Editing Epicureanism (section)

====Desire====
{{blockquote|I learn that your bodily inclination leans most keenly towards sexual intercourse. If you neither violate the laws nor disturb well established morals nor sadden someone close to you, nor strain your body, nor spend what is needed for necessities, use your own choice as you wish. It is sure difficult to imagine, however, that none of these would be a part of sex because sex never benefitted anyone.|Epicurus|''Vatican Sayings'', LI<ref>[[Epicurus]], ''[http://wiki.epicurism.info/Vatican_Saying_51/ Vatican Saying 51]''</ref>}}
In order to do this an Epicurean had to control their desires, because desire itself was seen as painful.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010g" /> Not only will controlling one's desires bring about ''aponia'', as one will rarely suffer from not being physically satisfied, but controlling one's desires will also help to bring about ''ataraxia'' because one will not be anxious about becoming discomforted since one would have so few desires anyway.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010h" /> The Epicureans divide desires into three classes: natural and necessary, natural but not necessary, and vain and empty:<ref name="O'Keefe-2010g">{{harvnb|O'Keefe|2010|pp=124–125}}</ref>

*''Natural and necessary'': These desires are limited desires that are innately present in all humans; it is part of human nature to have them.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010g" /> They are necessary for one of three reasons: necessary for happiness, necessary for freedom from bodily discomfort, and necessary for life.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010g" /> Clothing and shelter would belong to the first two categories, while something like food would belong to the third.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010g" />
*''Natural but not necessary'': These desires are innate to humans, but they do not need to be fulfilled for their happiness or their survival.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010h">{{harvnb|O'Keefe|2010|pp=126–127}}</ref> Wanting to eat delicious food when one is hungry is an example of a natural but not necessary desire.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010h" /> The main problem with these desires is that they fail to substantially increase a person's happiness, and at the same time require effort to obtain and are desired by people due to false beliefs that they are actually necessary.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010h" /> It is for this reason that they should be avoided.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010h" />
*''Vain and empty'': These desires are neither innate to humans nor required for happiness or health; indeed, they are also limitless and can never be fulfilled.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010i">{{harvnb|O'Keefe|2010|pp=125–126}}</ref> Desires of wealth or fame would fall in this class, and such desires are to be avoided because they will ultimately only bring about discomfort.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010i" />

If one follows only natural and necessary desires, then, according to Epicurus, one would be able to reach ''aponia'' and ''ataraxia'' and thereby the highest form of happiness.<ref name="O'Keefe-2010i" /> Unnecessary and, especially, artificially produced desires were to be suppressed.<ref>{{harvnb|O'Keefe|2010|pp=125–127}}</ref>