#Eudaimonia

[noroomforallourthoughts]

from What makes a good life? Existentialists believed we should embrace freedom and authenticity by Oscar Davis

[quantumpoem]

Duality and oneness in identity

"Yin and Yang" Wikipedia / "The Left Hand of Darkness" Ursula K. Le Guin / "Toward a Psychology of Being" Abraham Maslow / "The Left Hand of Darkness" Ursula K. Le Guin / "Toward a Psychology of Being" Abraham Maslow

[earnestattempts]

issue 5 part 2

“Eudaimonia” means “the good life”, not just contentment but a deeper and more complex state of being. This is one chapter of a series that explores different aspects of the concept.

read the whole series here! or catch up on the tag

patreon link in bio - no pressure, but any little bit helps!

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Happiness

The philosophy of happiness explores the nature, sources, and significance of happiness in human life. It examines what constitutes true happiness, how it can be achieved, and its role in ethical and meaningful living. Philosophers have approached happiness from various perspectives, including ethical, psychological, and existential viewpoints, leading to diverse understandings of what it means to live a happy life.

Key Themes in the Philosophy of Happiness:

Definitions and Concepts of Happiness:

Eudaimonia (Flourishing): In ancient Greek philosophy, particularly in the works of Aristotle, happiness is often equated with "eudaimonia," which is best translated as flourishing or well-being. Eudaimonia is achieved through living virtuously and fulfilling one's potential, rather than through the pursuit of pleasure alone.

Hedonism: Hedonism defines happiness as the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. This view, associated with philosophers like Epicurus, suggests that a happy life is one in which pleasure is maximized and suffering minimized. However, Epicurus emphasized simple pleasures and the avoidance of excess.

Ethical Theories and Happiness:

Utilitarianism: Utilitarian philosophers like Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill argue that the right action is the one that maximizes happiness for the greatest number of people. In this context, happiness is often understood as the presence of pleasure and the absence of pain.

Virtue Ethics: Aristotle’s virtue ethics posits that happiness is achieved by living a life of virtue. Virtuous actions, in accordance with reason, lead to a state of eudaimonia, where individuals live in harmony with their true nature and purpose.

Deontological Ethics: While not focused solely on happiness, deontological ethics, as developed by Immanuel Kant, suggests that true happiness comes from fulfilling one’s moral duties. Kant argues that happiness is not the primary goal of moral action, but living morally can lead to a form of happiness tied to a sense of duty and integrity.

Happiness and the Good Life:

The Role of Reason: In many philosophical traditions, particularly in the works of Plato and Aristotle, happiness is linked to the exercise of reason. A life guided by rational thought and the pursuit of wisdom is seen as the highest form of happiness.

The Balance of Pleasure and Virtue: Philosophers like Aristotle and the Stoics argue that happiness is not merely about pleasure but involves a balance of pleasure with virtue. Happiness is seen as a byproduct of living a virtuous life, rather than an end in itself.

Subjective and Objective Views of Happiness:

Subjective Well-Being: Modern discussions of happiness often focus on subjective well-being, which is the individual's self-assessment of their life satisfaction and emotional state. This perspective emphasizes personal experience and the psychological aspects of happiness.

Objective Well-Being: In contrast, some philosophers argue that happiness should be understood in objective terms, based on factors like health, relationships, and personal achievements. From this view, happiness is not just about how one feels but also about living a life that meets certain standards of well-being.

Happiness in Different Philosophical Traditions:

Stoicism: Stoic philosophers like Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius argue that happiness comes from accepting the things we cannot change and living in accordance with nature. Happiness, in this view, is achieved through self-discipline, rationality, and emotional resilience.

Epicureanism: Epicurus taught that happiness is found in simple pleasures, friendship, and the absence of pain (ataraxia). He distinguished between necessary and unnecessary desires, advocating for a minimalist lifestyle that avoids unnecessary suffering.

