Philosopher Hypatia

You don’t question what you believe, or cannot. I must.

- Hypatia

I strongly recommend the film Agora. It’s not fully accurate or historical but I thought it was a well made movie and it sheds light on the ancient history of oppression of philosophers and their schools under religious tyranny. It deals, in part, with the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, one of the most important history-changing events ever, which is impossible to under-estimate as it was this, along with the closing of all the philosophical schools in the sixth century by Emperor Justinian, that nailed the grave on ancient philosophy and science and ushered in the totalitarianism and mental slavery of the Christian Era / Dark Ages. If at least for a sense of perspective on the history of humanism, I think everyone should watch Agora.

Saudi Arabia: Another Casualty of Religion

In recent days, as the tragedy of the Boston attack has been in the news in the US, in Saudi Arabia another tragedy is being covered.  Men who are too fine for their own good have been asked to leave the country in order to avoid the dangers of girl boners.  In other news, the country’s Committe for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has been cracking down on lusty, flirtatious eye displays … surely the only outlet for desperately lusty women who are covered from head to toe.

Let’s put aside the fact that women do not generally make important decisions like the deportation of a foreigner in Arabia, and that it’s likely that it was males who fell helplessly in lust with their foreign visitors and had to escort them out of the country.

What seems obvious to an outsider is how … well, frankly, horny the citizens of the theocratic kingdom are, and how scared they are to admit it.  When something as fundamental as human beauty is criminalized and sacrificed in the altar of a life-hating desert religion, we have to stop being politically correct and admit that Wahhabi sex-phobia is a dehumanizing feature of Islam that treats grown ups, particularly women, like they’re children and robs them of the right to naturally assert their enjoyment of one of the simplest, most universal pleasures available to our species.

For these reasons, I am posting this blog in celebration of Arabian lust and beauty.

 

 

 

 

WBC Thanks God for the Boston Attack

We can not (yet) conclude that the perpetrator was the Saudi man who is in custody, but I personally would not be surprised if he was, and was frankly expecting certain religious parties to start blaming their God’s uncontrolled fury at the gays and the atheists for the Boston attack.  Didn’t have to wait long!

Rather than join people in prayer or minutes of silence, which accomplishes absolutely nothing, I am posting tweets by the Westboro Baptist Church thanking God for the Boston Marathon Bombs and posting miscellaneous religious filth to remind others that religion is the true and dehumanizing enemy, particularly religions that focus on death rather than life.

Proud to be an Epicurean Humanist!

The Untold History of Gay Marriage and Two-Spirits

The following piece was originally written for the NEIU Independent.

The film Two Spirits is a sad but empowering film about a hate crime committed against Freddie Martinez, a Two-Spirited transgendered Navajo youth in Colorado.  16-year-old Freddie was brutally killed by being repeatedly hit in the head with a large rock.  Unlike the Matthew Shepherd case in Oct. of 1998, the Freddy Martinez case got little media attention.  The film, and the visibility, was inspired in part by a renewed awareness of Two-Spirit traditions.

The film, in addition to details about his life and death, also contains interviews of Two-Spirit persons and tells the history of how, prior to colonial times in the land that we now know as the United States of America, LGBT people were respected, and at times even honored or feared, for their powers as Two Spirits.

The Two Spirits were considered the ceremonial leaders, the healers and sacred people of many tribes. They acquired names and clothing that identified accepted, even if liminal, gender identities.  They were known as winkte by the Lakota, as lhamana by the Zuni, or as nadleehe of the Navajo nation, and by many others names.  In order to coin an English word that approximates to the many terms used in the Native languages, in 1990 at the 3rd Annual First Nations Gay and Lesbian American Conference, which was held in Winnipeg, Canada, LGBT Native Americans decided on using Two-Spirits as the pan-tribal English term for their tradition.

Prior to this, anthropologists had labeled the phenomenon as berdache, but this term was linked to a history of human trafficking and of kept-boys and many considered the term an insult.  Two-Spirits, in aboriginal tradition, were weavers, storytellers, caretakers of the orphans, healers, ritual leaders. A male-to-female Two-Spirit known as Wewha, who was beloved by her people, had been an ambassador of her people to the District of Columbia at one point and was quite respected by the politicians of her day (many of whom probably didn’t suspect she was a biological male).

