The Epicureans were founded in Athens by Epicurus, born 341 BC in Samos. He went to Athens when 18 at the time of Alexander’s death, and died in 271 BC.
He lived a simple life and thrilled with simple pleasures, wrote 300 books, and suffered all his life from ill health. He is the first to say that a man could be happy on the rack.
The objective of the doctrine is to secure tranquillity. Pleasure is the “good” – ie taste, hearing, sight and love. The best of all good is the pleasure of the stomach. Pleasures of the mind are merely contemplations of pleasures of the body.
Virtue is meaningless unless it means prudence in the pursuit of pleasure. Justice is merely acting to avoid the fear of another man’s resentment. This provides the origin of society – the “Social Contract”.
Epicurus favoured static pleasure, in equilibrium, rather than dynamic pleasure which required moving from a state of relative discomfort. It was man’s goal to reach an equilibrium with no pain or discomfort, rather than pursuing more fleeting violent joys. Eat and drink moderately.
A desire for wealth and status is futile as it will create restlessness, when one might be content. Avoid public life – it renders peace of mind impossible. The greatest good is prudence. Philosophy is only a means to secure a happy life – it only requires common sense. Live unnoticed, so as to have no enemies.
Avoid fear above all. Reject superstitious and religious fear of punishment after death. Death is nothing to us. If there are gods, then they do not trouble themselves with insignificant human affairs.
Sexual love is unlikely to do good, and more likely to do harm. The safest social pleasure is friendship.
The doctrine survived 600 years, but for uneducated men Christianity offered greater solace to their innate fear of death.