Epicurus's Principal Doctrines and his Letter to Menoeceus are presented in this excellent edition which includes multiple translations, the original Greek, plus supplementary essays on Epicureanism by respected scholars. In the 3rd century B.C. Epicurus became renowned for developing a system of moral and social philosophy which was popular during ancient times. Epicureanism underwent a resurgence among intellectuals, scholars and Christian believers during the Enlightenment era. A prodigious author during his lifetime, tragically most of the works Epicurus wrote are lost, with only a handful of texts remaining extant for study in the present day. Epicurus advocated a peaceful existence defined by modest living; cultivation of inner peace and fearlessness; surrounding oneself in personal tranquility with worthy friends and family members as good company; and the observation of justice.

Epicurus's Principal Doctrines and his Letter to Menoeceus are presented in this excellent edition which includes multiple translations, the original Greek, plus supplementary essays on Epicureanism by respected scholars. In the 3rd century B.C. Epicurus became renowned for developing a system of moral and social philosophy which was popular during ancient times. Epicureanism underwent a resurgence among intellectuals, scholars and Christian believers during the Enlightenment era. A prodigious author during his lifetime, tragically most of the works Epicurus wrote are lost, with only a handful of texts remaining extant for study in the present day. Epicurus advocated a peaceful existence defined by modest living; cultivation of inner peace and fearlessness; surrounding oneself in personal tranquility with worthy friends and family members as good company; and the observation of justice.

Epicurus's Principal Doctrines and his Letter to Menoeceus are presented in this excellent edition which includes multiple translations, the original Greek, plus supplementary essays on Epicureanism by respected scholars. In the 3rd century B.C. Epicurus became renowned for developing a system of moral and social philosophy which was popular during ancient times. Epicureanism underwent a resurgence among intellectuals, scholars and Christian believers during the Enlightenment era. A prodigious author during his lifetime, tragically most of the works Epicurus wrote are lost, with only a handful of texts remaining extant for study in the present day. Epicurus advocated a peaceful existence defined by modest living; cultivation of inner peace and fearlessness; surrounding oneself in personal tranquility with worthy friends and family members as good company; and the observation of justice. The Principal Doctrines list forty core beliefs of Epicureanism; each tenet ranges between a single sentence and a single paragraph in length, and explains or instructs a given subject from the Epicurean point of view. Personal conduct and concepts such as just laws are among the subjects present. Letter to Menoeceus is a surviving personal correspondence famous for succinctly expressing many of the ethical traits of Epicureanism. Epicurus proscribes advice to his friend, and by extension other individuals wishing to follow his philosophy; the pursuit of knowledge; pleasure defined as an absence of bodily pain or mental anguish; and a modest lifestyle. This edition of Epicurus's writings is perfect for scholarly study and contemplation. The original Greek of both texts is present, while three contrasting interpretations of the Principle Doctrines are offered. To further stimulate the reader's interests, three lengthy essays by scholars of the 17th and 19th centuries shed insight both on the philosophy itself, and how it came to renewed regard in the eyes of Enlightenment-era scholars.

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 BCE), though often despised for his materialism, hedonism, and denial of the immortality of the soul during many periods of history, has at the same time been a source of inspiration to figures as diverse as Vergil, Hobbes, Thomas Jefferson, and Bentham. This volume offers authoritative discussions of all aspects of Epicurus's philosophy and then traces out some of its most important subsequent influences throughout the Western intellectual tradition. Such a detailed and comprehensive study of Epicureanism is especially timely given the tremendous current revival of interest in Epicurus and his rivals, the Stoics. The thirty-one contributions in this volume offer an unmatched resource for all those wishing to deepen their knowledge of Epicurus' powerful arguments about happiness, death, and the nature of the material world and our place in it. At the same time, his arguments are carefully placed in the context of ancient and subsequent disputes, thus offering readers the opportunity of measuring Epicurean arguments against a wide range of opponents--from Platonists, Aristotelians and Stoics, to Hegel and Nietzsche, and finally on to such important contemporary philosophers as Thomas Nagel and Bernard Williams. The volume offers separate and detailed discussions of two fascinating and ongoing sources of Epicurean arguments, the Herculaneum papyri and the inscription of Diogenes of Oenoanda. Our understanding of Epicureanism is continually being enriched by these new sources of evidence and the contributors to this volume have been able to make use of them in presenting the most current understanding of Epicurus's own views. By the same token, the second half of the volume is devoted to the extraordinary influence of Epicurean doctrines, often either neglected or misunderstood, in literature, political thinking, scientific innovation, personal conceptions of freedom and happiness, and in philosophy generally. Taken together, the contributions in this volume offer the most comprehensive and detailed account of Epicurus and Epicureanism available in English.

From the author of How Proust Can Change Your Life, a delightful, truly consoling work that proves that philosophy can be a supreme source of help for our most painful everyday problems. Perhaps only Alain de Botton could uncover practical wisdom in the writings of some of the greatest thinkers of all time. But uncover he does, and the result is an unexpected book of both solace and humor. Dividing his work into six sections -- each highlighting a different psychic ailment and the appropriate philosopher -- de Botton offers consolation for unpopularity from Socrates, for not having enough money from Epicurus, for frustration from Seneca, for inadequacy from Montaigne, and for a broken heart from Schopenhauer (the darkest of thinkers and yet, paradoxically, the most cheering). Consolation for envy -- and, of course, the final word on consolation -- comes from Nietzsche: "Not everything which makes us feel better is good for us." This wonderfully engaging book will, however, make us feel better in a good way, with equal measures of wit and wisdom.

The brilliant writings of a highly influential Greek philosopher, with a foreword by Daniel Klein, author of Travels with Epicurus The teachings of Epicurus—about life and death, religion and science, physical sensation, happiness, morality, and friendship—attracted legions of adherents throughout the ancient Mediterranean world and deeply influenced later European thought. Though Epicurus faced hostile opposition for centuries after his death, he counts among his many admirers Thomas Hobbes, Thomas Jefferson, Karl Marx, and Isaac Newton. This volume includes all of his extant writings—his letters, doctrines, and Vatican sayings—alongside parallel passages from the greatest exponent of his philosophy, Lucretius, extracts from Diogenes Laertius' Life of Epicurus, a lucid introductory essay about Epicurean philosophy, and a foreword by Daniel Klein, author of Travels with Epicurus and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar. For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.