In Mexico, some of the conquistadors hated the Two-Spirits so much that they fed them to wild dogs according to one chronicle, but then in modern-day Oaxaca, Mexico today a similar tradition to Two-Spirits known as muxhes flourishes.  Its region of Juchitan, known for its muxhes tradition, happens to be one of the regions with the highest proportions of indigenous in the country.  Many nations used to entrust their Two-Spirits with keeping spiritual folklore, which leads one to suspect that the systematic killing of the Two-Spirits (which was documented both in Mexico and the US), like the near-extinction of the buffalo, also had the effect of dismantling the lore, the ritual cycle, and the cosmovision of the aboriginals.

In the documentary, some of the Native leaders mention in passing that Two-Spirits also married people of the same gender.  At times, a female chief would live her life as a male warrior, even taking on her own wife.  Or a male chief would have multiple wives, and among them count a male-to-female wife.

It’s an irony of history that this had not been woven into our demoralizing and dishonest national narrative about gay marriage: so invisible are Native Americans, and so trivialized their culture, dismissed as if it wasn’t part of our heritage, that the Christian Right’s assertion, almost mantra, that “marriage has always been between a man and a woman” has never been challenged in a significantly public manner by someone with just a basic knowledge of Native American history.

Illinois has finally assumed a place in modernity by becoming one of the states where gay marriage is legal.  But one should not forget that we are returning rights that were enjoyed for centuries before the arrival of Europeans.  Traditions of same-sex marriage had been practiced for centuries and were as American as any other American tradition.

History gets told by the conqueror but let’s get history straight, for once.  Marriage was not always between a man and a woman.  It was oftentimes between a man and many wives, in parts of Africa between a woman and many men, and in our continent it was often between two people of the same gender.  Monogamy (both opposite-sex and same-sex) was a late-comer.  But these were all marriage traditions, and they’ve always changed to reflect societal attitudes towards gender.

Epicureanism and the Live Foods Lifestyle

When someone or something attacks an ant-hill, soldier ants will swarm in a matter of seconds around the threat and keep it contained.  Similarly, when we are scarred due to violence or due to an accident, or when a virus or foreign bacteria enters our bodies, some of our blood cells behave like soldier ants swarming around the threat, containing it, coagulating blood in order to ensure that the precious resource is not lost, and a vast concerted effort by the immune system is carried out without any conscious effort on our part.

Nature, evolution, and natural selection, have given us the means to defend ourselves from threats and to survive.  There is a dietary lifestyle, made famous in part by Max Gerson (who elaborated a natural cancer therapy that bears his name) and by natural health pioneer Ann Wigmore, known as the live foods lifestyle.  You may have read or heard of the ‘raw foodies’, or ‘live foodists’ online or during your visits to health stores.  The philosophy behind live foods is that the body already has the wisdom to cure itself, that we simply have to optimize its potential by eating food that does not tax the immune system.

Live foodists believe that if one cooks food over a certain temperature (for most foods, generally over 118 degrees F), the enzymes (which help our bodies to assimilate and convert the foods to energy) begin to die and the nutritional value of the food is lost.

Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food. - Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine

In recent years, a new field known as gastro-neurology has emerged.  Research demonstrates that humans have what’s being called a second brain in the stomach, which is about the size of a cat’s brain.  I am more tempted to call it the first brain, having evolved earlier.  Our main brain could have only grown out of a less complex, more primal organ.  This Scientific American article states:

Cutting-edge research is currently investigating how the second brain mediates the body’s immune response; after all, at least 70 percent of our immune system is aimed at the gut to expel and kill foreign invaders.

UCLA’s Mayer is doing work on how the trillions of bacteria in the gut “communicate” with enteric nervous system cells (which they greatly outnumber). His work with the gut’s nervous system has led him to think that in coming years psychiatry will need to expand to treat the second brain in addition to the one atop the shoulders.

Just as the soldier ants use chemicals to communicate to each other, the neurons in our stomach also coordinate communication throughout our bodies in order to heal and protect us.

My own experiments with live foods took place mainly during 2009, after I went to the emergency room twice with heart palpitations and was forced by my doctor (and by my body) to overcome caffeine addiction.  I read that one is encouraged to drink lots of water during this process and that the body was detoxing.

As I delved into the healing process, I decided to experience a full live-foods detox, including colon hydrotherapy to fully cleanse my colon.  Immediately after the colon cleanse, I felt more calm, alive, in control of my body and mind, and alert.  I even noticed aromas from flowers in my neighborhood that I had never noticed prior to this experience, although I had been living in this neighborhood for about five years.  My senses of sight and smell got more acute as a result of the colon cleanse.

