In Our Time Epicureanism
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Feb 7, 2013 Angie Hobbs, David Sedley, and James Warren delve into Epicureanism, focusing on pleasure as life's goal, atom theory, friendship, and Lucretius's influence. The discussion includes Epicurean beliefs on free will, mental tranquility, therapeutic remedies for the soul, the impact on Roman culture, and the contrast with Christianity.
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Jefferson's Admiration
- Thomas Jefferson, a known Epicurean, lauded Epicurus's doctrines in a letter to his former secretary.
- He believed Epicurus's teachings contained all that was rational in moral philosophy from Greece and Rome.
Epicurus and The Garden
- Epicurus, born in Samos and died in Athens, founded his philosophical community, "The Garden."
- He studied under a follower of Democritus, the atomist, which shaped his philosophical foundation.
Atoms and Void
- Epicurus believed everything is made of atoms and void, a concept predating him but explained in detail by him.
- He argued our senses confirm bodies and void, with void enabling movement and bodies preventing emergence from nothing.