Non-Epicurean Desires

Epicurean Perceptual Content

Epicurean epistemology is usually summarised in a controversial thesis according to which all perceptions are true . Although it seems very problematic and counterintuitive, careful investigation of the main sources shows us that Epicurus’ claim for the truth of perceptions is not so hasty but is supported with some serious arguments . in the paper, i examine the thesis according to which “all ...

Realistic desires

Realism for agents with unconditional beliefs, desires and intentions (BDI agents) has been analyzed in modal logic. This paper provides a logical analysis of realism for agents with conditional beliefs and desires in a rule based approach analogous to Reiter’s default logic. We distinguish two types of realism, which we call ‘a priori’ and ‘a posteriori’ realism. We analyze whether these two n...

Dynamic Desires

Vegetarianism and Virtue: On Gassendi's Epicurean Defense

Gassendi, who was influenced in the development ofhis moral theory by Epicurus,2 was, as was Epicurus, a vegetarian. Gassendi argues, in his Philosophiae Epicuri Syntagma,3 his reconstruction of Epicurus' theory, and in his Syntagma Philosophicum,4 presenting his own ethics, that abstaining from flesh is a moral requirement, i.e., a requirement for "doing well."5 Further, Gassendi represents, a...

Instrumental Desires , Instrumental Rationality

The requirements of instrumental rationality are often thought to be normative conditions on choice or intention, but this is a mistake. Instrumental rationality is best understood as a requirement of coherence on an agent's non-instrumental desires and means-end beliefs. Since only a subset of an agent's means-end beliefs concern possible actions, the connection with intention is thus more obl...