Buddhism: In Buddhist philosophy, happiness is understood as a state of inner peace and enlightenment, achieved by overcoming desire and attachment. The Four Noble Truths outline the path to end suffering, which is seen as the key to true happiness.

Existential Perspectives on Happiness:

Sartre and Existential Freedom: Existentialist philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre argue that happiness is not a predefined state but something that individuals must create for themselves through their choices. Happiness is linked to the authentic exercise of freedom and the responsibility to define one’s own existence.

Camus and the Absurd: Albert Camus, another existentialist, explores the idea that life is inherently absurd and that the search for meaning or happiness can seem futile. However, he argues that one can still find happiness in embracing the absurd and living fully in the face of it.

The Pursuit of Happiness in Modern Thought:

Positive Psychology: In contemporary philosophy and psychology, the study of happiness has expanded with the development of positive psychology. This field focuses on understanding and fostering the factors that contribute to human flourishing, such as positive emotions, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments.

Happiness and Society: Modern philosophers and social theorists explore the relationship between happiness and social conditions, including wealth, inequality, and political systems. Debates continue on how society can be organized to promote the well-being and happiness of its members.

Critiques and Challenges:

Hedonic Treadmill: One critique of the pursuit of happiness is the "hedonic treadmill" effect, where people quickly return to a baseline level of happiness despite changes in their circumstances. This challenges the idea that lasting happiness can be achieved through external factors alone.

The Paradox of Happiness: Some philosophers and psychologists argue that the direct pursuit of happiness can be self-defeating. Focusing too much on becoming happy may lead to anxiety or disappointment, while happiness often arises as a byproduct of other activities, such as meaningful work or relationships.

The philosophy of happiness offers a rich and varied exploration of what it means to live well. It challenges individuals to consider the sources of true happiness, the role of virtue and reason in the good life, and the balance between personal pleasure and ethical living. Whether seen as a subjective state, an objective condition, or a byproduct of living authentically, happiness remains a central concern in philosophical inquiry, reflecting the enduring human quest for fulfillment and well-being.

[roisushiii]

『 ᴇᴜᴅᴀɪᴍᴏɴɪᴀ 』

the young lady, away from the hustle and bustle of society, is enjoying her peaceful day🍀

[eudaimonia-corner]

Anh đến thăm em

chiều đã trễ,

nắm tay, ta cùng về.

Ngày dài lê thê

chuyện buồn, em kể

và anh

cứ thế thương em.

Anh cùng em, bữa tối.

Bếp ấm lên rồi,

mặc ngoài kia gió thổi.

Tay ấm thêm rồi,

mặc ngoài kia

tuyết trắng ngang đồi.

Hai ghế ngồi,

ta bên nhau vậy thôi.

Hai ghế ngồi,

anh yêu em vậy thôi...

|by Eudaimonia|

[giuliavaldi]

La felicità è l’autorealizzazione di sé medesimi, di sé stessi, e questa è una definizione di Aristotele il quale ritiene che ogni uomo sia fornito di una vocazione, di una inclinazione, che lui chiama daimon, ciascuno ha il suo demone, il musicista, l’artista, il filosofo, l’uomo che lavora manualmente, e la felicità in greco si dice eudaimonia: «la buona realizzazione del tuo demone». Questa è la definizione di felicità di Aristotele e io sto a questa definizione, l’autorealizzazione, uno se si autorealizza, se fa ciò per cui è chiamato o che è evocato, appunto, è felice.

Umberto Galimberti

[sentidoysensibilidad]

𝐷𝑖𝑐𝑐𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑜📚

Eudaimonia es un término griego que se traduce generalmente como “felicidad” o “bienestar”, pero su significado es más profundo y complejo. En el contexto de la filosofía, especialmente en la ética aristotélica, eudaimonia se refiere al estado de florecimiento o realización humana, alcanzado a través de la virtud y la razón.

