Epicureanism: 12 main conclusions about the universe

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From time to time I publish, or re-publish, some basic background information  about Epicurean science.

 Epicurus reached twelve  conclusions of particular importance, provable through firm evidence and reasoning. The three faculties being given us by Nature to deduce this evidence are (1) our five senses, (2) our faculty of perceiving “anticipations,” and (3) our faculty of “feeling” pleasure and pain. We have to  adopt  those conclusions supported by convincing evidence, and never hold to be true any conclusions which are not.

Because our faculties report their sensations exactly as they perceive them,  we must  honor what they report to us, even information distorted by distance or other obstacles. No firm evidence is ever to be regarded as worthless. Error occurs only in the mind, and where evidence about a matter is insufficient, we must wait before labelling any opinion about the matter as true or false. Only if we use our faculties properly we can be  confident in  our conclusions.

Thus we can conclude that there is no need to rely on any gods, priests, or supernatural claims for our understanding of Nature, and identify the following twelve aspects of nature that are crucial to understanding how Nature, and our faculties, operate:

1.       Matter is uncreatable.

2.       Matter is indestructible.

3.       The universe consists of solid bodies and void, has always been there and was not created by a creator.

4.       Solid bodies are either compounds or simple.

5.       The multitude of atoms is infinite.

6.       The void is infinite in extent, 

7.       The atoms are always in motion.

8.       The speed of atomic motion is uniform.

9.       Motion is linear in space, vibratory in compounds.

10.     Atoms are capable of swerving slightly at any point in space or time to form large bodies such as planets.

11.      Atoms are characterized by three qualities, weight, shape and size.

12.     The number of the different shapes is not infinite, merely innumerable.

The method by which these observations were established can be found in Epicurus’ Letter to Herodotus and Lucretius’  “De Rerum Natura”, and “Authorised Doctrines” 22-26, which describe essential aspects of this process, e.g speculation based on “logic” not firmly supported by evidence from one or all of the three faculties will lead to error.  (Epicurus and his Philosophy, by Norman DeWitt and Paradosis and Survival by Prof Diskin Clay)  

.Modern discoveries in physics would call for the use of new terms in the place of “matter” and “atoms,” which were coined by the ancient Greeks long before men had means to look inside what we today call an atom. But it is a mistake to presume that Epicurus’ views are wrong simply because we have new terms to describe the smallest constituents of the universe. Epicurus was very clear in stating that his essential position was that, at some fundamental level, the universe is composed of elements that are indestructible and indivisible.

It is immaterial whether this fundamental indivisible level is described as “molecular,” “atomic,” or “subatomic,” or by any other name which might be given to observable phenomena. The essential point established by the “true reasoning” method of Epicurus is that at some point an indivisible level exists. No matter what name we may give to the phenomena at that level, any phenomena which is observable to the senses exists as part of our own universe, and was neither created by, nor is subject to, any supernatural forces.  (New Epicurean.com). 

Epicurus did not invent atomism, but did, with his “ swerve” suggest the method by which planets, comets etc  were formed. But it is his stated or inferred examples of how to deal with and treat one’s fellow human beings, individually and en masse, that is the focus of this blog. We are still not good at doing that!

Abortion laws in America

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Here are some details on the newest American abortion bans, by state.

* Important note: Supporters of reproductive rights have filed multiple lawsuits against this type of law. None of these early abortion bans are currently in effect or are being enforced.

Alabama – No abortion after 0 weeks. Allows exceptions if the woman’s life is threatened. No exceptions for rape or incest.

Arkansas — No abortion after 18 weeks. Allows exceptions for rape, incest or medical emergencies.

Georgia – No abortion after 6 weeks. Allows exceptions if the woman’s life is endangered, if the pregnancy is deemed “medically futile” and in cases of rape or incest if the woman files a police report.

Kentucky – No abortion after 6 weeks. No exceptions for rape or incest. Allows exceptions if the woman’s life is endangered.

Louisiana – No abortion after 6 weeks. No exceptions for rape or incest. Allows exceptions if the woman’s life is endangered or if the pregnancy is deemed “medically futile.”

Mississippi – No abortion after 6 weeks. No exceptions for rape or incest. Allows exceptions if the woman’s life is endangered.

Missouri – No abortion after 8 weeks. No exceptions for rape or incest. Allows exceptions if the woman’s life is endangered.

Ohio – No abortion after 6 weeks. No exceptions for rape or incest. Allows exceptions if the woman’s life is endangered.

Utah – No abortion after 18 weeks. Allows exceptions for rape or incest if the doctor performing the abortion verifies that the incident was reported to law enforcement. Allows exceptions if the woman’s life is endangered.  ( compiled by Carrie Feibel, Sarah McCammon and Carmel Wroth, NPR).

The Republican strategy is to get the issue before the Supreme Court and have Roe vs. Wade overturned.

Meanwhile, the extreme right wing is making hay while the sun shines, introducing a variety of legislation that is anti-black, anti-immigrant, anti-women, indeed anti-everything except rich, “deserving” men.  Whether all or even some, of the laws passed survive their visits to the Courts (themselves often dominated by Republican lawyers) is another matter. But the threat to human rights and a civilised society is clear.

