Epicureanism

source: Philosophical Overdose     2017年1月20日
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Epicureanism in this BBC episode of In Our Time. Epicureanism is the system of philosophy based on the teachings of Epicurus and founded in Athens in the fourth century BC. Epicurus outlined a comprehensive philosophical system based on the idea that everything in the Universe is constructed from two phenomena: atoms and void. At the centre of his philosophy is the idea that the goal of human life is pleasure, by which he meant not luxury but the avoidance of pain. His followers cast off fear of death, and were suspicious of religious superstition, marriage and politics, but placed great emphasis on friendship. Epicureanism became influential in the Roman world, particularly through Lucretius's great poem De Rerum Natura, which was rediscovered and widely admired in the Renaissance. The guests include Angie Hobbs, David Sedley and James Warren. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qf083