The Way Things Are

In the face of philosophies and religions which tell you to love your "fate" and relish the thought of being the plaything of gods, Epicurus tells you that Fate and Supernatural Gods do not exist. Epicurus taught that the Universe is entirely natural, and that neither it nor we as humans are created or controlled by Fate or supernatural forces. Instead, Epicurus teaches that your free will gives you the largest share in determining your future, and that you had best get to it, given that you only have one life to live and no further existence after death.

The Way We Know

Laughing at those who allege that it is impossible to know anything with certainty, Epicurus taught that knowledge about the essential things in life is possible, and that a proper standard of knowledge doesn't require omniscience. Instead, Epicurus taught that as humans we can know all that is necessary for life through the faculties Nature gives us, including our five senses, our feelings of Pleasure and Pain, and our natural ability to recognize patterns even in a universe that is always in motion.

The Way We Live

For Epicurus, the proper pursuit of pleasure depends on first understanding the way we know and the way things are. From that perspective, the term "Pleasure" means everything in life that is desirable, including both the activity of the mind and of the body. In other words, the pursuit of science, art, and music are every bit as important to the pursuit of pleasure as food, drink, and sex! Once you expel the false priests and philosophers who claim the right to tell you what is right and wrong, you see that it is Nature that tells you how to live through pleasure and pain.