Research Paper On Epicurus

Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher. His thoughts became known as the philosphy Epicureanism. “It teaches that the greatest good is to seek modest pleasures in order to attain a state of tranquility, freedom from fear (‘ataraxia’) and absence from bodily pain (‘aponia’)” (2-Epicureanism). Epicurus studied the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle and Democritusin in Athens. Afterwards, he moved back to where he grew up on the island of Samos and started his own school named The Garden.

Along with philosophy, Epicurus was a major influence in the area of science. He understood the world and the human soul from a materialistic view and believed the world was made up of basic building blocks of atoms. He thought that atoms could change

He believed that fearing death and fearing the gods caused unnecessary anxiety and unhappiness. Epicurus thought that people should not worry about death. “Death is meaningless to the living because they are living, and meaningless to the dead…because they are dead” (5-Epicurus). He believed that dying was just an end to life and that the atoms of the soul simply dissolve and there is no feeling of pain. He also believed the gods were neutral and disconnected and were not interested in interacting with humans. “Gods were already in a state of bliss and therefore aren’t bothered with human activities” (1-Dean). So if the gods aren’t concerned with humans, then there isn’t a reason to fear being punished by them. Epicurus also believed that it was not necessary to spend time worshipping the gods because the gods were so indifferent and didn’t

“Of all the means which wisdom acquire to ensure happiness throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is friendship. –Epicurus Principal Doctrine 27” (6-Gazur). He saw friendship as one of the most important parts of a good life. He saw friendship as a form of security and a way to find security in a cruel world and that it benefitted both him and his friends. Epicurus believed it important to be surrounded by people who thought the same way and that having these types of friends would ensure a quiet and peaceful life. Epicurus’ school known as The Garden had a group of people committed to his beliefs. The sign over The Garden read, “Stranger, heryou will do well to tarry. Here our highest good is pleasure” (6-Gazur). This was a place for the friendships to grow and “like-minded” people lived together free from