Alexander the Great unified all of Greece under his rule, fulfilled his father Philip the 2nd’s visions for an all-Greek war on Persia, and conquered Asia Minor, Egyp, Athens, Troy, Tyre, and many other nations in the process. His campaign solidified Greece as the world’s superpower. The Hellenistic period started after Alexander’s death. Many schools of thought developed during this Greek period. The two most notorious were the Stoics and Epicureans. This essay is about the latter, and what the Epicureans believed.
Principal Doctrines by Epicurus laid the groundwork for this school of thought. In it, Epicurus addresses life, death, and how to live. He believed that death was nothing since we cannot feel anything after we are dead. He believed the gods didn’t care about us. Since they are whimsical and act on chance, it’s far better for us to ignore them. He also rejected the immaterial world and said we have no free will. Instead, humans are subject to fate.
His conclusion was to focus on living a pleasant life and focusing on the present, not the future. That worldview was fueled by a belief that everything in nature happens by chance. We, as individuals, are all subject to fate, and it’s outside of our control. In light of that, we should focus on now, and live our life to its fullest. That didn’t mean a gross abundance of temporary pleasure. Rather, he wanted long-term pleasure through wisdom, justice, and peace. He believed that long-term pleasure should be everyone’s goal.
Honor and friendship are good since they grant peace of mind. The end goal for all of us should be that peace of mind, according to Epicurus.
His attitude could be summarized in the Biblical quote, “Eat, drink, and be merry.”
Asher Sisneros 