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Epicurus Today

Welcome

Whether you are preparing to fly to the stars or just get out of bed in the morning, if you are like the rest of us, you have lots of questions about where the universe came from, how we as human beings got here, how we should spend our time, and what (if anything) happens to us after we die.

If you too are willing to pursue answers to controversial questions, and if you insist on evidence before accepting any answer, you’re in the right place. That’s the type of person Epicurus was two thousand years ago, and that’s the type of person who will feel at home in our Epicurean community.
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Why Study Epicurus?

Section titled “Why Study Epicurus?”

Why study a philosophy that’s now more than two thousand years old? Hasn’t so much changed since then that Epicurean philosphy is now obsolete, a relic of the an cient world of interest only to historians? The reason we study Epicurus today, and the reason that his philosophy is far from obsolete, is that Epicurus provides life-altering insights that make perfect sense today just as they did in the ancient world. For example, Epicurus will help you reevaluate for yourself some of the most basic questions of life:

  • From where did the universe come? Was it created by a god? Does everything happen randomly, or mechanically?
  • What happens to us when we die? Do we have souls that survive after death to be rewarded or punishment for our choices in life?
  • How do we know how to live? Is there a difference between “right” living and “wrong” living? Does a god tell us? Does reason or logic tell us?
  • Is the goal of life to be a “good person,” or to be “virtuous,” or to be “happy?” What does “happiness” really mean?
  • Is there really any way to answer these questions, or to be confident about anything?

:::tip Caution:

Those who read only the letter to Menoecus and Wikipedia articles and think that Epicurus was basically an anxiety counselor will be sorely disappointed by the information we share at EpicurusToday. Epicurus rejects many of the most “comfortable” beliefs of modern humanism to which many people resort to calm their anxieties. Epicurus rejects feel-good morality whether combined with or without supernatural gods. In the Epicurean universe there are no supernatural gods looking after us or rewarding the good and punishing the bad. All of us alike only have one life to live. Epicurus also rejects the idea that fate, rather than our own choices, are primarily responsible for what happens to us. Epicurus also rejects the argument that truth is impossible to find so it makes no sense to look for it.

We won’t waste your time or ours: Right from the beginning we will explain what Epicurus really taught about the universe, and everyone can decide for themselves how to proceed.

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Where Do I Start?

Section titled “Where Do I Start?”

Epicurean philosophy is not difficult, it requires time and effort. Epicurus’ view of the universe and many important concepts, such as “pleasure,” and “virtue,” and gods,” is very different from what most people expect, so It cannot be understood by reading a letter or two of Epicurus along with an article at Wikipedia. Epicurean philosophy is deeply controversial and revolutionary in its implications. For two thousand years oppinion leaders have done their best to obscure what Epicurus taught, so study of Epicurus must begin with correcting those falsehoods.

Be aware that Epicurus was very critical of Socrates for not explaining his true thoughts clearly and plainly. Epicurus taught that we should be clear every step of the way, learning about both the trees and the forest at the same time, so we can understand how the details support the big picture.

Following that method, here at the beginning is a list of the core ideas that are essential to learn as quickly as possible. No matter how many years you study Epicurus, you won’t find an authentic Epicurean contradicting any of these ideas:

:::tip Key Principles of Epicurean Philosophy

  1. Nothing can be created from nothing.
  2. The universe is infinite in size and eternal in time and has no gods over it.
  3. The nature of gods contains nothing that is inconsistent with incorruption and blessedness.
  4. Death is nothing to us.
  5. There is no necessity to live under the control of necessity.
  6. He who says “nothing can be known” knows nothing.
  7. All sensations are true.
  8. Virtue is not absolute or an end in itself. All good and evil consists in sensation.
  9. Pleasure is the guide of life.
  10. By pleasure we mean all experience that is not painful.
  11. Life is desirable, but unlimited time contains no greater pleasure than limited time. :::

Each of these statements and needs much further explanation, but first let’s run through the Epicurean Paradigm Shift - what amounts to an Epicurean vocabulary lesson, and from here you’ll begin to grasp the profound Paradigm Shift that characterizes Epicurean Philosophy.

Key Resources Here At EpicurusToday: