Epicureanism

• 1. Founding And Early History

  ›

  In 307 BCE, a philosopher named Epicurus purchased a property in Athens known as the Garden. This location became the physical home for his school of thought and the gathering place for students like Hermarchus, Metrodorus, and Polyaenus. The community included women and slaves, which was unusual for Athenian philosophical circles at that time. They gathered monthly on the twentieth day of the Greek month to celebrate Eikas, a feast dedicated to the god Apollo. Epicurus himself remained unmarried but ensured provisions were made for the daughters of his close friend Metrodorus. His early education under Nausiphanes of Teos shaped his materialist views, though he later downplayed this influence. The school rejected political ambition to avoid the frustrations and anxieties that public life often brought. By the late third century CE, these communities had largely vanished from history.

  17

• 2. Atomic Physics And Cosmology

  ›

  Epicurean physics held that the universe consisted of two things: matter and void. Matter is composed of atoms, tiny bodies with unchanging qualities of shape, size, and weight. These atoms move constantly through the infinite void, sometimes colliding or bouncing off one another. A key concept was the atomic swerve, where atoms randomly deviate from their downward path. This random motion allowed atoms to collide and form complex objects like stars and living beings. Without the swerve, all atoms would fall in parallel lines forever without interacting. Epicurus used this mechanism to explain free will, arguing that humans are not bound by an endless chain of cause and effect. He believed there are infinite worlds separated by vast areas of void called metakosmia. Some of these worlds could be vastly different from our own while others might resemble it closely. The theory required an infinite supply of atoms but only a finite number of types.

  291436

• 3. Ethics Of Pleasure And Pain

  ›

  The central goal of Epicurean ethics was achieving ataraxia, a state of tranquility and freedom from fear. This state also included aponia, which meant the absence of bodily pain. Epicurus taught that pleasure reaches its maximum limit when all sources of pain are removed. He distinguished between kinetic pleasures involving action or change and katastematic pleasures existing as states without pain. Eating delicious food represents a kinetic pleasure while being free from thirst is a katastematic pleasure. Mental pleasures such as joy or lack of fear were considered greater than physical sensations because they can exist in memory or expectation. The philosophy emphasized controlling desires to avoid unnecessary suffering. Natural and necessary desires like food and shelter should be fulfilled first. Unnatural and unnecessary desires for wealth or power create anxiety and should be avoided entirely. Friendship served as the greatest means to secure happiness according to Principal Doctrine 27. Practical wisdom guided how to live pleasantly while remaining just and honorable.

  1011131723

• 4. Theological Skepticism

  ›

  Epicureans did not deny the existence of gods but claimed they remained completely detached from human affairs. These divine beings lived in metakosmia, the space between worlds, where they enjoyed perfect tranquility. They neither interfered with weather events nor punished sinners through divine retribution. One fear the philosophy sought to eliminate was the terror of divine intervention causing storms or disasters. Some scholars argue these gods existed as material objects made of atoms residing outside the mind. Others suggest they only existed as idealized forms within human consciousness representing the best life possible. A debate between realist and idealist positions continues among modern philosophers like A.A. Long and David Sedley. Regardless of interpretation, the core teaching remained that gods play no role in human lives. This view aimed to free people from superstition and the fear of punishment after death. Epicurus believed understanding nature helped dispel myths about mythology and divine wrath.

  565860

• 5. Roman Transmission And Lucretius

  ›

  Titus Lucretius Carus wrote a didactic poem called De Rerum Natura around 91 BCE to 51 BCE. This work presented Epicurean arguments in unified poetic form to liberate readers from fear of gods and death. Cicero preserved speeches by Roman figures like Lucius Manlius Torquatus and Gaius Velleius defending Epicurean ethics and theology. Julius Caesar himself leaned toward Epicureanism during political trials involving Catiline. The philosopher Philodemus produced many works later discovered in carbonized scrolls at Herculaneum's Villa of the Papyri. Diogenes of Oenoanda inscribed tenets of the philosophy onto a portico wall in Lycia during the second century CE. Amafinius was one of the earliest Roman writers on the subject though his texts have not survived. These Roman adaptations kept the school alive even as it faced opposition from Stoicism and Platonism. The community flourished in cities like Antioch, Alexandria, Rhodes, and Herculaneum before declining sharply by late antiquity.

  576970

• 6. Medieval Suppression And Renaissance Revival

  ›

  Dante Alighieri depicted Epicureans suffering in the sixth circle of hell within his Divine Comedy written in the early fourteenth century. Lactantius criticized Epicurus throughout his Divine Institutes while preserving what became known as the Riddle of Epicurus about evil and divine power. Francis Bacon wrote aphorisms mocking converts who never returned to other sects after joining Epicureanism. In the seventeenth century Pierre Gassendi revived interest through two books forcefully defending ancient doctrines. Walter Charleton published several English works influenced directly by Gassendi shortly thereafter. Thomas Jefferson referred to himself as an Epicurean in personal correspondence regarding rational systems remaining from antiquity. Modern figures like Michel Onfray continue developing post-modern approaches to the philosophy today. Humanistic Judaism also claims the Epicurean label for its emphasis on earthly happiness over supernatural promises. Attacks by Christian groups continued most forcefully during the Cambridge Platonist era against perceived heresy.

  536364

• 7. Modern Misconceptions And Legacy

  ›

  Popular culture often associates Epicureanism with hedonistic excess involving sexual indulgence or decadent feasts. This misunderstanding contradicts the actual teaching that moderation leads to tranquility and freedom from pain. Epicurus regarded ataraxia and aponia as the height of human happiness rather than fleeting sensory pleasures. He allowed occasional luxury but warned against excess causing anxiety or suffering later. The term Epicurea collected fragments by Hermann Usener in 1887 remains a key resource for scholars studying original texts. Stephen Greenblatt identified strongly with Lucretius in his 2011 book titled The Swerve. Similarities exist between Epicureanism and eastern philosophies like Jainism, Charvaka, and Buddhism emphasizing atomism or lack of divine interference. Great excess leads to great dissatisfaction according to both traditions. The philosophy continues influencing modern thought through thinkers like Jeremy Bentham and contemporary writers exploring rational living well.

  41424455