The Noble Art of Renunciation

‘A little garden, some figs, a small piece of cheese and three or four friends – that was Epicurus’s idea of luxury.’ - Friedrich Nietzsche There has been much discussion and debate recently about renunciation – so it is somewhat surprising that it still has such a bad reputation. In the history of ethics and in the tradition of religions, on the other hand, renunciation plays a significant role. This striking gap in our understanding has inspired Otfried Höffe to look back at the history of ideas in order to remind us of the importance and historical diversity of types of self-restraint and approaches to it.