Epicureanism

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Epicureanism is an ancient Greek philosophical school founded by Epicurus that teaches that the highest good is a life of modest pleasure, tranquility, and freedom from fear through rational understanding of the world.

Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form As subject As object
Epicurean physics 0 1
Epicureans 0 1

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Hellenistic philosophy
ancient Greek philosophy
ethical theory
philosophical school
aimsAt absence of bodily pain
freedom from fear
tranquility of mind
centerOfActivity Epicurus' Garden in Athens
surface form: Garden of Epicurus
contrastsWith Aristotelianism
Platonism
Stoicism
coreValue aponia
ataraxia
pleasure as the highest good
distinguishes natural and necessary desires
natural but unnecessary desires
vain and empty desires
emergedInCentury 4th century BCE
epistemologicalView empiricism
ethicalFocus consequentialism
hedonism
foundedBy Epicurus
headquartersLocation Athens
holdsView death is the end of sensation
fear of death is irrational
gods do not intervene in human affairs
the soul is mortal
influenced Enlightenment thought
Lucretius
Roman philosophy
modern secular ethics
influencedBy Democritus
Leucippus
keyConcept classification of desires
tetrapharmakos
metaphysicalView atomism
materialism
misinterpretedAs crude sensual hedonism
originatedIn Greek Antiquity
surface form: Ancient Greece
primaryText Letter to Menoeceus
De rerum natura
surface form: On the Nature of Things

Principal Doctrines
Vatican Sayings
primaryTextAuthor Epicurus
Lucretius
teaches avoidance of unnecessary desires
friendship as a key to happiness
pursuit of modest and sustainable pleasures
rational understanding of nature
simple living

Referenced by (12)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Hellenistic period associatedWith Epicureanism
Epicurus founded Epicureanism
Western philosophy includesMovement Epicureanism
Cicero influencedBy Epicureanism
Hellenistic religion interpretedBy Epicureanism
Lucretius movement Epicureanism
Lucretius philosophicalSchool Epicureanism
this entity surface form: Epicureans
Epicurus schoolOrTradition Epicureanism
Lucretius workSubject Epicureanism
this entity surface form: Epicurean physics