Según Aristóteles, eudaimonia es el objetivo último de la vida humana, alcanzado viviendo de acuerdo con la virtud (areté) y realizando plenamente las capacidades y potencialidades humanas. No se trata simplemente de una sensación pasajera de placer o satisfacción, sino de una vida completa y plenamente realizada, donde uno vive de acuerdo con su verdadera naturaleza y propósito.

[porphurios]

The verses and the image of the Pythagorean Y (Upsilon) contain a challenge to students of classical and esoteric philosophy, as well as to mystics of every religion.

Of uncertain authorship, ascribed in a vague way to “Maximinus”, the verses have also been falsely ascribed to Virgil. Yet they are certainly ancient, and the main idea in them belongs to universal wisdom and literature.

They say:

“The Pythagoric Letter two ways spread,

Shows the two paths in which Man’s life is led.

The right hand track to sacred Virtue tends,

Though steep and rough at first, in rest it ends;

The other broad and smooth, but from its Crown

On rocks the Traveller is tumbled down.

He who to Virtue by harsh toils aspires,

Subduing pains, worth and renown acquires;

But who seeks slothful luxury, and flies,

The labor of great acts, dishonored dies.”

[bananartista]

RIRIDI! - Entity N° 16015

Laugh again, laugh twice!

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Hi Frank, sweetie, I’m at a bar getting the best lobster roll I ever had. What’s your favorite food?

I have never had the best lobster roll I've ever had and am only basing this off my memory of having had a mediocre lobster roll and being unable to recall ever eating the best lobster roll ever

But right now the best lobster roll I can think of is this:

It looks really good!

[quantumpoem]

Who up blogging about the delicate interconnectedness of all things

[earnestattempts]

Issue 4

“Eudaimonia” means “the good life”, not just contentment but a deeper and more complex state of being. This is one chapter of a series that explores different aspects of the concept.

read the whole series here! or catch up on the tag

patreon link in bio - no pressure, but any little bit helps!

[omegaphilosophia]

Navigating Pleasure and Pain: Exploring Philosophical Perspectives on Well-Being

The philosophy of pleasure and pain delves into the complex nature of these fundamental human experiences, seeking to understand their significance, ethical implications, and impact on our lives. It encompasses a range of perspectives and theories that shed light on the interplay between pleasure, pain, and our understanding of well-being and morality. Let's explore some key aspects of this philosophical domain.

Hedonism: Hedonism is a central theory in the philosophy of pleasure and pain. It asserts that the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain are the ultimate goals of human life. Different variations of hedonism exist, such as:

Ethical Hedonism: This theory posits that actions should be evaluated based on their ability to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. However, critics argue that purely pursuing pleasure can lead to morally questionable actions.

Psychological Hedonism: Psychological hedonism suggests that all human actions are driven by the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Critics challenge the universality of this claim, pointing to instances where people willingly endure pain for higher purposes.

Utilitarianism: Utilitarianism, introduced by philosophers like Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, posits that actions are morally right if they promote the greatest happiness or pleasure for the greatest number of people. It evaluates actions based on their consequences and aims to maximize overall well-being while minimizing suffering.

Pain and Pleasure Paradox: The relationship between pain and pleasure can be paradoxical. Some philosophers argue that pain can enhance pleasure by providing contrast and making positive experiences more meaningful. Others explore whether certain forms of pleasure can lead to pain in the long run.

Epicureanism: Epicureanism is a school of thought that promotes the pursuit of moderate pleasures and the avoidance of unnecessary pain. Epicureans emphasize mental tranquility (ataraxia) as a key component of well-being and advocate for simple and modest lifestyles.

Negative and Positive Utilitarianism: While classical utilitarianism focuses on maximizing pleasure, negative utilitarianism seeks to minimize suffering. Positive utilitarianism emphasizes the promotion of positive experiences. These variations raise questions about whether pain reduction takes precedence over pleasure maximization and vice versa.

Eudaimonia: Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia, often translated as "flourishing" or "well-being," involves a balanced and virtuous life that includes both pleasure and meaningful activities. Aristotle argues that a virtuous life contributes to a deeper and more lasting form of happiness.

