EPICURUS

Show Code

He was born in Samos to Athenian clergy parents. A distinguished philosopher, he settled in Athens and founded his own school. He argued that the only principle of things is matter. Outside of it there is nothing but emptiness. According to his materialistic theory, the only absolute good is "pleasure", not momentary, but lasting, and the only absolute evil is "pain". Pain, that is, and joy are the two poles, around which the life of mortals rotates alternately. For this reason spiritual pleasures must be preferred to physical ones. They are more durable and exquisite.

Quotes

1. THEREFORE, IT IS NECESSARY TO AIM FOR HAPPINESS, BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE IT, WE HAVE EVERYTHING AND WHEN WE LACK IT, WE DO EVERYTHING TO ACQUIRE IT
2. WE SHOULD NOT SPOIL WHAT WE HAVE BY WISHING FOR WHAT WE DON'T HAVE, BUT REMEMBER THAT WHAT WE HAVE WAS ONCE WHAT WE WISHED FOR
3. WE REACH THE HIGHEST SUMMIT OF PLEASURE, WHEN WE HAVE ELIMINATED ALL PAIN
4. PAIN HAS INTENSITY BUT HAS NO DURATION. PLEASURE IS SUPERIOR TO PAIN
5. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR ONE TO LIVE HAPPILY IF HE DOES NOT LIVE PRUDENTLY, MORALLY AND JUSTLY, JUST LIKE NO ONE CAN LIVE CAREFULLY, MORALLY AND JUSTLY IF HE DOESN'T LIVE HAPPILY
6. THE RIGHTEOUS IS THE MOST CALM MAN, THE UNJUST IS FULL OF THE GREATEST NERVOUSNESS
7. NO PLEASURE IS BAD IN ITSELF, HOWEVER, THE WAYS TO REACH SOME OF THE PLEASURES INCLUDE HARMS FAR GREATER THAN THE PLEASURES
8. WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE WE CANNOT FULLY ENJOY THE PLEASURES
9. WEALTH, WHICH OUR NATURE DEMANDS, IS DEFINED AND EASILY ACQUIRED. THE WEALTH, ON THE CONTRARY, WHICH OUR VANITY DEMANDS, EXTENDS TO INFINITY
10. THE SAGE HAS THE REALLY BIG AND IMPORTANT THINGS ARRANGED THROUGH HIS REASON, THEY ARE ARRANGED AS LONG AS HE LIVES AND ALWAYS WILL BE
11. THE REASONABLE MAN NEITHER AVOIDS PLEASURE, NOR WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES LEAD HIM TO THE END OF LIFE, DOES HE ACT AS IF MISSING SOMETHING FROM LIVING EXCELLENTLY
12. HE WHO HAS UNDERSTOOD THE LIMITS OF LIFE, KNOWS HOW EASILY HE CAN OBTAIN THAT WHICH REMOVES THE PAIN OF DEPRIVATION AND MAKES ALL LIFE PERFECT
13. BAD HABITS, LIKE BAD PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HARMING US FOR A LONG TIME, LET'S COMPLETELY GET RID OF THEM
14. IF YOU FIGHT ALL YOUR SENSES, YOU WILL HAVE NOWHERE TO STAND AND JUDGE EVEN THOSE YOU THINK ARE MISLEADING
15. OF ALL THESE BY WHICH WISDOM CONTRIBUTES TO THE HAPPINESS OF ALL LIFE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT IS THE ACQUISITION OF FRIENDSHIP
