EpicureanFriends Wiki

1. Introduction¶

Welcome to the EpicureanFriends Wiki. Our wiki is still in early stages of organization, so if you don't find something you need, ask in the forums.

2. History And Purpose Of EpicureanFriends.com¶

EpicureanFriends was established in 2015 by a group of friends interested in the study of of Classical Epicurean Philosophy, freed from the intrusion of contemporary politics, Stoicism, Platonism, Humanism, Buddhism, Judeo-Christianism, and other "isms" with which many seek to combine it. Our forum, Zoom meetings, and other interactions allow us to implement Epicurus' recommendation in his letter to Menoeceus: "Meditate therefore on these things and things akin to them night and day by yourself; and with a companion like to yourself, and never shall you be disturbed waking or asleep, but you shall live like a god among men. For a man who lives among immortal blessings is not like unto a mortal being."

In order to build and maintain a constructive environment to attain this goal, over the years we have refined our organizational documents, including our Community Standards, our Not Neo-Epicurean, But Epicurean statement, and our Key Posting Policy statement, all of which you will find in this section of the wiki.

A major aspect of these community rules is that we prohibit the discussion of contemporary partisan political issues in our activities. The goal of EpicureanFriends is to focus exclusively on the identification and understanding of Epicurean philosophical doctrine, and we exclude from EpicureanFriends activities all discussion of contemporary partisan political issues, leaving such matters solely to our participants' personal discretion. This is not because we accept the contention of detractors that Epicurus taught extreme versions of "living unknown" or avoidance of "all" political action, but because constructive study of timeless philosophic issues is our priority here, and divisive political discussion of transient political issues would pose a major obstacle to that goal.

2.1. Who Is Welcome To Participate At EpicureanFriends.com?¶

EpicureanFriends.com welcomes all who are sincerely interested in Epicurean Philosophy to read our public forums and make use of our public resources. All participants at EpicureanFriends have studied and been a part of other worldviews in the past, and it would be absurd to completely refuse engagement with those who hold views that we ourselves have held in the past. We have extensive public discussion threads and resources explicitly for the purpose of allowing people who do not consider themselves fully Epicurean to read and learn about the philosophy of Epicurus.

However, as an explicitly pro-Epicurean forum, our goal is to provide a place for those who do consider themselves to be primarily Epicurean to communicate productively with each other about Classical Epicurean Philosophy. For that reason, regular posting privileges and attendance at our online Zoom meetings are reserved only to those who agree to our Community Standards, our Not Neo-Epicurean, But Epicurean statement, and our Key Posting Policy statement.

While some Epicurean teachings may overlap with those of other philosophies, EpicureanFriends does not encourage eclecticism, and is not the place for extended argument in favor of non-Epicurean philosophies.

Non-members of the forum are welcome to review our resources, and those who sincerely and with an open mind wish to ask questions about how Epicurean philosophy contrasts with other schools of thought are welcome to set up an account.

Past threads on these issues include:

General Discussion of Contrasts Between Epicurus And Other Philosophers

Please understand that there are many forums on the internet where other philosophies can be discussed and advocated and compared at length. EpicureanFriends was founded to promote Epicurean philosophy, and we ask for your understanding that we moderate the forum with that goal always in mind.

3. Classical Epicurean Philosophy¶

Classical Epicurean Philosophy is a worldview that rejects many commonplace assumptions of other philosophies, including the prevailing views of "pleasure," "gods," "virtue," and even "good and evil." In Epicurean terms, pleasure embraces much more than sensory stimulation, "gods" exist but are not supernatural, and it is important to act "virtuously," but "virtue" is not desirable as an end it itself, but as a means of obtaining pleasure. Likewise, "Good" and "evil" are not abstract absolutes, but are ultimately evaluations based on sensations of pleasure and pain felt by real living things. "Practical Reason" is held to be essential for living wisely, but "dialectical logic" is rejected as misleading. It is a major goal of EpicureanFriends to explore Epicurean terminology in these and other areas so we can appreciate the philosophy as the ancient Epicureans understood it. For more on terminology and similar topics, check out our FAQ page. We also particularly recommend Episode 222 of the Lucetius Today Podcast where we discuss key terminology issues surrounding "happiness" and "pleasure" and "virtue."

