Zoom of 26-01-11

Sunday January 11,2026 - Zoom Discussion 12:30 PM EST - Lucretius Discussion - Book 1:127

1. https://www.epicureanfriends.com/thread/4896-sunday-january-11-2026-zoom-meeting-12-30-pm-topic-lucretius-book-review-book-on/?postID=38445#post38445
2. Welcome and news / requests for new topics. We’ll continue to deal with individual topics as they occur. Just message me and we will set up an agenda each week that allows for new topics.
3. Every session let’s try to cover questions like:
   1. What is the context of this section?
   2. Why included at this point in the presentation?
   3. What are the major points Lucretius is making?
   4. What are the implications of these points?
4. This week we will continue further into Lucretius starting at line 127.
   1. This section connects with the terrors discussed last week and how we can withstand them by knowing the truth through philosophy.
   2. Some say that functions of religion include providing account of how the world came to be and what happens after death.
   3. There are people (including Frances Wright?) who say that the origin of the universe is irrelevant(?)
   4. Importance of understanding the nature of the universe and how our minds work, including challenges when we are sick or asleep. Dreams are significant so we need an explanation of their origin and their significance.
   5. Maybe Lucretius didn’t refer to gods as his example of “seeming to see things” in discussing dreams because seeing gods would not necessarily be “untrue” (because “gods” exist) while seeing “dead people” would clearly be “untrue” (as they are dead).