Epicureanism

If the ancient philosopher, Epicurus, gave the Sermon on the Mount, found in the New Testament, he would say: “Blessed are those who are untroubled and unperturbed, for they shall find serenity.” His enthusiastic follower, Lucretius, used his superb poetical gifts to draw his readers into the desire-reducing materialism of Epicureanism. He challenged others to live their lives by cultivating a balanced, peaceful way of being. Lucretius believed the attainment of this peace of mind was through a therapy of disenchantment from worldly desires, like wealth or fame, but in particular, the pursuit of love. In his famous work, De Rerum Natura, he calls the desires of lovers to be “storm-tossed” folly because it leads to terrible pains of longing…

III. Secluded Life with Friends Epicurus’s secluded life in the Garden demonstrates the pursuit of ataraxia thrives in an envi-ronment where unnecessary disturbances can be readily avoided and the blessings of friendship permeate. In fact, Epicurus advises us that “the purest security is that which comes from a quiet life and withdrawal from the many” (PD 14). For the reason that we cannot serve political inter-est without giving up individual freedom(Hibler 37), we should live in…

As stated in On the Nature of Things, “Hence, where thou seest a man to grieve because; When dead he rots with body laid away; Or perishes in flames or jaws of beasts, (On the Nature of Things)” the reader might believe that what awaits him in the afterlife is an eternity spent in Hades, with torment unimaginable. Therefore, he takes great care in trying to make his life as perfect and as pleasing to the gods as possible so he might not share that fate. By that logic, one would need to take…

Epicurus' Famous Proclamation on Happiness Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who believed in Atomism a theory in which the universe and its internal items are infinite in the number of atoms it contains, he believed this theory is the basic approach to understanding a true reality. Happiness was a subject Epicurious focused heavily on, he discussed the school of thought Hedonism which believes the way to an ideal life is through pleasures, for example, foods, sex, and alcohol as the highest…

Epicurus was an Athenian philosopher who based his philosophy on perception, natural science, the liberation of the fear of gods and death, and the pleasure that comes from the absence of these anxieties. Epicurus was an Athenian citizen but grew up on the island of Samos with his parents, Neocles and Chairestrate. When Alexander the Great died, and the Athenians were expelled from Samos, he joined his father in Colophon on the Asiatic Coast, where he studied under Nausiphanes of Teos, where he…

Choosing Happiness: The Epicurean Formula for a Good Life There is often great debate as to what can be considered the good life and how one can achieve it. In this paper I will argue that Epicurus’ moderate hedonism will make for the most flourishing life because it promotes happiness and gives each person a clear formula through which they can make decisions. I will do this by first defining the good and bad life, then introducing Epicurus’ ideas and finally showing how they will lead to the…

"Thanks be to blessed Nature because she has made what is necessary easy to supply, and what is not easy unnecessary...The right understanding of these facts enables us to refer all choice and avoidance to the health of the body and the soul's freedom from disturbance, since this is the aim of the life of blessedness." Epicurus believed in a simplistic way of life. He believed that happiness is not found in living a luxurious, extravagant life, instead it can be found in living a simpler life…

Skepticism, Stoicism, and Epicureanism all contain important truths. Skepticism is correct in saying that believing ideas to be certain which one cannot be certain of causes unhappiness. Stoics are not wrong that one’s perception of and response to events can cause happiness or unhappiness. Epicureans are right that rationally seeking pleasure may often cause one to find it. But when taken as one’s sole worldview, Epicureanism determines the best life for man. The central belief of Epicureanism…

From ancient times, there were many debates about the existence and the nature of the gods. Amongst the many philosophical beliefs about the gods, one of the most prominent belief system was Epicureanism. The reason of the belief being so prominent is its characteristic based on plausible logic. Even though the system indeed happen to have some flaws that are rebutted against, the system as a whole is a believable and compelling one. The belief of Epicureanism is an equitable mixture of the…

For the chapter twelve discussion, for the topic on achieving happiness or the good life I have chose to discuss is Stoicism. The definition of Stoicism is, to prepare for the worst and develop a technique for dealing with it when the worst situation arises. Stoicism and epicureanism are different because epicureans avoid pain, and people who use stoicism learn to cope with pain and feel that pain is essential to living. Stoics embrace pain and learn to live with it and to make the best out of a…