In order to clarify the distinctive aspects of Classical Epicurean Philosophy for both new readers and regular members alike, we place special emphasis on a number of the most central aspects of Epicurean doctrine. These points include:

We also have a longer Foundations of Epicurean Philosophy document, written in progressive narrative form, which is based closely on the ancient texts and contains much more detail.

Epicurean philosophy is generally divided into Physics, Canonics, and Ethics, and we organize our forums along similar lines. The following subsections incorporate the eleven areas of focus listed above into the larger context of the field of Epicurean Philosophy where they are found:

3.1. Physics¶

Epicurus erected his entire philosophy upon his understanding that the universe is composed of and governed by elemental particles moving through space. Our Physics forum is the place to discuss the nature of the universe, including all things within it, includes the natural "gods" which are part of it.

3.1.1. General Principles of Physics¶

A full list of the General Principles of Epicurean Physics contains many more details about the nature of atoms and void, such as:

"Atoms" (Indivisible Particles) Moving Through Void Are The Natural Building Blocks Of The Universe. The Properties Of Atoms are shape, size, and weight. Atoms move in cetain ways, but they also have the capacity to swerve at no fixed time or place, and this leads to the Rejection of Determinism. Void Is the space within which atoms exist and move.

"Bodies" are combinations of atoms and void. Bodies have properties and qualities, and give rise to emergence and events

3.1.2. Nothing Can Be Created From Nothing¶

A major conclusion of Epicurus is that through observation we see evidence and can conclude that nothing can be created from nothing. Together with the observation that nothing is ever destroyed completely to nothing, these deducions lead us to conclude that the Universe Is Eternal In Time, that the The Universe Is Boundless (Infinite In Size). We also conclude that the Universe Contains Life On Other Worlds.

3.1.3. Nature Has No Gods Over Her¶

A second major conclusion is that the universe contains Nothing supernatural. This means that Nature has no gods over her, and it also means that there are no supernatural forms or essences or other natures -- all that exists is composed of atoms and void. Corollory conclusions are that there is nothing above or outside the universe.

3.1.4. Nature Teaches Us Not Assign To Gods Anything That Is Inconsistent With Incorruption Or Blessedness¶

Although there are no supernatural gods, Epicurus concluded that gods of a sort do exist. These gods are not supernatural, and are not omnipotent or omniscient, but instead we are led by Nature to conceive of such beings. When we study the universe and compare our conceptions to what we observe here on earth about the best modes of life, we conclude that we expect the universe to contain beings which have achieved perfect happiness and deathlessness. We do not observe these beings on earth, but we can reasonably speculate that they do exist, and we can benefit from thinking about the nature of godlike beings, which causes us to realize that we have nothing to fear from them, and that such thoughts are beneficial to our own happiness.

3.1.5. Death is Nothing To Us¶

Epicurean physics teaches us that all bodies which come together as a result of atoms moving through void eventually break apart, as a result of which we conclude that the human sould is born and dies with the human body. While the fact of death is of great concern to our plans and conduct of life, the state of "being dead" is nothing(ness) to us, as our souls or consciousness do not survive, and we end all awareness at death.

3.1.6. There Is No Necessity To Live Under the Control of Necessity¶

Epicurus is reputed throughout history for his strong Rejection of Determinism. Epicurus wrote in his letter to Menoeceus that it would be better to live under false ideas of the gods than it would be to live believing that we have no control at all over our actions or our future.

3.2. Canonics¶

Canonics, often known as "epistemology," is closely related to physics. At the same time that we observe and derive our conclusions about the nature of the universe, we must examine what it means to "know" anything. What is truth? What is real? Is confidence in knowledge (or "certainty") possible? These are issues discussed in our Canonics forums, where we do not focus as much on "what" is true, but "how do we know what is true?"

3.2.1. General Principles of Canonics¶

The principles of Canonics are discussed in more detail in our General Principles of Epicurean Canonics section, and are reconstructed from the Key Citations In Canonics that remain from the ancient world.

3.2.2. He Who Says "Nothing Can Be Known" Knows Nothing¶

Epicurus was a strong opponent of skepticism in philosophy, and he opposed both radical skeptics like Pyrrho and those like Plato who focused on arguing that the senses are not reliable sources of knowledge. Epicurus held that Knowledge is possible, and that through knowledge we can learn how to attain happiness.

