Tim O’Keefe
Biographic Data
| ID | 5690348 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Tim O’Keefe |
| GIVEN NAMES | Tim |
| FAMILY NAME | O’Keefe |
| SIGNATURE | O’KEEFE T |
| AFFILIATIONS | Georgia State University |
| ORCID | 0009-0003-6339-8909 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 4 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 15 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1987 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Achieving Tranquility
This chapter considers Epicurean strategies for eliminating two of the most pervasive and damaging fears: fear of the gods and fear of death. Much of Epicurean philosophy centers on the elimination of empty fears, which are the main obstacle to tranquility in the Epicurean view. This chapter first gives a general taxonomy of types of fear, distinguishing the legitimate fears, which answer to “natural or necessary” desires, from the irrational and…
Socrates’ Ethical Argument for His Eschatology in the Gorgias
Socrates has an implicit argument for his afterlife story that concludes the Gorgias , with two key premises. One is at 527a–c, where he summarizes the ethical position he has been arguing for through most of the dialogue, regarding the intrinsic goodness of justice, the intrinsic badness of injustice, and the desirability of rehabilitative punishments. The second occurs at 507e–508a, where Socrates asserts that the universe is held together by j…
The Epicureanism of Lucretius
What is distinctive about Lucretius’s version of Epicureanism? The answer might appear to be “nothing,” for two reasons. First, Epicureanism in general is doctrinally conservative, with followers of Epicurus claiming to follow his authority. Second, Lucretius claims to be merely transmitting the arguments of his beloved master Epicurus in a pleasing manner. I contend that these considerations do not prevent De rerum natura from presenting a disti…
The Annicerean Cyrenaics on Friendship and Habitual Good Will
Unlike mainstream Cyrenaics, the Annicereans deny that friendship is chosen only because of its usefulness: the wise person cares for her friend and endures pains for him because of her goodwill and love. Nonetheless, the Annicereans maintain that your own pleasure is the telos and that a friend’s happiness is not intrinsically choiceworthy. I argue that this is to be explained by evidence for an Annicerean doctrine of ‘non-hedonic habits’, which…
Epicureanism
The Invention and Gendering of Epicurus by Pamela Gordon
BOOK REVIEWS/COMPTES RENDUS 405 is his study of the relationship of the troops with the royal family. The most obvious illustration is the infantry’s backing of Arrhidaeus at Babylon, but Roisman follows this thread throughout the history of the next several years, pointing for example to the royal army’s support of Adea-Eurydice in her struggle to assert her position and that of her husband Philip iii (Arrhidaeus). Roisman argues also that the v…
Action and responsibility
One of Epicurus' central concerns is to show how human agency exists within a world whose ultimate constituents are simply extended and indivisible bits of matter (atoms) whizzing around in empty space (the void). A common way of putting this concern is to say that Epicurus wishes to defend free will against the threat of determinism. After all, the Epicurean poet Lucretius asserts that libera voluntas - often translated as 'free will' - is incom…
Socrates' Therapeutic Use of Inconsistency in the Axiochus
The pseudo-Platonic dialogue Axiochus seems irremediably confused. Its author tosses together Platonic, Epicurean and Cynic arguments against the fear of death, apparently with no regard for their consistency. Whereas in the Apology Socrates argues that death is either annihilation or a relocation of the soul, and is a blessing either way, in the Axiochus Socrates seems to assert that death is both annihilation and a release of the soul from the …
Lucretius on Atomic Motion
Lucretius on the Cycle of Life and the Fear of Death
In De Rerum Natura III 963-971, Lucretius argues that death should not be feared because it is a necessary part of the natural cycle of life and death. This argument has received little philosophical attention, except by Martha Nussbaum, who asserts it is quite strong. However, Nussbaum's view is unsustainable, and I offer my own reading. I agree with Nussbaum that, as she construes it, the cycle of life argument is quite distinct from the better…
The Cyrenaics on Pleasure, Happiness, and Future-Concern
The Cyrenaics assert that (1) particular pleasure is the highest good, and happiness is valued not for its own sake, but only for the sake of the particular pleasures that compose it; (2) we should not forego present pleasures for the sake of obtaining greater pleasure in the future. Their anti-eudaimonism and lack of future-concern do not follow from their hedonism. So why do they assert (1) and (2)? After reviewing and criticizing the proposals…
The Reductionist and Compatibilist Argument of Epicurus' On Nature, Book 25
Epicurus' On Nature 25 is the key text for anti-reductionist interpretations of Epicurus' philosophy of mind. In it, Epicurus is trying to argue against those, like Democritus, who say that everything occurs 'of necessity,' and in the course of this argument, he says many things that appear to conflict with an Identity Theory of Mind and with causal determinism. In this paper, I engage in a close reading of this text in order to show that it does…
Is Epicurean Friendship Altruistic?
