Epicurus

Our Friend, Epicurus Epicurus was a philosopher during the Hellenistic era whose primary focus was to understand how exactly to live a good life. To Epicurus, a good life was equivalent to a happy life. Epicurus founded a school outside of Athens which he called “The Garden”. This school was isolated from the rest of society and built in a rural area. Here his followers grew their own food and lived simply. It was a place where his people lived together in peace and acceptance. He taught his…

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.…

void of struggle and hardships? Is it by how much money you make? Or perhaps by how many friends you have? Is it a direct result of physical pleasure? Some would argue that all of these things are precursors to a happy life. In fact, the philosopher Epicurus is convinced that pleasure, the alpha and omega of happiness, can only be achieved in the absence of pain and turmoil. In opposition, influential people like Steve Bollman, Mother Teresa, and Aristotle believe a happy life comes from living…

What is Epicurus’ argument against the fear of death? How does it work? What theory of personal identity does it presuppose? What is a reason to doubt the argument? Epicurus is a materialist. He believes that death annihilates identity and identity ends when the body ends. Human are necessarily mortal; even if they’re put back together after death, it would not be the same because the only thing that makes an individual themselves is the unity of the identity and body. When the connection of…

In the philosophical dialogue, I represented Epicurus and his views on “what traits, if any, do all human beings share?”. Epicurus would answer this question by stating that all humans are self-centered, seeking to secure pleasures and avoid pain. In other words, everything that one does is simply for the sake of gaining pleasure. To Epicurus, pleasure is the only intrinsic good and it is the foundation for all human choices and all evaluation of things as good and bad. In this context, pleasure…

In the “Letter to Menoeceus”, Epicurus argues that pleasure is the only essential good that people seek. He argues that pleasure is the only thing that people should pursue for its own sake. In this paper, I will make that the argument that pleasure or pain’s absence are not the only things worth pursuing for their own sake. Epicurus—a psychological hedonist—argues that “the end of all our actions is to be free of pain and fear” (Epicurus, par. 6). To summarize his argument, he states that…

it isn’t rocket science as they say it is to achieve absolute happiness. According to Epicurus and his theories, it’s actually quite easy to be happy. Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher that was the founder of the school of Epicureanism (basically a school of happiness). One of Epicurus’ beliefs to achieve complete happiness was to surround yourself with friends and basically never be alone. Epicurus believed this so much so, that he had his own home converted into a dormitory so his…

Epicurus, as a Hedonist, believed that happiness was the highest good. However, what distinguished his own hedonist view was his view that happiness was the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. Arguing that pleasure is the highest good, and therefore all activities are only good because of the pleasure that arises or the pleasure it can bring upon an individual in the future. Although, Epicurus did not believe in pleasure without reason. In other words, Epicurus’s utilized a form of…

will never be a permanent pleasure and may very well lead to the opposite which is pain. To Epicurus it all makes sense since it is natural science and it can all be explained. This is why Epicurus split his letters in multiple parts including, the universe, senses, atoms, the soul, properties, accidents, phenomena of the heavens, death, pleasure, pain, and evil. In spite of the fact that Plato and Epicurus have their differences in opinion a common theme between both readings is the question of…

The view of happiness as well as the role that pleasures and desires play in achieving happiness can be seen throughout Western philosophy. Detailing a hypothetical dinner conversation between Aristotle, Epicurus, Hobbes, and Epictetus, will such an understanding be described. In such an account, I will be detailing: what issue/s each guest would raise; what thesis would each defend, and how each would respond to the other; as well as who is most likely to disagree with whom and on which points,…