Who was Epicurus?
Q: Who was Epicurus?
A: Epicurus was a materialist philosopher who lived around 307BC and taught about atoms, which had been first started by Democritus. He also forcefully attacked superstition and believed that the greatest good was to have certain pleasures and reach a state of mind where there is no fear or pain.
Q: What is Epicureanism?
A: Epicureanism is a philosophy based on the teachings of Epicurus. It is a form of hedonism that declares pleasure as the only good, advocating for the absence of pain as the greatest pleasure and living a simple life.
Q: How did Epicurus view bodily desires?
A: According to Epicurus, one should abstain from bodily desires such as sex and appetites, almost like asceticism. He argued that when eating, one should not eat too richly in order to avoid dissatisfaction later on. Likewise, sex could lead to increased lust and dissatisfaction with the sexual partner.
Q: What were some of the main opponents of Epicureanism?
A: The main opponents of Epicureanism were Platonism and Stoicism.
Q: Did Epicurus articulate any social morality?
A: No, he did not articulate any broad system of social morality that has survived today.
Q: Where can we find writings by Epicurus today?
A: Some writings by Epicurus have survived today; additionally, many papyrus scrolls unearthed at Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum are thought to be written by him or his follower Philodemus. The poem On the Nature of Things by Lucretius also presents core arguments and theories from his teachings.