This was very unexpected and naturally, although I’m not entirely a raw-foodist, I still incorporate much of the wisdom from that time into my lifestyle and I’ve encouraged some of my friends to learn about it.

My live foods experiments were a major learning experience for me and changed my relationship with food forever.  After this, I began brewing my own kombucha, I’ve experimented with sea weeds, superfoods like raw cacao and maca, and all-natural mood boosters like yerba maté, durian and kava.

Epicureanism and the Live Foods Lifestyle

I am sharing all of this here because it was Epicurus who said: The beginning and root of every good is the pleasure of the stomach.  He also encouraged a simple life, and as far as simple living, it does not get simpler than the live foods lifestyle: a vegan diet of fruits, uncooked vegetables, nuts, seeds, greens, and fermented foods with healthy gut bacteria like kombucha, kim chee, etc.

But also, Epicurus taught that what is good is pleasurable and that what is pleasurable is good: that body and mind have the wisdom to recognize that which is good for us.  I very strongly believe this, but I also believe that for the last 100 years, humans have been eating an unnatural, unhealthy, processed diet that has damaged our natural responses to food and devolved into addictions to sugar, caffeine, and other evils.  Modern man oftentimes is led by bad bacteria in his gut, or by addictions in his brain, to think that foods that are bad for him are good and vice versa.

The connection between the stomach and the emotional life, and our sense of well-being, is very deep and it probably goes back to the early days of our lives, when we were breast fed by our mothers and felt entirely safe, complete, in the state of pure pleasure, of primal ataraxia that newborn babies experience.

Many people accuse the hedonism of Epicurean philosophy of being selfish, but the truth is that our very first experiences of ataraxia are experiences of bonding with another human being, in this case the mother.  Because hunger and thirst are the most primal of human vulnerabilities, it is here that we are in most need of bonding and depending on each other.  Pleasure is not selfish or selfless: it connects people (and ergo enhances the chances for survival) and –although Epicurus advises that we should balance hedone with reason– it’s one of nature’s way to advise us on what’s good for us and to help us to recognize our natural needs.

Human beings need affection: our closest relatives, the chimpanzees, need constant tactile interaction during the first two years of their lives and will not release their mothers until they feel safe enough to go out on their own.  There are studies that demonstrate how strong bonds with others positively affect the immune system, give us confidence, and make us generally happier persons.  Although different cultures and families set different boundaries, grooming behavior (which is pleasant) is as natural and common among humans as it is among our ape relatives.

‎”The immune system, what it does is distinguish between me and the other, and when one falls in love, the loved one is not perceived as other by the body. – Amit Goswami

In Epicureanism, all spirituality is embodied.  The visceral, the guts, seem to be the location of much of our primal reactions and instincts.  The emotional and existential aspects of consumption and diet, and the relationship between eating and associating with others, deserve further treatment within the Epicurean tradition.  When we relate to others, and when we consume food, we are bringing into our bodies and experiences the other, something external, and making it a part of us.  Research demonstrates that this has physical and health repercussions.

Rather than propose an ideal Epicurean diet, what follows is a brief survey of the diet of ancient Greeks, which would have been Epicurus’ diet, plus an invitation to consider experimenting with the live foods lifestyle and the consumption of mood-boosting superfoods in our culinary experiments.

What Epicurus Ate

As an interesting side bar: ancient Greeks dined almost daily on bread (leavened and unleavened) and water.  These were the two main features at Epicurus’ table, according to sources.  Epicurus stayed hydrated daily.

We also know that, from time to time, he enjoyed cheese.  Goat cheese and cottage cheese were the main cheeses consumed in ancient Greece.

Usually milk was believed to be a barbaric food by the Greek.  However, in its fermented form (as yogurt or cheese), it was a delicacy.  We know today that fermented foods such as these have the good bacteria that helps us to digest our food and to fight disease, and that most humans lack the enzymes to digest milk properly after a certain age.  And so, the choice of consuming cheese as a major source of protein, which already contains within it the bacteria that helps to digest it, is wise indeed.

Epicurus’ diet also incorporated other features of the now-famous Mediterranean diet: olives and olive oil, honey and honey cakes, lentils and peas, onions, cabbage, and greens.  A little wine, which was diluted in water, was also consumed almost daily.  In the mornings, a typical breakfast consisted in bread dipped in wine.

