Having got through chapter one and learnt from the example of Socrates that just because something is popular and as a result a widely held belief it isn’t necessarily right, Button turns to other issues. Next in line is the question of pleasure and wealth.
Step forward Epicurus who welcomed the seeking of pleasure. Before he gets into describing what the great philosopher thought produced that pleasure he lists off some of his own demands which includes a couple of similar wishes to my own including the following:
A library with a large desk, a fireplace and a view on to a garden. Early editions with the comforting smell of old books, pages yellowed and rough to the touch. On top of shelves, busts of great thinkers and astrological globes. Like the design of the library for a house of William III of Holland.”
Hoping the next few pages won’t burst the bubble that getting that library is something worth aiming for.
More tomorrow…