Epicurus is strongly committed to psychological and ethical egoism and hedonism. However, these commitments do not square easily with many of the claims made by Epicureans about friendship: for instance, that the wise man will sometimes die for his friend, that the wise man will love his friend as much as himself, feel exactly the same toward his friend as toward himself, and exert himself as much for his friend's pleasure as for his own, and tha…
Does Epicurus Need the Swerve as an Archê of Collisions
In De Rerum Natura, Lucretius gives two reasons for why there must be an atomic swerve: first, without the swerve, there would be no atomic collisions, and thus no macroscopic bodies, as there evidently are;' second, the swerve is supposed to break the decrees of fate and guarantee our freedom.2 The anti-determinist justification for the swerve is highly problematic after all, how could randomness at the atomic level be pertinent at all to the fr…
The other face of the classroom
Employing the perspective of negotiated order theory, the classroom is examined as a natural social setting from the perspective of the student actor. The data consist of some 50 hours of observations of an Introduction to Sociology class by a student participant observer. Beyond the formal organization of the class, these observations reveal emergent normative and structural features of the classroom which impact profoundly on the educational pr…
Socrates' Therapeutic Use of Inconsistency in the Axiochus
The pseudo-Platonic dialogue Axiochus seems irremediably confused. Its author tosses together Platonic, Epicurean and Cynic arguments against the fear of death, apparently with no regard for their consistency. Whereas in the Apology Socrates argues that death is either annihilation or a relocation of the soul, and is a blessing either way, in the Axiochus Socrates seems to assert that death is both annihilation and a release of the soul from the …
The Reductionist and Compatibilist Argument of Epicurus' On Nature, Book 25
Epicurus' On Nature 25 is the key text for anti-reductionist interpretations of Epicurus' philosophy of mind. In it, Epicurus is trying to argue against those, like Democritus, who say that everything occurs 'of necessity,' and in the course of this argument, he says many things that appear to conflict with an Identity Theory of Mind and with causal determinism. In this paper, I engage in a close reading of this text in order to show that it does…
Does Epicurus Need the Swerve as an Archê of Collisions
In De Rerum Natura, Lucretius gives two reasons for why there must be an atomic swerve: first, without the swerve, there would be no atomic collisions, and thus no macroscopic bodies, as there evidently are;' second, the swerve is supposed to break the decrees of fate and guarantee our freedom.2 The anti-determinist justification for the swerve is highly problematic after all, how could randomness at the atomic level be pertinent at all to the fr…
The other face of the classroom
Employing the perspective of negotiated order theory, the classroom is examined as a natural social setting from the perspective of the student actor. The data consist of some 50 hours of observations of an Introduction to Sociology class by a student participant observer. Beyond the formal organization of the class, these observations reveal emergent normative and structural features of the classroom which impact profoundly on the educational pr…
The other face of the classroom
Employing the perspective of negotiated order theory, the classroom is examined as a natural social setting from the perspective of the student actor. The data consist of some 50 hours of observations of an Introduction to Sociology class by a student participant observer. Beyond the formal organization of the class, these observations reveal emergent normative and structural features of the classroom which impact profoundly on the educational pr…
Does Epicurus Need the Swerve as an Archê of Collisions
In De Rerum Natura, Lucretius gives two reasons for why there must be an atomic swerve: first, without the swerve, there would be no atomic collisions, and thus no macroscopic bodies, as there evidently are;' second, the swerve is supposed to break the decrees of fate and guarantee our freedom.2 The anti-determinist justification for the swerve is highly problematic after all, how could randomness at the atomic level be pertinent at all to the fr…
Is Epicurean Friendship Altruistic?
