Summary of Epicurean Philosophy

• After Aristotle, ancient Greek philosophy lost its originality and vigour.

• In this period, philosophy is mainly concerned with helping the individual in escaping from the travails of life.

• Philosophers became obsessed with ethical questions. This approach narrowed their thought.

• The post-Aristotelian philosophers subordinated other branches of knowledge such as physics, metaphysics and logic to ethics.

• Epicureanism and stoicism were the two great schools of moral philosophy that followed Aristotelian philosophy.

• Epicurus regarded pursuit of happiness as the chief aim of life.

• Epicurus identifies popular religion and superstitions as the chief obstacles to human happiness.

• Democritus’s materialist doctrine of atoms enables Epicurus to dispense with both joys of paradise and terrors of hell.

• He pictures gods as leading an immortal, serene and blessed life in the outer space. They live in a state of beatific joy, and never concern themselves with human affairs. Men need not feargods.

• Epicureans adopted a pure and noble conception of happiness. In this sense, happiness is an end by itself, and it is the only good. Pain is the only evil.

• Mental pleasures are superior to physical pleasures.

• Men should condition their minds to rise above physical pain and adversity.

• Epicureanism sought absence of pain, mental serenity and calm spirit untroubled by fears and anxieties. Epicureanism is a recipe for individual happiness in a troubled world.

• Epicureanism is hardly a philosophy suited to energetic, dynamic and self-confident societies or individuals.

• Epicureanism was overtaken by Roman ideals of duty and heroic virtue. Further, Christianity preached the ethic of strenuous work and gave hope of posthumous redemption to men.