Epicurus (Ἐπίκουρος, Epikouros, “ally, comrade”; 341 BCE – 270 BCE)

 
 
I never really knew where the term epicurean came from. So anyway it seems that it came from a Greek philosopher called Epicurus.

“His philosophy was to attain the happy, tranquil life, characterized by “atraxia”, peace and freedom from fear, and “aponia”, the absence of pain, and by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends.

He taught that pleasure and pain are the measures of what is good and evil, that death is the end of the body and the soul and should therefore not be feared, that the gods do not reward or punish humans, that the universe is infinite and eternal, and that events in the world are ultimately based on the motions and interactions of atoms moving in empty space.” (Wikipedia)

Hey I thought I was an Agnostic but I think I am an Epicurean!

Epicurus’ school, was based in the garden of his house and called……. “The Garden”….. anyone identify with that? He insisted that nothing should be believed, except that which was tested through direct observation and logical deduction. Many of his ideas about nature and physics influenced important scientific concepts of our time. He didn’t over do it either but was a vegetarian and lived a simple but abundant life…..