Pleasure, Pain, and Morality: Philosophers debate whether pleasure and pain are reliable indicators of morality. Some argue that following moral principles may lead to short-term pain but result in greater well-being in the long run. Others contend that pursuing pleasure without considering moral values can lead to harm.

Subjective Nature: The philosophy of pleasure and pain acknowledges the subjective nature of these experiences. What brings pleasure to one person may not be the same for another. This subjectivity poses challenges in establishing universal principles for achieving well-being.

The philosophy of pleasure and pain prompts us to reflect on the nature of these experiences and their role in our lives. Whether exploring ethical theories, contemplating the interplay between pain and pleasure, or considering the pursuit of happiness, this branch of philosophy invites us to think deeply about what truly matters to us and how we navigate the complexities of pleasure and pain.

[eudaimonia-corner]

[daimonclub]

Daimon origin and meanings

Daimon origin and meanings Daimon origin and meanings, character and destiny, the history of etymology and evolution of the concept, from the ancient Greece of Socrates and Plato to Hillman's psychology and Brown's methodology. "... We refuse to establish a principled opposition between the two sets of etiological factors (constitutional and accidental), but admit that they always act together in the production of the observed effect. Daimon kai tuke (natural heritage and fate) decide the fate of a man; rarely, if ever, a single one of these forces." Sigmund Freud (1912): Dynamics of translation. Perhaps he could have chosen in the best way, but his Daimon was not so reliable, moreover Dada doubted everything, and for this reason he almost never knew how to make the most appropriate choice, however he enjoyed trying, not without a certain nostalgic and melancholic suffering. Carl William Brown Of the celestial stars I will invoke the sacred splendor with voices conforming to the rite, calling the demons holy. Orphic hymns, Scent of the stars-aromas Ethos anthropoi daimon. (Character is destiny.) Heraclitus Character is destiny, that is, our life is closely linked to our behavior and vice versa. Carl William Brown The daimon that forces us, with need, to take the way: the little individual god, the Shiva within. Carl Gustave Jung The soul always metaphorizes. Plotinus A demon from ancient Greek δαίμων, trasl. dáimōn, "divine being" is a being who stands halfway between what is divine and what is human. In religious culture it acts as an obstacle between these two dimensions, in Greek philosophy, it acts as an intermediary between man and the divine. According to Welcker, the term daimon is one of the oldest principles of Greek philosophy.

The Daimon that forces us In Hesiod, who lived between the eighth and seventh centuries BC, the demon is the post-mortem state assumed by the beings of the first golden generation: "Then, after the earth this race had covered, they are, by the will of the great Zeus, propitious demons, who are on earth, guardians of mortals, and observing the judgments of justice and wicked deeds, clothed in foggy air, everywhere prowling the earth, dispensers of riches: this royal privilege they possess." Hesiod Then the first generation, the aura living at the time of Cronus, disappeared overwhelmed by sleep, Zeus then transformed them into demons, "guardians of mortals", protectors of mankind. In the Orphic religion the demon is the very essence of the soul, imprisoned in the body for a guilt committed and from which it tries to free itself. Heraclitus (fifth century BC) speaks of it as a destiny linked to nature: "The character of a man is his daimon". Socrates Socrates refers to a dàimon or "divine guide" who often assists him in his every decision. It would be a sort of "moral conscience" that is progressively revealed as a form of divine delirium and inspiration, a voice identifiable as the authentic nature of the human soul, its rediscovered self-awareness. According to Plato's testimony, the daimon of which Socrates speaks consists in fact of a divine presence, similar to a tutelary genius, which is felt in him through signs to stimulate his reason to execute the most suitable choice, but not so much to induce him to perform certain actions, but rather to divert him: "There is within me I know nothing but divine and demonic spirit; the one of which even Meleto, joking about it, wrote in the indictment. And it is like a voice that I have had inside since I was a child; which, whenever it makes me heard, always dissuades me from something I am about to do, and never makes me proposals." Apology of Socrates, 31 d Through the daimon Socrates thus manages to express the highest degree of his typical irony even in the religious dimension.

