Dragon Ball is an iconic Japanese manga and anime series created by Akira Toriyama. While the later Z sequel attracts more attention, I am personally partial towards the original show due to its lighter tone and casual philosophical underpinnings. There is much to recommend Dragon Ball primarily as an enjoyable viewing experience, but here we will focus on a small portion of its valuable moral content. The audience follows students Goku and Krillin as they strive to improve their martial arts skills under the guidance of the reclusive Turtle Hermit, Master Roshi. During their training period on Kame island, Roshi imparts some wise words to the young boys, ripe for New Cyrenaic appropriation:
Work hard, study well, and eat and sleep plenty! That is the Turtle Hermit way!
Childishly simple advice, yet vital. Hedonists who take this brief credo seriously stand to improve the basic pillars of their lives. Let’s break it down:
Work hard (to procure pleasure): We must apply effort in order to achieve a pleasant life. For modern hedonists, this will primarily apply to one’s occupation, which provides the means to facilitate desirable goods, services, and experiences. Readers may come across quotes indicating that Aristippus did not trouble himself to procure what was not present, but it would be a misunderstanding to take these anecdotes as suggestive of sloth. Properly understood, we find exhortations to remain receptive to pleasurable opportunities available in current situations, rather than missing out by pining for absent allures. The anecdotes collected by Diogenes Laërtius clearly indicate that Aristippus valued education, cultivating skills of character, and forming beneficial relationships - all of which require long-term planning and purposeful action. Working hard does not entail aimlessly expending energy, however: it means focusing your attention on the areas that truly matter and striving towards greater happiness. In the context of Dragon Ball, hard work refers primarily to martial arts exercises. Interestingly enough, perhaps due to the Socratic influence, Cyrenaics also valued physical fitness, and according to Diogenes Laërtius they held that “bodily training contributes to the acquisition of virtue”. It is clear that nothing of value is achieved by terminal inaction, though as we will see later, indolence has its proper place. As for understanding what our goals ought to be, and how best to achieve them, we will cover that in the next stage.
Study well (to develop skills and attitude): Paideia, or education, was an important element of Aristippus’ livelihood, and he infamously charged fees in exchange for imparting his wisdom to the youth. This education consisted primarily of Aristippus’ own philosophical program, teaching students how to act with appropriate self-possession, maintain their peace of mind, and navigate social situations. All of this involves developing sophrosūnē, which is a Greek ideal combining excellence of character with soundness of mind, perfectly exemplified by the cardinal Aristippean virtue of temperance. Ordinarily, this term suggests abstinence or deprivation. For Cyrenaics, however, exercising temperance means possessing the correct understanding of our ultimate end, while ensuring that our actions and attitudes align with it. Aristippus teaches that pleasure is the goal of life. In this connection, the virtue of temperance guards against our two biggest obstacles to enjoyment: 1. Attachment: overlooking present delights due to an unhealthy obsession with a particular desired source. 2. Craving: slavishly seeking after desires beyond those at hand. The state of mind characterized by attachment and craving is considered an illness/mental perversion. To avoid this, we disdain excess and focus our attention on the present moment. In this way, we prevent our imaginative projections from interfering with real pleasures, and maintain a receptive demeanor which increases our capacity for appreciation. By studying Cyrenaic philosophy, we can improve our philosophical understanding, enhance our character, and achieve an advantageous attitude.
Eat and sleep plenty (for health and well-being): Metabolic nourishment and physiological regeneration are integral elements of maintaining healthy homeostasis. The Cyrenaics were in an important sense physicalist who considered our affections - pain and pleasure - to be the result of bodily motion. The upshot of such a position is that our foundational basis for pleasurable living is maintaining health and well-being. Aside from exercise, which we have already covered, diet and rest are the key requirements for proper biological and psychological functioning. In short, if you want to live a pleasant life, start by eating well and getting an appropriate amount of sleep!
Sources:
Lampe, K. (2017). The Birth of Hedonism - The Cyrenaic Philosophers and Pleasure As a Way of Life. Princeton University Press.
Redmond, F. (2012). Cyreniacs Handbook. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
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