16. OF THE DESIRES, SOME ARE NATURAL AND NECESSARY AND OTHERS ARE NATURAL AND NOT NECESSARY. OTHERS AGAIN ARE NEITHER NATURAL NOR NECESSARY, BUT ARE BORN OF VANITY
17. NATURAL LAW IS A CONTRACT TO THE INTEREST OF MAN, NOT TO HARM OTHERS AND NOT TO BE HARMED BY OTHERS
18. THERE IS NO JUSTICE IN ITSELF. IT EXISTS ONLY IN PLACES AND TIMES IN RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PEOPLE
19. HE WHO WRONGS IS DIFFICULT TO ESCAPE ATTENTION, BUT TO MAKE SURE HE WILL ESCAPE ATTENTION IS IMPOSSIBLE
20. NEED IS AN EVIL. BUT THERE IS NO NEED FOR ONE TO LIVE UNDER THE RULE OF NEED
21. NO ONE WHO SEES EVIL, LIKES IT, BUT BECAUSE HE IS DRAGGED IN, THINKING IT IS GOOD IN RELATION TO THE GREATER EVIL, GOES AFTER IT
22. IT IS NOT THE YOUNG MAN WHO SHOULD BE HAPPY BUT THE OLD MAN WHO HAS LIVED WELL
23. IF OUTWARD APPEARANCE AND SPEECH AND RELATIONSHIP ARE REMOVED, LOVE PASSION WEAKENS
24. HE WHO DOES NOT REMEMBER THE GOOD THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO HIM TODAY HAS BECOME AN OLD MAN
25. WE SHOULD NOT USE VIOLENCE AGAINST NATURE BUT BE CONVINCED BY IT
26. EVERY FRIENDSHIP IS CHOSEN FOR WHAT IT IS, FURTHERMORE IT ORIGINATES IN BENEFICENCE
27. DREAMS HAVE NO DIVINE ORIGIN NOR DIVINATING POWER, BUT ARE CAUSED BY COINCIDENCE OF IDOLS
28. FOR ALL OTHERS IT IS POSSIBLE TO FIND REFUGE FOR MAN. AS FAS AS DEATH IS CONCERNED ALL PEOPLE LIVE IN AN UNGUARDED CITY
29. THE RESPECT OF THOSE WHO RESPECT THE SAGE IS A GREAT GOOD TO THEM
30. THE VOICE OF THE FLESH IS NOT TO BE HUNGRY, NOT TO BE THIRSTY, NOT TO BE COLD. IF SOMEONE HAS THESE AND IF HE HOPES TO HAVE THEM HE WILL FIGHT EVEN WITH ZEUS FOR HIS HAPPINESS
31. IT'S NOT SO MUCH THE HELP OF FRIENDS THAT HELPED US, AS THE CONFIDENCE WE HAVE IN THEM PROVIDING IT
32. TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM PEOPLE, ANYTHING YOU WILL USE FOR THAT PURPOSE IS BY NATURE GOOD
33. NATURE IS WEAK TOWARDS EVIL, NOT TOWARDS GOOD, BECAUSE WITH PLEASURE IT IS SAVED WHILE WITH PAIN IT IS DESTROYED
34. SHORT IS LIFE IN WHICH THERE ARE MANY REASONABLE REASONS FOR DEATH
35. NEITHER ONE WHO CONSTANTLY ASKS FOR HELP IS A FRIEND, NOR ONE WHO NEVER ASSOCIATES HELP WITH FRIENDSHIP
36. BEING FOND OF MONEY UNFAIRLY IS DISRESPECTFUL AND JUSTLY IS HIDEOUS, BECAUSE NOONE SHOULD SAVE MONEY TO SUCH AN EXTEND EVEN IF THEY ARE RIGHT
37. AFTER HAVING PROVIDED FOR THE NECESSARY, THE SAGE KNOWS HOW TO DISTRIBUTE THEM THAN ENJOY THEM HIMSELF. SUCH A TREASURE OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY HAS HE FOUND
38. WE MUST CONSIDER THE TRUE PURPOSE OF LIFE AND ALL REALITY, SO THAT WE CAN BASE OUR OPINIONS ON THEM
39. TRY TO MAKE THE NEXT DAY BETTER THAN THE PREVIOUS, AS LONG AS YOU ARE ON THE ROAD. HOWEVER WHEN YOU REACH THE END BE HAPPY AND SATISFIED
