoms of the mind, which secures man’s freedom of action and makes it possible to urge on him a theory of conduct.
Pleasure and Pain
We all instinctively seek pleasure and avoid pain. Pleasure is the moral good; sensation tells us so, and we cannot attempt to go behind it.
Man is always essentially a compound of body and soul. Pain is the dislocation of atomic arrangements and motions, pleasure, readjustment, and equilibrium. Pleasure then must be of body and soul alike, and it will show itself in the calm that denotes atomic equilibrium.
The body must have its pleasure, but true pleasure is not such as bringing attendant pain in the form either of anticipation or reaction: rather, we shall secure its pleasure best by maintaining its health and restricting its desires within the narrowest possible limit.
The pleasures of the soul have the same principles. First, it must be relieved of its peculiar pains, the fear of the gods and the fear of death: and then it may give itself up to its own particular pleasure, the study of nature: and so the highest pleasure of the mind is the acquisition of that knowledge which will incidentally free it from its pains.
‘To think that ye should not see that nature cries aloud for nothing else but that pain may be kept far sundered from the body, and that, withdrawn from care and fear, the mind may enjoy the sense of pleasure.’
The ideal for the individual then is not far to seek. But a man cannot live his life quite alone and he must have relations with his fellows. The other-regarding virtues are but of secondary importance and necessary only in so far as they secure the individual from an interruption in the pursuit of his own pleasure.
Independence
When the primitive man came to unite in a common life, ‘neighbors began eagerly to form a friendship with one another, not to be hurt or be harmed.’ The individual retains his freedom by a compact, and for his own sake respects his neighbors. But beyond that, he is but little concerned with them. He will not enter public life or attempt to hold office, for ambition and the cares of the rule are among the most disturbing influences which can beset the mind: ‘It is far better to obey in peace than to long to rule the world with kingly power and to sway kingdoms.’ Even in private life, he will learn not to trust too much to others, for his life must be independent. Friendships he will form, for friendship is based on the common study of philosophy is one of the highest blessings of life. But love — the giving up of oneself to one’s affections and the complete dependence on another’s will — the philosopher’s will of all things eschew.
It is not perhaps a very attractive picture of the philosopher in isolation, pursuing his own pleasure and disregarding others, but it is again a relentless deduction from first principles.
Death
If men could see that there is a fixed limit to their sorrows, then for some reason they might have the strength to stand against the scruples of religion, and the threats of seers. As it is there is no means, no power to withstand, since everlasting is the punishment they must fear in death.
All things grow slowly, as is natural, from a fixed seed, and as they grow preserve their kind: so that you can know that each thing grows great, and is fostered out of its own substance.
Nature breaks up each thing again into its own first bodies, nor does she destroy ought into nothing.
All things are not held close pressed on every side by the nature of the body; for there is void in things. For if there were not, by no means could things move.
Whatsoever exists by itself, will either do something or suffer itself while other things act upon it, or it will be such that things may exist and go on in it. But nothing can do or suffer without body, nor afford room again unless it is void and empty space.
Food
If we too were nurtured by dry food and soft moisture, we would lose our flesh, and all the life too would be loosened from all our sinews and bones
Diverse things are nourished on diverse food
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