Beef and pork were only consumed rarely and during religious festivals by most Greeks.  Fish was the main animal-derived protein consumed with some frequency: sardines, anchovies, tuna, octopus, and shellfish.  It was cooked in olive oil and flavored with rosemary, bay leaf, and thyme.  We know today that fish such as these contain Omega 3 oils, which act as mood-boosters, natural anti-depressants, and are excellent food for the brain.

To the many virtues of the now-popular Mediterranean diet, we must add the fact that ancient Greeks did not consume sugar as many do today.  Instead, they sweetened their foods with figs, dates, raisins, apples, pomegranates, fruits, and honey.  Anyone who has experimented with alternative sweeteners knows that it only takes a little honey to create a simple yet sumptuous meal, and that dates are usually so dense in flavor that a little goes a long way.  This more natural, less processed, way of sweetening and flavoring food certainly contributes to the health benefits that the Mediterranean diet is today known for.

Only wolves and lions eat alone.  You should not eat, not even a snack, on your own. - Epicurus

How one ate was just as important as what one ate.  Epicurus’ own conviction on this reflected Greek conventions.  Ancient Greeks ate together without utensils, using their hands and using bread as a spoon just as Ethiopians do today.  Whereas other apes groom each other in order to bond, Epicurus believed that civilized humans eat together: eating is a communal event in an Epicurean lifestyle.

Live Foods and Superfoods

The world of live foods is as vast as nature itself.  If you’re curious about live foods, my advise is that you learn at your own pace and treat each experiment as a learning process.  I have friends that do month-long live foods experiments.

Some people are 100 % into live foods and even go through periods of fruitarianism.  However, most raw-foodists do an 80-20% or a 60-40% combination of cooked and live foods.  While these lifestyles are not as austere as one might think, and in fact most of our ancestors fully lived these lifestyles for hundreds of millenia and the foods enjoyed are quite pleasant, it’s usually not good to be an extremist and temporary experiments with live foods are probably the ideal.

Most of us need to reacquaint ourselves with the simple pleasure of eating an apple, greens, a pineapple, an avocado, or a tomato in its natural state.  THIS is what live foods are about.  It’s also what Epicureanism is about: the desire to eat is a necessary pleasure, and we’re advised to fully nurture and enjoy it.

Even if you incorporate live foods as a small percentage of your dietary lifestyle, you will not only recognize the benefits in your body and mind but you will also receive valuable education from nature itself and you will find yourself enriched by the experience.

The above piece was originally written for the International Society of Friends of Epicurus webpage

Society of Friends of Epicurus

The International Society of Friends of Epicurus (ISFE) was recently founded in February of 2013.

Epicurus was one of the first philosophers who spoke about the atom (2,300 years ago). He was an ethical materialist philosopher who linked the ethics discourse to tangible human happiness and tangible human suffering, rather than what we have in our society where, every time we have a discussion on morals and ethics, we can expect it to degenerate into people making supernatural claims to promote an anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-science agenda. We believe that philosophy is the only proper context within which rational, sane ethical discourse can really take place, and we’re interested in giving naturalist philosophy again the visibility it had in antiquity.

We are experiencing growth on a global scale and we believe that, just as there are churches in every corner, there should be Epicurean Gardens (this is the name for Epicurus’ schools) in every city, as it was in antiquity. Currently, there are two modern Gardens in Greece (Thessaloniki and Athens) and one in Sydney, Australia. There are also many individuals in many parts of the world who are committed to the philosophy and interested in forming new circles of Friends of Epicurus.

Epicureanism is also a philosophy and science of happiness that provides people with empirical methodologies for the cultivation of happiness and well-being. We’re very interested in the work being done by the likes of Sam Harris in neuroscience, studying the brain when it’s in a state of happiness, and other work being done around diets that promote well-being, etc.

Epicurus promoted sane interaction among friends (ergo, among equals) as the ideal relationship. Epicurus was so progressive that his contemporaries considered him scandalous for engaging women and slaves in philosophical discourse in his day. We believe that friends are the most important ingredient for human happiness, and so our tradition also has the potential to build community and strong bonds of loyalty and solidarity among like-minded people.

Thomas Jefferson was an Epicurean, and so was Christopher Hitchens.

If you support our mission and vision, please visit our webpage, like us on facebook, and subscribe to our twitter feed!

Let us completely rid ourselves of our bad habits as if they were evil men who have done us long and grievous harm.

- Epicurus, VS 46