As for abortion, I believe forcing women to have children they can’t, or won’t, cherish and bring up as decent citizens is a sin against (especially poor) women,  the family and the rest of us.  I suspect, but can’t prove, that there could be a correlation between the unwanted child and later anti-social behaviour: drink, drugs, domestic violence, gang membership and use of guns against other members of society. We need a balanced, happy well-adjusted population, not scores of aggrieved and unhappy, unwanted kids.

 

 

Re-cycling, Part 2: Endlessly recyclable plastic

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Dr.  Brett Helms. who heads up a team of scientists, has announced that he has discovered a way of making scrap plastic indefinitely re- recyclable able.   

Plastic material can be recycled, but because its quality degrades during the recycling process, even the stuff that makes it as far as a recycling plant (which is a small fraction of the total) can only be reused once or twice, producing a progressively inferior product before ending up in a landfill or incinerators.

Now, though, scientists say that polydiketoenaminet can be recycled over and over again, with no loss of quality. Like all plastics, PDKD is composed of polymers: stringy molecules made up of repeating, carbon-containing compounds called monomers.

For a plastic to be recycled, it must be broken down into its component monomers.   But there are usually problems: the bonds are too strong to separate the monomers; and chemicals added to the plastic to make it transparent, or tough, cling to them and contaminate the process. The new material can be broken down to a molecular level and separated from chemical additives by simply immersing it in an acid bath for 12 hours. Like Lego blocks, the monomers can then be reassembled to make good-as-new plastic in any colour, shape or form.  (The Week 25 May 2019).

Another reason, among many, to praise science, not to trash it as so many conservatives do these days.   By the way, if commercially successful, it would be a big blow to the petro-chemical industry.iu

Big company mismanagement: don’t fly British Airways!

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We were on our way home from Catania airport, Sicily, on a British Airways flight.  It turned out that BA had transported 18 disabled people from Gatwick airport – in wheelchairs –  to Sicily, and that these same people were on our return flight.  ( I hope they enjoyed themselves)

Now you would think that BA would, when booking them in the first place, check whether Catania, a regional airport, had the requisite disabled-handling equipment, similar to that in London. But, no, they had trouble loading the disabled people. Our flight was  delayed and delayed. We were given no information (of course) while we waited in an area with seating for about half the passengers.

At last we were told to board. Whoops! No! Everyone was held on a loading ramp, standing without seats for an hour and a half, while airline staff members  told us it wasn’t their fault.  There was nowhere to sit (I have a painful back and right hip), and the children naturally became fractious.  Suffice to say that the flight did leave – three hours late, and we eventually reached home from Gatwick at 5 a.m, four hours later than expected.  You can rely on BA to spoil a great holiday.

But let me come to the point – we were each handed a slip of paper, purporting to be an apology.  The sense of it was as follows:

‘Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.  Total amount of this free voucher GBP 5.00 (about $7.00!) to be used for light refreshments at the issued location (Catania, where we had just come from!) for up to 3 months.  Can be used in participating airport outlets  (e.g food outlets) and not on board.’

In short, an insult to the intelligence. It would have been better to have said nothing.  The offer chits littered the gangway as disgruntled passengers disembarked. The motivation was obvious : BA , in its annual report could claim that x thousands of passengers thad been “compensated” for late arrival.

BA is “managed” by people whose incompetence and lack of any idea of customer care and satisfaction is well known, but never seems to change.   This treatment was not an Epicurean experience!  My personal ataraxia after a nice holiday was – zero.  I would rather stay at home in future rather than fly British Airways.

 

Some light relief: a little unknown bit of history

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My father took the surrender of the Third Reich.  Yes, truly.

It happened like this.  My father was a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force, duty officer on the day in question on a North German airfield occupied by the British in 1945.  Hitler had committed suicide and Admiral Doenitz had taken over as Reichs President at the instruction of Hitler, and the war was as good as over, although this was not yet clear to my father and his fellow officers.

A Nazi aircraft was spotted,  approaching the airfield. My father said he was in a quandary.  Should he order it shot down?  He let it land.

The plane taxied to the spot where my father and his squad were standing, arms at the ready, guns loaded.  Out of the plane walked Reichs President Doenitz in full Naval uniform and decorations. My father was dumbfounded.  Doenitx gave a Nazi bow and clicked his heels. ( I asked my father if he had saluted a senior officer, but he avoided responding)

”I am here to tender the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich,” said Doenitz, in English and proffering the handle of his sword

This development “posed a bit of a problem”, my father told me later, one of the understatements of the Century.  Should the man be handed over to Montgomery, the British commander, or to Eisenhower? What was the proper way to deal with this unexpected event.  Being British he said the first thing that came into his head:

”Sir, said Dad, “could I offer you a gin and tonic in the Mess?”

So Doenitz got his drink, but nobody thought it appropriate to discuss the flight, the weather or, indeed, the war.  Doenitz was sent on the Eisenhower’s headquarters that day and he and other senior Nazis were arrested and later tried.  It appears that he flew to the British sector to avoid the Russians and because he thought he would be treated by the British in a gentlemanly manner.  He got that right.

This story is absolutely true but is not mentioned in the historical accounts, to the best of my knowledge. I don’t want it to be lost. The gin illustrates my father’s Epicurean persuasion.