3.2.3. All Sensations Are True¶

Epicurus held that truth is grounded in the sensations, and that we must accept that all sensations are true - not "true" in the literal sense that every glimpse of light gives us complete knowledge of the world, but true in the sense of honestly reported without injection of opinion. Epicurus held that errors occur in the mind, in putting together and reaching conclusions about what the sensations are telling us, not in the sensations themselves, which report basic data but do not tell us what that data means.

Epicurus held that the Natural Faculties are (1) The Anticipations Or "Prolepsis", (2) The Five Senses, and (3) The Faculty Of Pleasure And Pain. Epicurus held that Illusions Do Not Invalidate The Senses, and that we must consider not only what the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and sense of touch tell us, but also what our minds receive directly in the form of Images from the outside world.

Epicurus taught that we should defer to the Priority Of Nature Over "Logic," and that we should reject "Dialectic" as a source of knowledge. He taught the importance of Practical Deductive Reasoning, of Clarity, and of "Waiting" before making a decision where multiple possibilities that are consistent with observation support different conclusions. Epicurus held that in some cases we cannot obtain certainty and the elmination of all but one possibilities, so we must at times allow that Multiple Possibilities may be true. The selection of one possibility among many, when many are equally supported by the evidence, is therefore seen as arbitrary and capricious.

3.3. Ethics¶

Ethics is the application of Physics and Canonics to determine the best way to live.

3.3.1. General Principles Of Ethics¶

Consult Our Epicurean Ethics page for much more detail, or read discussions about the subject in our Ethics forums. Some of the most important principles of Epicurean Ethics are:

3.3.2. Virtue Is Not Absolute Or An End In Itself. All Good And Evil Consists in Sensation.¶

In contrast to almost every other school of philosophy, Epicurus held that virtue Is not absolute or an end in itself. Epicurus held that virtue Is not the same for all people, times, and places, and instead virtue should be considered to be action which is instrumental to achieving a life of Pleasure.

The Epicurean texts contain much discussion of how to view such virtues as: Piety (the proper attitude toward divinity), Prudence, Friendship, Courage, Justice, Honesty, Confidence, Benevolence, Temperance, Considerateness, Hope, Independence / Self Sufficiency, Memory And Presence of Mind, Proper Political And Social Relations, Gratitude, Health of Mind, Health of Body.

Pleasure Is The Guide of Life (The Highest Good)

Epicurus' conclusions as to Pleasure being the highest good, and the guide of life, are among his most controversial. This topic is discussed at length, with citations, here.

By "Pleasure We Mean All Experience That Is Not Painful

The topic includes the Epicurean meaning of the word "Pleasure," in which the term "pleasure" is an exact equivalent and interchangeable with "Absence of Pain." We conclude this because there are only two feelings, pleasure and pain, and when we are not experiencing the one we are by definition experiencing the other. That means that if we are aware of our experience at all, what we are aware of is either Pleasure or Pain, and as a result there is no neutral or third or mixed state of awareness. We can of course be aware of any number of things simultaenously, but each discrete experience is viewable as either pleasurable or painful.

The topic also includes the Desirability of pleasure, why we sometimes choose pain and avoid pleasure, the relationship and relative ranking of mental vs. bodily pleasure and pain, the implications of the fact that pleasures differ In duration, intensity, and part of the body affected, the Quantitative "Limit" in total pleasure,

Under this topic we also discuss the complementary doctrine that Pain is undesirable, but that pain is manageable because if pain is intense it is generally short, if pain is long it is manageable, and if pain becomes for some reason unendurable, then pain can be escaped through death.

3.3.3. Life Is Desirable, But Unlimited Time Contains No Greater Pleasure Than Limited Time¶

Epicurus held that Life is desirable, because it affords the opportunity for pleasure. However there are times when we will give our life for a friend, or we will accept death as the better alternative when living on would mean more pain than pleasure.