Eros is a great Daimon The interpreters were for the most part very disconcerted and gave the Socratic daimonion very disparate exegesis. Someone believed they could cut the question in the trunk, putting entirely into account the Socratic irony and its inventiveness the whole thing of the daimonion; others have understood this very peculiar Socratic experience in a psychiatric key, so to speak, that is, as a fact of a psychopathic nature; others, more moderately, have reduced it to the voice of conscience, or to the feeling of the convenient, or to the feeling that pervades genius; And the examples could be multiplied, up to modern interpretations in a psychoanalytic key or inspired by psychoanalysis. In truth, these are scholars who do not believe in the religious fact and resolve and dissolve it in a positivistic or rationalistic or psychological or psychoanalytic way and who, consequently, irreparably misrepresent what is peculiar in the experience of the Socratic daimonion. First of all, it should be noted that daimonion is a neutral, and that therefore (and on this the interpreters of positivistic or rationalistic extraction have reason to insist) does not indicate a demon-person, that is, a personal being (a kind of angel or genius), but a fact or event or divine phenomenon: in fact never, neither in Plato nor in Xenophon, The daimonion is called "Demon", but it is called "sign" and "divine voice". Having clarified this, however, it is immediately to be noted the following: a) expressly Socrates, in Plato's Apology, connects the "divine sign" with the demons, explaining that, to the extent that he believes in "demonic things", he believes in the demons and therefore in the Gods, from which the demons derive b) moreover, just as expressly, he connects him with God himself, saying without the possibility of equivocation that the sign and the voice he heard within himself were a sign of God and the voice of God. Now, all Greekness has considered demons intermediaries between gods and men and it is highly probable, not to say certain, that this was also the belief of Socrates. For the Greek, it was not easy to think of an immediate contact or relationship of God with man, and the pluralistic conception of the divine, which, as we have seen, even shared Socrates, led in itself to think about the relationship between God and man through the intermediary of demons. The "divine sign" therefore had to come to Socrates through a demon, however he avoided this word and it is not correct (as many do) to translate certainly daimonion with demon, because, in doing so, it makes explicit what Socrates deliberately left in the indeterminate: he, in fact, preferred to stick to what he felt in himself and to qualify this phenomenon as divine, without deepening the way in which it took place and for what mediation. Continuing our analysis we must conclude that the real meaning of the "daimon" for Socrates has been variously interpreted: with this term, according to Paolo De Bernardi, he seemed to indicate the authentic nature of the human soul, its newfound self-awareness. While for Gregory Vlastos the dáimon sent its signs in order to stimulate the reason of Socrates to make the most suitable choice. Giovanni Reale following Vlastos believes that the dáimon in Socrates expressed the highest degree of Socratic irony also in the religious dimension. However, the authors agree that in the Socratic conception the element of interiority referred to eudemonia was prevalent, that is, happiness, inner serenity was the effect of a rational behavior directed to virtue. This is the so-called ethical intellectualism of Socrates who maintained that the only possible cause of evil was ignorance of the good "I know instead that committing injustice and disobeying those who are better than us, god or man, is ugly and bad. Therefore, in the face of evils that I know to be evil, I will not fear and I will never flee those that I do not know if they are also goods." but once the good was known, it was not possible to refrain from acting morally by realizing the good that was in itself "pleasant" as it generated eudemonia, the serenity of the soul.

