Epicurus and Harvest Moon
Computer or video games tend to glorify worlds of grande adventure. There’s Mario traversing magical landscapes of deserts and pyramids, boarding airships, and going down pipes that lead to dungeons and seas, all in his quest to save Princess Peach Toadstool from the dragon Bowser. Or perhaps you suit Samus Aran in her high-tech suit so she can travel the galaxy, fighting space pirates and metroids. Or you form a party of fighters, thieves, and magic users to go on long adventures, fightings monsters until you’re strong enough to fight godlike villains in the mystical worlds of the Final Fantasy series.
For a long time, games have dealt more in the realms of the exciting.
But not all.
The Harvest Moon series was an exception to the rule, and as such has set a standard that many other games have followed. It embraces — though not exactly verbatim — the philosophy of Epicureanism, about finding joy in a simple life. To know more about Epicureanism and how it somewhat applies to the Harvest Moon games, it’s essential to know about Epicurus.
Who Was Epicurus?
The information I present to you about Epicurus comes from Professor Donald Palmer’s wonderfully well-written and easy to digest book Looking at Philosophy: The Unbearable Mantle of Philosophy Made Lighter.
