Epicurus

The Middle Ages is often portrayed as an era of strict adherence to religion and its faith-based social hierarchy. The General Prologue to Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales demonstrates the influence of this feudal system while also revealing its shortcomings, specifically concerning the unethical behavior of individuals across all classes. In his General Prologue, Chaucer uses his ironic writing style to expose an assortment of moral and behavioural flaws among the seemingly virtuous…

philosopher and an author wrote the essay titled “The Makropulos Case: Reflection on the Tedium of Immortality”. In his essay he discusses how death is not necessarily evil, like some people think. In order to structure his argument, he includes both Epicurus’ and Lucretuis point of view that humans overthink the state of being dead. He agrees with both philosophers that being dead isn’t bad, but Williams believes that Lucretuis is somewhat contradicting himself because Lucretuis cares about…

Geoffrey Chaucer was born 1342 into a middle-class family in London. As a child he attended school and soon after began his career as a page for Countess, which was considered quite a good position and furthered his education. At the age of 17 he was sent abroad to fight for the King of Britain in France where he was captured and held prisoner for one year until the King paid his ransom (Chaucer xi). By 1367, he worked for the King himself, and was held in high regard (xii). The King sent…

Cornelius Jansen (1585-1638) [Aquoi, Louvain, Paris, Ypres]. Jansen tended to support the Augustinians in a struggle against the Jesuits, whom he accused of granting absolution without sufficient regard for the disposition of penitents. He maintained that the utter corruption of human nature made man helpless, without free will, and completely dependent upon the grace of God for salvation. He and his followers (the Jasenists) were noted for their severity and moral rigorism. Jasen was…