The Teachings of Epicurus

Think of an influential man, one of the world’s most influential men, perhaps, that lived before Christ and whose doctrines are still practiced today. Think of a man who believed the gods wanted nothing to do with mortals, and human beings should seek a life full of ‘wise pleasure.’ He also believed that there was no afterlife, that death was complete annihilation. This philosopher is, of course, Epicurus.
The primary source of the life of Epicurus is author Diogenes Laertius, whose biography appears in his collection of biographies Lives of the Philosophers. Laerius may have served as an extremely unreliable narrator, as his information was second or third generation, and his sources of information on Epicurus’ life are unknown.
Epicurus was born in Athens around 341 BC, but grew up on the Mediterranean island of Samos. Throughout his childhood and adolescence, he diligently studied the works of philosophers Democritus and Plato and began to form his own ideals of the...