The observation that pleasure cannot be made more complete than complete (than when we experience nothing but pleasure without any adulteration of pain) leads us to realize that Infinite Time Contains No Greater Pleasure Than A Limited Time. This is because while it is certainly true that pleasure is greater in duration when we live longer, pleasure cannot be made more complete than complete, and duration is not the only factor involved in measuring pleasure. Epicurus wrote to Menoeceus that the wise man at a banquet choose not the most food, but the best, and held that our desire should not be for the longest life, but the most pleasant. The determination of what is "most pleasant" is not an objective measurement, but instead must take into account all circumstances of life, including not only duration but also the intensity and part of the body affected by pleasure and pain. If we take Epicurus' advice to heart, we see that nothing can be made more complete than that which is complete, and that "variation" - or the continuous adding-on of new pleasurable experiences, cannot make our lives more complete any more than continuously adding water to a jar can make the jar hold more water.

Under this topic we discuss the nature of the best life, and the question of How Long Should We Seek To Live?

4. History Of The Epicurean School¶

4.1. Timelines of Epicurean History¶

4.2. How Does Epicurean Philosophy Differ From Stoicism?¶

For a detailed treatment of many aspects of the differences, complete with cites to the ancient authorities, please see the comparison chart here.

Another useful comparison chart, this one focused on the different Stoic and Epicurean views of the goal of life, is here:

Discussion of this question is here.

4.3. How Does Epicurean Philosophy Differ From Buddhism?¶

5. Forum Organization¶

Registered members of the Forum are invited to start in the General Discussion forum, or any of our many Special Topic forums. For a selection of our most significant discussions check our Featured Forum Threads page. If you're looking for something you don't see, use the Search function at the top of each page. You can also search by Popular Tags or review our Full List of Tags. We also have many hyperlinked Outlines that will assist in navigating through the forum structure, along with a list of Forum Short-Cuts to help you find the most popular forums. You can view the most recent posting from across the site at our Latest Posts page.

We welcome to the forum all who are sincerely interested in the study of Epicurus and who wish to collaborate with the EpicureanFriends community. After registering for an account you will be given “Introductory Member” basic level access, which allows you to post in basic forums, and, after introducing yourself and participating for a brief period, attend our First Monday Meet-and-Greet Zoom meeting. Before you register, please be sure to read our foundational documents. These include our Community Standards, our Not Neo-Epicurean, But Epicurean statement, and our Key Posting Policy statement. If you too are interested in pursuing Classical Epicurean Philosophy, your next step is to register for an account! To Create An Account Click Here.

6. Frequently Asked Questions¶

We have a FAQ to answer many of the questions that normally come up during study. If you have an account and find something missing, let us know and we'll add to it if your question is a common one.

7. Recommended Reading¶

We always recommend that readers consult the original works of Epicurus, and we maintain here a collection of Ancient Epicurean Texts, including Diogenes Laertus Book 10 (which contains all of Epicurus' Letters), Lucretius' De Rerum Natura, and many others.

For people who are brand new to Epicurus, we recommend that you start with the two books we recommend most: Epicurus and His Philosophy by Norman DeWitt, and Living For Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life by Emily Austin:

The most sweeping, thorough, and innovative "textbook" of Epicurean philosophy available is Norman DeWitt's "Epicurus and His Philosophy." No other book presents the full sweep and detail of the philosophy as well as this one. The opening chapter of DeWitt's book can be read for free here, and an article ("Philosophy For The Millions") summarizing DeWitt's perspective is here.
The most current and best general introduction to Epicurean ethics is Dr. Emily Austin's "Living For Pleasure." This is a very readable introduction to Epicurean ideas on how to live that is consistent with the general approach here at EpicureanFriends. Our 2023 interview with Dr. Austin on the Lucretius Today podcast is a good introduction to her book.

There are of course other goods books about Epicurus, and we maintain a section of our forum devoted to disssion of them here. A word of caution is appropriate: There are many different interpretations of Epicurus, and many of them "adulterated" with Stoic, Buddhist, Judeo-Christian, Platonic, or other philosophies and religions, according to the preferences of their authors. We recommend that those seeking to understand Epicurus start with Epicurus and His Philosophy and Living For Pleasure, and then review Diogenes Laertius Book Ten and Lucretius, before moving to other works. The DeWitt and Austin books provide a firm grounding in classical Epicureanism, and they point out where the reader can expect to find controversies elsewhere as to what Epicurus really taught.