Daimon is our destiny Eudaimonism "Eudemonism. Every doctrine that assumes happiness as the principle and foundation of the moral life." Nicola Abbagnano placeholder image The term Daimon also appears central to eudemonism, that is, the moral doctrine that placing the good in happiness (eudaimonia) pursues it as a natural end of human life. From eudemonism must be distinguished hedonism which proposes as the end of human action the "attainment of immediate pleasure" understood as enjoyment (as the Cyrenaic school of Aristippus thought) or as the absence of pain (according to the Epicurean conception). The term derives from the Greek  - εὐδαιμονισμός - (eudaimonismòs), from - εὐδαιμονία - (eudaimonìa), composed of good (εὖ èu) and spirit guide-fate (δαίμων dàimōn), a term also associated with "divine being", "genius", "spirit guide"' or "conscience". In a broad sense, "eudemonia" means "to be in the company of a good spirit". Emilio Lledò, professor of History of Philosophy at the Universidad Central of Barcelona, responds on the research around the good, the good existence, in Greek philosophy and explains the concept of eudaimonia, whose semantic field in Greek is wider than that of "happiness" in Italian. According to his etymology, this word refers to a conception according to which happiness depends rather on the benevolence (eu) of the daimon than on the autonomous action of man. Lledò refers here in particular to Aristotle, who after having, in Book I of the Nicomachean Ethics, put in close relationship the pursuit of good with the search for happiness and virtue, returns to another place of the same treatise (L. IX, 9, 1169 b) to refute the adage that "he who has a good daimon does not need friends". Returning to the deep meaning of the term in question and to the character related to the personal Daimon by Heraclitus and then also by Freud, I feel I am very close to Aristotle who believed that each individual was endowed with a particular vocation, a special inclination, I could add a more or less creative genius, that he called "daimon". For the undersigned, therefore, everyone has his own Daimon that must be protected, studied, deepened, researched, perfected, cultivated, and put in close relationship and communication with the most intimate, intellectual and spiritual part of our person. Let's also say that it is a symbolic and metaphorical element that characterizes us and that should push us towards good and therefore a constant improvement, or towards more problematic experiences and perhaps harmful to ourselves, which is why in this case it would be a negative Daimon, which instead of helping us to feel better, would do its best to make us feel worse. In any case, the Daimon always identifies with ourselves and is obviously not an element external to our individuality. Plato and Xenocrates In Plato the demon Eros, son of Penia and Porus, is that demonic force that allows man to rise towards the supersensible. Thus in Plato's Symposium the teaching on Eros imparted by Diotima to Socrates is narrated: "Eros is a great demon, O Socrates: for all that is demonic is intermediate between God and mortal. It has the power to interpret and bring to the gods the things that come from men and to men the things that come from the gods: of men the prayers and sacrifices, of the gods, instead, the commands and rewards of sacrifices. And standing between them, it works a completion, so that the whole is well connected with itself." Plato, Symposium 202, G-D A fundamental idea, inherent in the name itself, that Plato helped to spread is precisely that of the Daimon. "Daimonia kaina" literally means "new divine (creatures)". The daimonion spoken of in the Apology is the neutral adjective that comes from daimon (from daiomai: pantry, do in lote), a divine creature not necessarily malevolent, who presides over the fate of men, a kind of tutelary genius, a spirit that advises and directs us, and that stimulates us to reflect, without imposing its decisions on us. A daimon is contained in the word eudaimonia (happiness), which means, etymologically, something like: "a good daimon rules my destiny". The daimon is the divine creature who presides over the destiny of each one. In Er's story, the daimon does not happen to be a lot, but is the object of a choice. Freedom of choice makes virtue "without a master", unlike what happened in traditional morality, where this was the prerogative of a well-determined social figure, the aristos, or in any case of an extremely small group.

