Chart Of Key Concepts

Core Texts: Diogenes Laertius | Lucretius | Torquatus | Velleius | Topical Outline

Epicurean Philosophy

Physics ＋ Canonics ⟶ Ethics

Physics: The Nature of the Universe

Nothing Comes From Nothing or Goes To Nothing Supernaturally. Everything Happens Naturally From The Motion of Atoms Through Space. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

The Universe Is Infinite In Size And Eternal In Time And Has No Gods Over It. There Is No Supernatural Design Or Existence Outside Of Nature. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

True Divinity Is Incorruptible And Blessed. Beings Which Are Divine Do Not Reward Friends And Punish Enemies Or Intervene In Human Affairs. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

Death Is Nothing To Us. When We Die We Cease To Exist. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

There Is No Necessity To Live Under the Control of Necessity. There Is No Fate Or Destiny - We Decide How We Live. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

Canonics: How To Know What Is True

He Who Says Nothing Can Be Known Knows Nothing. Knowledge Of Reality Is Possible. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

All Sensations Are True. Error Is In The Mind And Not The Senses. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

The Criteria of Truth Are The Sensations, Anticipations, and Feelings. These Natural Faculties Connect Us With Reality. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

Dialectical Logic And Radical Skepticism Do Not Determine Truth. Reasoning Must Be Grounded In The Perceptions Of Our Natural Faculties. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

Platonic Ideal Forms, Aristotelian Essences, And Divine Revelation Do Not Exist. All Truth Exists In This World. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

Ethics: How To Live

Happiness Is the Goal of Life. A Life Of Happiness Is A Life In Which Pleasure Predominates Over Pain. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

Pleasure Is the Guide, Beginning, And End Of The Happy Life. Pleasure Includes Not Just Bodily Stimulation But All Mental And Physical Experience We Find To Be Agreeable. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

The Term “Pleasure” Is The Exact Equivalent Of “Absence of Pain.” All Experiences Of Life Are Either Pleasurable Or Painful, With No Middle Ground, So The Presence Of One Means The Absence Of The Other. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

Virtue Is Not Absolute Or An End In Itself. There Is Nothing Good But Pleasure And Nothing Evil But Pain. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |

Life Is Desirable, But Unlimited Time Contains No Greater Pleasure Than Limited Time. A Life Full Of Pleasure Can Never Be More Than Full No Matter How Much Time Is Available. | Reference | Quotations | Discussion |