History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 057 - Nothing to Fear - Epicureans on Death and the Gods
30 snips
Dec 4, 2011 AI Snips
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A Teenager's Crushing Realization
- Peter Adamson recalls a teenage flash of dread realizing one day he'd cease to exist.
- The memory illustrates common human anxiety about oblivion that Epicureanism seeks to cure.
Philosophy As Therapy
- Epicurean ethics aims primarily to relieve mental suffering and anxiety rather than to catalogue abstract truths.
- Philosophy functions as therapy for the soul, targeting fear and unrest to achieve tranquility.
Soul As Atomistic Breath
- Epicurus is a materialist who argues the soul is composed of very fine atoms akin to warm breath.
- Because the soul's atoms disperse at death, consciousness and sensation cease, removing postmortem torment.