The full list we recommend for students of Epicurus is as follows:

"Epicurus and His Philosophy" by Norman DeWitt
"Living For Pleasure" by Emily Austin
The Biography of Epicurus by Diogenes Laertius. This includes the surviving letters of Epicurus, including those to Herodotus, Pythocles, and Menoeceus.
"On The Nature of Things" - by Lucretius (a poetic abridgement of Epicurus' "On Nature")
"Epicurus on Pleasure" - An article by Boris Nikolsky
The chapters on Epicurus in Gosling and Taylor's "The Greeks On Pleasure."
Cicero's "On Ends" - Torquatus Section
Cicero's "On The Nature of the Gods" - Velleius Section
The Inscription of Diogenes of Oinoanda - Martin Ferguson Smith translation
A Few Days In Athens" - Frances Wright - with the criticisms referenced here.
Lucian of Samosata - Lucian mentions Epicurus in a number of articles, but among the best are Alexander the Oracle-Monger, Hermotimus, and others listed here.
Philodemus "On Methods of Inference" (De Lacy version, including his appendix on the history of the Epicurean Canon)
Lucretius and the Transformation of Greek Wisdom by David Sedley, an in depth exploration of how Lucretius interpreted Epicurus
The Sculpted Word by Bernard Frischer, a study of Epicurean bronzes and marbles from the ancient world.
Haris Dimitriadis' "Epicurus' And The Pleasant Life"
Consider also the following essays/lectures/letters:
1. The Letter of Cosma Raimondi
2. Norman DeWitt's "Philosophy For The Millions"
3. John Tyndall's Belfast Address
4. An essay on Lucretius from George Santayana's Three Philosophical Poets
5. Prof. Ian Johnston's Lecture on Lucretius
6. Lucy Hutchinson's Letter to the Earl of Anglesey, disavowing her very early translation of Lucretius

Here is a "library" page at NewEpicurean.com with links to where many additional translations are available for free on the internet.

Profile of Past Reading

Discussion of this FAQ entry at EpicureanFriends.com is here.

8. The Lucretius Today Podcast¶

In our Lucretius Today podcast we discuss the Epicurean texts in detail each week. Starting with Episode One in 2020 we went verse by verse through Lucretius' poem, and since then we have covered many other important Epicurean texts. Episodes of special note include Lucretius Today Interviews Dr. Emily Austin, Letter to Menoeceus, The Canon, Reason, and Nature, Epicurus and His Philosophy: The New Hedonism, and especially Episode 200 (our anniversary episode discussing our past and future plans for the podcast). We have a page dedicated to a selection of Quotes used in the podcast, and the best place to familiarize yourself with the episode topics is here.

Lucretius Today Episode Guide

9. Our Articles Section¶

We curate a number of selected Articles written by participants at EpicureanFriends which discuss Epicurus from the perspective of Classical Epicurean Philosophy.

10. Our Epicurean Friends Youtube Page¶

We have a selection of useful videos produced over the years. Of special note are our Seven Steps With Epicurus slideshow and our Foundations of Epicurean Philosophy presentation.

11. Our Special Resources Page¶

Our Special Resources Page provides a variety of informative items prepared by our forum members.

12. Our Recommended Reading Page¶

In addition to the two books we recommend the most, referenced above, we have a full Recommended Reading List of additional books and articles.

13. Our Image Gallery¶

Our Images section provides a collection of images, graphics, and memes by EpicureanFriends forum members. A special selection of our Featured Images is here.

14. Personal Outlines of Epicurean Philosophy¶

As suggested by Epicurus to Herodotus, and as in the example Thomas Jefferson left to us in his personal writings, one of the best ways to internalize Epicurean Philosophy is to write it out in outline forum. See our resources here for sample outlines that help you navigate this site, and work with others who have posted for us their own outlines here.

15. Self Study Courses¶

Currently we have a Quiz Section. In the future we hope to offer you organized programs in the form of an Epicurean Week and an Epicurean Seven Week Program.

16. Zoom Meetings¶

Those who register an account and establish a pattern of productive participation will be invited to our First Monday Meet And Greet meeting, which we conduct on the first Monday of each month. Those who continue thereafter to participate productively will eventually be invited to become “Established Members,” and to join our Wednesday night Zoom study groups and our monthly Twentieth Meeting, and participate in sections of our discussion forum which are limited to Established Members.

17. Site Map¶

Our site map has a listing of all major sections of this site. If you have questions, please feel free to ask any member of our Moderator Team.