After walking for a bit you notice that the path has changed from precious stones to more subdued granite. You wonder if you are still going in the right direction. You encounter a woman picking fruit from an apple tree, and you stop to ask for directions to make sure you are on the correct path. “Excuse me,” you say. “Is this the correct path to Jerry’s cottage?”
“Jerry? Oh, you must mean Jeremy Bentham. It is indeed,” the woman replies. “Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Epicuria. Might I ask why you are visiting Jeremy?”
“Well, I’m on a quest for knowledge, and Pip told me that Mr. Bentham might be of some help. Although Pip back there didn’t seem to have a very strong grasp on the true meaning of life, so I’m not sure if I should really take his advice.”
“Ah yes, Pip.” The woman responds. “His idea of the good is simply ‘eat, drink, be merry, and then you die.’ Not very sophisticated. My community understands that while values are governed by pleasure and pain, we must use reason to analyze and assess our pleasures to ensure that we are pursuing the best types of pleasure. For instance, your pursuit of knowledge is a noble journey and the pleasure you derive from it is very worthwhile.”
The words of this woman make more sense to you than Pip’s idleness. “So you don’t devote your lives to pure physical pleasure in the fear of dying before you have had all the fun you can?”
“Oh, no.” Epicuria replies. “We don’t fear death. That is unreasonable. And we don’t believe in nonsense such as superstition or even god. In fact, our lives are devoted to such things as freedom from fear, freedom from pain, and a perfect state of tranquility. Unlike Aristippus, we live modestly, limit our appetites, and seek knowledge to better ourselves. Here is a book that explains our teachings. Feel free to keep it and use it as you build your own society. Now, if you continue down this path, you’ll find Jeremy in the cottage by the river.”
“Oh, yes! I see across the river on the hillside,” you reply as you squint to see in the distance.
“No, not that far. On the other side of the river are the Egoists. If you have not encountered them yet, you will. But you do not need to go that far. Just follow the path a couple miles and you’ll reach Jeremy Bentham,” explains Epicuria.
“Thank you,” you answer and you add her book to your satchel. You continue on your way.