The Socratic Daimon In another dialogue, The Symposium, Plato describes demons as messengers of the divine will and beings of contact between mortals and gods: It is thanks to the demonic element that divination and the practices of priests could have taken place, in relation to things that have to do with sacrifices, initiation rites, spells, different prophecies and magic. (202E-203A) With Xenocrates the figure of the demon taken from Plato's work is analyzed. The demons for Xenocrates are always intermediary beings between men and gods, they are more powerful than men but less than gods. Unlike the latter who are always good, among the demons there are also bad ones. When the ancient myths tell of divinities fighting each other involved in human passions they, for Xenocrates, speak of demons not gods. Demons have a prominent place both in acts of worship and in oracles. The demons finally correspond to human souls freed from bodies after death, remaining in them the conflict between good and evil, they transfer it from the Earth to the celestial world. The same theses of Xenocrates can be found in the text De deo Socratis by Apuleius. Stoicism Even the Stoics maintain the existence of demons as beings who watch over men by sharing their feelings. Thus Diogenes Laertius: "The Stoics say, then, that there are also some demons who have sympathy for men, who watch over human affairs, and also that there are heroes, that is, the surviving souls of the virtuous." Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Doctrines of the Illustrious Philosophers Book VII, 151 Marcus Aurelius indicates as a demon the intellectual soul that must be cared for and deprived of disturbances: "Moreover, there remains the care not to sully the demon that has taken up residence in our breast, the care not to disturb it with confused and manifold impressions; to keep him serene and kind, giving him ritual and honor as to a God; and say nothing that is contrary to the truth; do nothing against justice." Marcus Aurelius, Conversations with Himself Book III, 16 Middle and Neo-Platonism With medioplatonism the figure of the demon is characterized in an increasingly articulated way and is inserted as the third aspect of the hierarchy of the divine after the supreme god and the secondary gods. Thus Plutarch: "Plato, Pythagoras, Xenocrates, Chrysippus, followers of the primitive writers of sacred things, affirm that the Demons are endowed with superhuman strength, indeed they far surpass our nature by extension of power, but they do not possess, moreover, the pure and uncontaminated divine element, but participate, at the same time, in a double fate, as to a spiritual nature and bodily sensation, so it welcomes pleasure and labor; And this mixed element is precisely the source of the disturbance, greater in some, lesser in others. So it is that even among demons, no more and no less than among men, differences arise in the gradation of good and evil." Plutarch, Isis and Osiris, 25 Alexander of Aphrodisias argues that the daimon of every man consists in his own nature. In Neoplatonism, Plotinus entrusts to the "daimon that has befallen us by lot" the task of guiding us in the ascent to the suprasensible, through the power of eros and beauty. Since conscious and purely logical thought is not enough, it is also a mystical inspiration, the spark of a divine spirit thanks to which it is possible to rise from the material to the intelligible dimension. According to Porphyry, Plotinus himself was assisted "by one of these demons who are close to the gods".

Daimon origin and evolution Change of meaning Subsequently, the negative use gave the Christian vocabulary the term to designate the evil spirit (devil), becoming from then on the object of study of demonology. In positive terms, however, the meaning of daimon can be compared in some ways to the guardian angel, or to the notion of tutelary guide or genius. Renaissance philosophers loved to compare the texts of Plato and Aristotle with Arabic astrology with the precise purpose of investigating on themselves the spiritual meaning of the Daimon of birth, a mysterious force from which character, vocation and fortune originate. Interpreting Mercury, the Sun or Mars on the ascendant of birth meant in fact being predisposed to exercise some bodily talents over others, or certain mental abilities over others. Those who had the female planets on the point of the zodiac where the sun rose could instead expand the qualities of the soul, namely perception, intuition and sensory awareness, essential qualities to become artists, poets and court jesters. The Greek term Daimon means genius, spirit guide, divine power, and also, inferior deity or deified hero, but not only, in fact the verb expressed by this word also meant to divide, distribute, share, share and the suffix "from" was common to words such as democracy, demiurge and other terms that derived from the name "demos" ie people, And perhaps this is why he was never looked upon favorably by the official power, which did not want to share its privileges and saw in the genius of criticism the devil of evil. Thus Satan was born from genius, for Carducci "the vindex force of reason", for Baudelaire "le plus savant et le plus beau des anges". Carl William Brown "Before birth, the soul of each of us chooses an image or design that we will then live on earth, and receives a tutelary spirit to guide us, a daimon, which is unique and typical of us. However, in coming into the world, we forget all this and believe that we have come empty. Read the full article