Epicurus Today Blog

New Article - Mind Viruses Cured By Epicurean Philosophy

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Today is added to the site a new article about "mind viruses," a term that many will recognize as used popularly by Richard Dawkins some years ago. From the blog entry: Throughout history, philosophers, priests, and political authorities have promoted ideas about life, reality, and human nature that sound profound but are in fact deeply mistaken — and whose effect, whether intended or not, is to make ordinary people feel guilty, fearful, and dependent on outside authorities for guidance. These ideas spread from generation to generation the way a virus spreads through a population: not because they are true, but because they are repeated, because they serve the interests of those who promote them, and because they become so embedded in the culture that people accept them without examination.

New Article - Reality Does Not Require Being Always The Same

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Today added to the site is a new article about the Epicurean perspective on reality. The outline can be accessed at the link below or by opening up the "Other Resources" menu in the left navigation sidebar. Reality Does Not Require Being Always The Same.

New Article - Not a Bunker But A Camp - On Epicurean Engagement With Society

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Today added to the site is a new article responding to an attack on Epicurean Philosophy by Massimo Pigliucci. The outline can be accessed at the link below or by opening up the "Other Resources" menu in the left navigation sidebar. Not A Bunker But A Camp.

Addition Of Classical Epicurean Philosophy Training Outline

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Today added to the site is a new Training Outline for Classical Epicurean Philosophy. This document is designed to be used either by new students or for submission to AI models to capture essential aspects of Classical Epicurean Philosophy. The outline can be accessed at the link below or by opening up the "Other Resources" menu in the left navigation sidebar.

Good And Bad Desires And Doubts In Epicurean Philosophy

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Good and Bad Desires and Doubts In Epicurean Philosophy ------ Introduction A correct understanding of Epicurus' views as to desire and doubt is essential to grasping his philosophy as a whole. These should be considered together because it is thought by some that Epicurus held all doubt and all desire to be undesirable. We will examine first desire and then doubt, following up with a comparison of how in each case some are desirable and some are undesirable for a life of happiness based on pleasure.

Epicurus vs. Kantian Idealism

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Introductory Note This post is intended to provide an introduction to the issues that exist between Epicurus and modern idealism. For ease of reference it also incorporates discussion of Nietzsche's analysis of Kant, which has substantial similarities to the viewpoint of Epicurus. Nietzsche was not an Epicurean.

Regular Discussion of Additions To Outline Of Key Quotations

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

We will be continuing to meet as usual on Wednesday nights, but we will be taking a temporary break in our weekly review of Usener's Epicurea. For the present we will continue splitting our time between (1) open discussion and (2) a focused topic. The plan for the focused topic is to take an item from the "Quotation Outline" we've been setting up at EpicurusToday.

Comments On Sedley's "The Inferential Foundations Of Epicurean Ethics

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

There is great deal of good information in David Sedley's article on "The Inferential Foundations of Epicurean Ethics." Books need to be written on the implications of the points he raises, but for now I've collected some key citations to show what issues are covered. The Inferential Foundations of Epicurean Ethics - Zoom Meeting Notes 20260124.

Site Updates - Menu Reorganization and Post to EpicureanFriends.com

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The EpicurusToday page is now far enough along to post about at EpicureanFriends.com. There remain many broken links and half-written pages, but it should already be useful in its current state. Over time, EpicurusToday.com will become the main URL for host for the side-by-side editions of Diogenes Laertius, Lucretius, Torquatus, and Velleius: - Side By Side Lucretius - Side By Side Diogenes Laertius X - Side By Side Torquatus - Side By Side Velleius Equally of importance will be the topical outline of quotations which remains in progress: - Topical Concept Outline Please let us know any comments or suggestions.

Version Two of EpicurusToday.com, With Topical Outline of Concepts, Goes Live On January 1, 2026.

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Today - January 1, 2026 - I am releasing the updated format of EpicurusToday.com. The main function of this site will be to allow me to blog and collect key material in a much more fault-tolerant website format. EpicureanFriends.com is a great website, but it has a very sophisticated database-reliant backend, and in the event of a major server outage recovery would be difficult.

2025 Site Updates

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As of December 9, 2025, there's much yet to do, but much has been updated already. As the site continues to be developed, please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions.

2025 Updates

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As I write this in October of 2025 it's time for a major rewrite of this "gateway" site for the EpicureanFriends community. There's much work to be done, but EpicurusToday.com will eventually become an important supplement to the community as a place for new participants to explore the basics of Epicurean philosophy and decide whether they would like to participate at EpicureanFriends. While the site is under development please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions.