Epicurean

Epicurean is a term derived from the philosophy of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, which advocates a life of modest pleasure, friendship, and peace as the path to achieving happiness. The term is often misunderstood and associated with hedonism, the pursuit of intense sensual pleasure, which is a misinterpretation of Epicurus' teachings.

Philosophy

Epicureanism is a system of philosophy based upon the teachings of Epicurus, founded around 307 BC. Epicurus was an atomic materialist, following in the steps of Democritus. His materialism led him to a general attack on superstition and divine intervention. Following Aristippus—about whom very little is known—Epicurus believed that the greatest good was to seek modest, sustainable pleasure in the form of a state of tranquility and freedom from fear (ataraxia) and absence of bodily pain (aponia) through knowledge of the workings of the world and the limits of our desires. The combination of these two states is supposed to constitute happiness in its highest form. Although Epicureanism is a form of hedonism, insofar as it declares pleasure to be the sole intrinsic good, its conception of absence of pain as the greatest pleasure and its advocacy of a simple life make it different from "hedonism" as it is commonly understood.

Misconceptions

In popular parlance, Epicureanism thus means devotion to pleasure, comfort, and high living, with a certain degree of indulgence in sensual enjoyment. However, this is not the accurate meaning of the term as defined by Epicurus and his teachings. Epicurus advocated living in such a way as to derive the greatest amount of pleasure possible during one's lifetime, yet doing so moderately in order to avoid the suffering incurred by overindulgence in such pleasure. The emphasis was placed on pleasures of the mind rather than on physical pleasures. Therefore, according to Epicurus, with whom a person eats is of greater importance than what is eaten. Unnecessary and, especially, artificially produced desires were to be suppressed.

See also

• Philosophy
• Hedonism
• Epicurus
• Materialism
• Ataraxia
• Aponia

References

Epicurean Resources
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