On Pleasure

Lorenzo Valla's De voluptate (On Pleasure), written around 1431, is a dialogue that explores the nature of the true good. In it, Valla defends the philosophy of Epicurus, who believed that a wise person could achieve a life of prudent pleasure, free from pain, through the attainment of virtue. Valla also critiques Stoicism, a philosophy emphasizing emotional control through reason and a simple life. This work challenged prevailing medieval traditions and anticipated some views of later Protestant reformers. Valla's humanist approach sought to revive classical learning and critique contemporary practices.123