Cyrenaic Principles

Based on a careful reading of Aristippean anecdotes, in addition to adjacent orthodox material, I’ve synthesized a number of general principles, collected according to similarity of theme. Due to the interconnected nature of all philosophical systems, it’s appropriate that many points would fit under multiple headings, but there is a useful hierarchy here. Short summaries like this provide a quick reference for practical application. 

Hedonism:

• To live pleasantly/pleasurably is the ultimate end of man.
• Pleasure is the telos, pain is the greatest evil, and as proof of this we have the example of young children, animals, and the natural feelings of men. 
• Pleasure is the smooth/moderate motion of the soul/body, resulting in sensation.
• Bend world to self, not self to world.
• A happy life holds heroic value over an ordinary existence.
• Opulence and extravagance are not to be shunned, if available.
• The man who masters pleasure is not the one who abstains, but the one who enjoys without allowing himself to be carried away.
• Education improves receptivity and appreciation.

Peace of Mind:

• Maintain calm temper, regardless of the situation.
• Aim higher, while content with what you have.
• A man ought not covet more than he possesses, else he risks the degree and purity of his joy.
• Greed for excess is an illness, and we ought not become attached to any particular source of pleasure.
• Accustom oneself to living on little so as to do nothing shameful for the purpose of gaining wealth.
• Express amiability in relationships, avoid holding grudges, and aim for reconciliation.
• We should not allow our words to be guided by anger, but ought use our words to put a check on our anger.
• Eschew the troubles of politics.

Adaptability and Confidence:

• Extract enjoyment from all circumstances, controlling adversity and prosperity alike.
• Our philosophy imparts the ability to feel at ease in any society. We become skilled at adapting ourselves to place, time, and person. We can play our role in the manner that befits each circumstance. 
• All states, styles, and circumstances suit us.
• Wit, rhetorical skills, and suavity are valuable.
• Fortune and chance are negligible.

Presentism:

• The pleasures of the present moment are paramount.
• Derive pleasure from what is present, without troublesome toil for what is not.
• We should not be anxious about things past or future. Such an attitude is a sign of confidence and gives proof of a cheerful frame of mind.
• Telescope your attention first on the day, and in that day, on the very moment in which we are acting and thinking, as a spiritual exercise to increase pleasurable appreciation. 
• Only the present truly belongs to us. 

Virtue:

• Skills of character are the most valuable possessions; those habits which conduce to pleasure are virtuous.
• Virtue is praiseworthy only because it is productive of pleasure.
• True wisdom consists of transforming disagreeable into agreeable sensations.
• Temperance means to control desires, not to be controlled by them. It is not abstinence from pleasure, but mastery over it that is best, in order to indulge without being worsted.
• Moderation prevents against corruption.
• Disdain excess.
• Freedom is the high road that leads most surely to happiness, being neither master nor slave.
• Gratitude and rejoicing in what one has is superior to mourning what is lost or not achieved.

Sources:

Diogenes & Hard, R. (2012). Sayings and anecdotes: with other popular moralists. Oxford University Press.

Redmond, F. (2012). Cyreniacs Handbook. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.