Epicurus is strongly committed to psychological and ethical egoism and hedonism. However, these commitments do not square easily with many of the claims made by Epicureans about friendship: for instance, that the wise man will sometimes die for his friend, that the wise man will love his friend as much as himself, feel exactly the same toward his friend as toward himself, and exert himself as much for his friend's pleasure as for his own, and tha…
The Cyrenaics on Pleasure, Happiness, and Future-Concern
The Cyrenaics assert that (1) particular pleasure is the highest good, and happiness is valued not for its own sake, but only for the sake of the particular pleasures that compose it; (2) we should not forego present pleasures for the sake of obtaining greater pleasure in the future. Their anti-eudaimonism and lack of future-concern do not follow from their hedonism. So why do they assert (1) and (2)? After reviewing and criticizing the proposals…
The Reductionist and Compatibilist Argument of Epicurus' On Nature, Book 25
Epicurus' On Nature 25 is the key text for anti-reductionist interpretations of Epicurus' philosophy of mind. In it, Epicurus is trying to argue against those, like Democritus, who say that everything occurs 'of necessity,' and in the course of this argument, he says many things that appear to conflict with an Identity Theory of Mind and with causal determinism. In this paper, I engage in a close reading of this text in order to show that it does…
Lucretius on Atomic Motion
Lucretius on the Cycle of Life and the Fear of Death
In De Rerum Natura III 963-971, Lucretius argues that death should not be feared because it is a necessary part of the natural cycle of life and death. This argument has received little philosophical attention, except by Martha Nussbaum, who asserts it is quite strong. However, Nussbaum's view is unsustainable, and I offer my own reading. I agree with Nussbaum that, as she construes it, the cycle of life argument is quite distinct from the better…
Socrates' Therapeutic Use of Inconsistency in the Axiochus
The pseudo-Platonic dialogue Axiochus seems irremediably confused. Its author tosses together Platonic, Epicurean and Cynic arguments against the fear of death, apparently with no regard for their consistency. Whereas in the Apology Socrates argues that death is either annihilation or a relocation of the soul, and is a blessing either way, in the Axiochus Socrates seems to assert that death is both annihilation and a release of the soul from the …
Action and responsibility
One of Epicurus' central concerns is to show how human agency exists within a world whose ultimate constituents are simply extended and indivisible bits of matter (atoms) whizzing around in empty space (the void). A common way of putting this concern is to say that Epicurus wishes to defend free will against the threat of determinism. After all, the Epicurean poet Lucretius asserts that libera voluntas - often translated as 'free will' - is incom…
The Invention and Gendering of Epicurus by Pamela Gordon
BOOK REVIEWS/COMPTES RENDUS 405 is his study of the relationship of the troops with the royal family. The most obvious illustration is the infantry’s backing of Arrhidaeus at Babylon, but Roisman follows this thread throughout the history of the next several years, pointing for example to the royal army’s support of Adea-Eurydice in her struggle to assert her position and that of her husband Philip iii (Arrhidaeus). Roisman argues also that the v…
Epicureanism
The Annicerean Cyrenaics on Friendship and Habitual Good Will
Unlike mainstream Cyrenaics, the Annicereans deny that friendship is chosen only because of its usefulness: the wise person cares for her friend and endures pains for him because of her goodwill and love. Nonetheless, the Annicereans maintain that your own pleasure is the telos and that a friend’s happiness is not intrinsically choiceworthy. I argue that this is to be explained by evidence for an Annicerean doctrine of ‘non-hedonic habits’, which…
The Epicureanism of Lucretius
What is distinctive about Lucretius’s version of Epicureanism? The answer might appear to be “nothing,” for two reasons. First, Epicureanism in general is doctrinally conservative, with followers of Epicurus claiming to follow his authority. Second, Lucretius claims to be merely transmitting the arguments of his beloved master Epicurus in a pleasing manner. I contend that these considerations do not prevent De rerum natura from presenting a disti…
Socrates’ Ethical Argument for His Eschatology in the Gorgias
Socrates has an implicit argument for his afterlife story that concludes the Gorgias , with two key premises. One is at 527a–c, where he summarizes the ethical position he has been arguing for through most of the dialogue, regarding the intrinsic goodness of justice, the intrinsic badness of injustice, and the desirability of rehabilitative punishments. The second occurs at 507e–508a, where Socrates asserts that the universe is held together by j…
Achieving Tranquility
This chapter considers Epicurean strategies for eliminating two of the most pervasive and damaging fears: fear of the gods and fear of death. Much of Epicurean philosophy centers on the elimination of empty fears, which are the main obstacle to tranquility in the Epicurean view. This chapter first gives a general taxonomy of types of fear, distinguishing the legitimate fears, which answer to “natural or necessary” desires, from the irrational and…
Epistemology (12 works) · Classical Philosophy and Thought (11 works) · Philosophy (11 works) · Psychology (8 works) · Epicureanism (6 works) · Philosophy (6 works) · Classical Antiquity Studies (5 works) · Social Psychology (5 works) · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies (4 works) · Literature (4 works)