40. WE SHOULD ENVY NO ONE. BECAUSE GOOD PEOPLE ARE NOT ENVIABLE, WICKED PEOPLE ON THE OTHER HAND THE MORE LUCKY THEY ARE, THE MORE THEY HURT THEMSELVES
41. NO ONE SHOULD PRETEND TO PHILOSOPHIZE BUT REALLY PHILOSOPHIZE, BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED TO THINK WE ARE HEALTHY BUT TO ACTUALLY BE HEALTHY
42. WE MUST HEAL THE MISFORTUNE WITH THE GRATEFUL MEMORY OF WHAT WAS BEFORE AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDO WHAT HAS HAPPENED
43. WE MUST FREE OURSELVES FROM THE PRISON OF AFFAIRS AND POLITICS
44. IT IS NOT THE STOMACH THAT IS UNSATISFIED, AS MANY SAY, BUT THE FALSE OPINION THAT THE STOMACH NEEDS AN UNLIMITED QUANTITY TO BE FILLED
45. EACH ONE OF US AS IF HE WAS BORN JUST MINUTES AGO LEAVES LIFE
46. THERE IS A LIMIT TO AUSTERITY, BEYOND WHICH THE IGNORANT COMMITS SOMETHING CLOSE TO THE ERROR OF EXCESS
47. PRAISE FROM OTHERS MUST COME BY ITSELF. WE MUST BE BUSY WITH THE HEALING OF OUR LIVES
48. IT IS FOOLISH TO ASK OF THE GODS THAT WHICH EVERYONE IS ABLE TO PROVIDE BY HIMSELF
49. WE EMPATHIZE WITH FRIENDS NOT BY MOURNING BUT BY CARING FOR THEM
50. NOTHING IS ENOUGH FOR HIM FOR WHOM ENOUGH IS NOT ENOUGH
51. THE INSATIABILITY OF THE SOUL MAKES THE LIVING BEING DESIRE INFINITELY DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF FOOD
52. DO NOT DO ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE WHICH WILL CAUSE YOU FEAR IF IT GETS KNOWN BY YOUR NEIGHBOR
53. THE FOLLOWING QUESTION SHOULD BE ASKED IN CONNECTION WITH EACH DESIRE: WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME IF WHAT I WISH FOR COMES TRUE AND WHAT IF IT DOESN'T COME TRUE
54. SOME PHYSICAL PAIN HELPS PROTECT US FROM OTHERS LIKE IT
55. IN THE THEORETICAL DISCUSSION, THE WINNER IS THE ONE WHO WAS DEFEATED, TO THE DEGREE THAT HE LEARNED SOMETHING MORE
56. THE GREATEST FRUIT OF SELF-SUFFICIENCY IS FREEDOM
57. THE BRAVE DEALS WITH WISDOM AND FRIENDSHIP. OF THESE ONE IS MORTAL GOOD AND THE OTHER IMMORTAL
58. THE ONE IN PEACE WITH ONESELF DOESN'T ANNOY OTHERS
59. BRAVO TO ETERNAL NATURE! IT MADE THE NECESSARY EASILY OBTAINABLE, AND THOSE THAT ARE OBTAINED WITH DIFFICULTY UNNECESSARY.
60. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SOMEONE RICH, INSTEAD OF GIVING HIM MONEY TAKE AWAY HIS DESIRES.
61. DEATH IS NOTHING TO US. BECAUSE HE WHO IS DEAD DOES NOT SENSE, AND THAT WHICH CANNOT SENSE IS UNIMPORTANT TO US.
62. WHEN WE ARE DEATH IS NOT. WHEN DEATH IS, THEN WE ARE NOT.
63. NOONE CAN LIVE IN BLISS IF HE DOESN'T LIVE PRUDENTLY, WITH KINDNESS AND JUSTICE. FURTHERMORE, ONE CANNOT LIVE PRUDENTLY, WITH KINDNESS AND JUSTICE IF HE DOESN'T LIVE IN BLISS.