Epicurus: Biography, Achievements & Lasting Legacy

Epicurus (, EH-pih-KURE-əs; Ancient Greek: Ἐπίκουρος Epikouros; 341–270 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher who founded Epicureanism, a highly influential school of philosophy; which taught that management of one's desires, removal of unnecessary fears (summarized in the Tetrapharmakos below), friendship, and virtuous living led to a pleasant life and constant happiness, the highest good. Epicureans also were generally evangelical, as seen by later followers like Diogenes of Oenoanda and Lucretius and were known for their missionary nature, including carrying around pamphlets for any potential convert.

Epicurus advocated that people were best able to pursue philosophy by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends; he and his followers were known for eating simple meals and discussing a wide range of philosophical subjects at "The Garden", the school he established in Athens. Epicurus taught that although the gods exist, they have no involvement in human affairs. Like the earlier philosopher Democritus, Epicurus claimed that all occurrences in the natural world are ultimately the result of tiny, invisible particles known as atoms moving and interacting in empty space, though Epicurus also deviated from Democritus by proposing the idea of atomic "swerve", which holds that atoms may deviate from their expected course, thus permitting humans to possess free will in an otherwise deterministic universe.

Of the over 300 works said to have been written by Epicurus about various subjects, the vast majority have been lost. Only a few letters and a collection of quotes—the Principal Doctrines—have survived intact, along with several fragments of his other writings, such as his major work On Nature; most knowledge about his philosophy is due to later authors.

Epicureanism reached the height of its popularity during the late years of the Roman Republic, but by late antiquity, it had died out. Throughout the Middle Ages, Epicurus was popularly, though inaccurately, remembered as a patron of drunkards, whoremongers, and gluttons. His teachings gradually became more widely known in the fifteenth century with the rediscovery of important texts, but his ideas did not become acceptable until the seventeenth century, when the French Catholic priest Pierre Gassendi revived a modified version of them, which was promoted by other writers, including Walter Charleton and Robert Boyle. His influence grew considerably during and after the Enlightenment, impacting the ideas of major thinkers, including John Locke and Karl Marx.