Epicureanism

malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?” These are the sage remarks of the third century BCE Greek philosopher Epicurus who founded the school of philosophy called Epicureanism. He taught the purpose of life was to obtain tranquility and peace with the avoidance of pain and suffering. Epicurus rejected the idea of an all-powerful and all-loving God. His assertion has become the platform on which many skeptics of…

Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher and the founder of the school of philosophy known as Epicureanism. In Epicurus philosophy, the purpose of life is to attain happiness through peace and freedom from fear. Epicurus believed that the universe is eternal, life is the final being; there is nothing call life after death. 8 Lessons from Epicurus Philosophy Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.…

I was watching a few minutes of one of Joel Osteen 's lectures on TV last night. Whether you like him or not you still have to admit he is one of the best public speakers in America. Even though your beliefs might not be aligned with his, what he said about happiness and contentment really struck me. What intrigued me the most is that the essence of his message wasn 't totally religious, even though he explained it in the context of the Bible. "Be happy today" is what he was preaching last…

Alexander the Great went down in history as one of the greatest military leaders of Greek history, however, his death was the signal of the former Greek life he had ruled coming to an end. Ironically, while he created a legacy for himself, he left behind a “mess” after his sudden and untimely death, and with no other successors other than some of his loyal friends and former generals remaining (Austin, no. 27). The dawning of a new era for Greek life was born after numerous battles and kingdoms…

Few issues are as contentious and endless as how to achieve a life full of happiness. Many arguments can be discussed about which viewpoint could be classified as the underlying best, but, out of the various aspects, the Epicurean and Aristotelian concepts, in my opinion, make the most outstanding deliberation for Frederick’s situation. Are the ethics developed by Epicurus better suited for Frederick’s happy life, or do the moral principles surrounded by Aristotle promote a more enhanced…

History has dubbed Alexander III of Macedonia, or more commonly known as Alexander the Great, the most successful military genius and commander in ancient history and a legend in his own time. The son of King Phillip II of Macedonia and Epirus princess Olympias, Alexander is forever remembered as the legendary hero who was responsible for campaigning and successfully conquering most of the known world, never once losing a battle, before his death in Babylon from a mysterious illness at the young…

If I were teaching a course on ethics I would have a few goals. The first would be to teach my students how to use their ability to think critically. I would start with critical thinking because I do not believe that any of us can begin to understand existing ethical theories or really examine our existing ethical values without the ability to think critically about them. We need to be able to use reason, rather than emotion when studying ethics and without the knowledge of critical thinking…

carried on into the Hellenistic period: the period between the death of Alexander the Great and the Battle of Actium. The Hellenistic period marked the emergence of new schools of thought. The predominant philosophies of the time were known as the Epicureanism, Stoicism, and the Cynicism. One can argue that although new and different, these new philosophies were influenced by philosophical thinkers of the past. In particular, it is argued that Socrates was already implementing many…

De Ira Seneca’s Lesson of Life The dominant philosophy of the Hellenistic period was Stoicism, influenced by Epicureanism. As one might remember, these two philosophical doctrines have similarities, however, three fundamental differences emerge. Epicureanism says that the world has origin from the chance, while Stoicism believes that the world is driven by a logos, divine reason that acts providentially on the world and not by chance. The Epicurean makes happiness coincide with secluded life,…

As Rome and Greece were set in prolific time periods, they were powerful and cultured nations. While the similarities between Greece and Rome are numerous, there are a differences that have decisively occurred. Their government, religion, philosophy, sculpture, literature, architecture, and women’s influence were essential to the whole of their society and humanities. Government is critical in every society to bring order, stability, and progress. In Rome, the community was governed by…