Epicurus



Epicurus was born on 341 B.C. in Samos, Greece. He studied philosophy under the Platonist teacher Pamphilus for four years. At the age of 19 he went to Athens for his two years of military service. He then learned Nausiphanes, who taught him the teachings of Democritus. Epicurus went to Athens, where he found a school. Which he then, bought the land there and found it's name to be The Garden. The Garden was a school of Philosophy. Epicurus didn't really have a tough life during his childhood, unlike other philosophers. Epicurus was a Greek philosopher. His teachings drifted from the other major Greek thinkers of his time, but had similarities with Democritus. He was very much like Democritus which, believed that the world is made up of indivisible little bits of matter flying through space.Epicurus was among the first Greeks to break the God fearing and God worship traditions prevalent at that time. Epicurus died in 270 B.C. in Athens Greece.Epicurus suffered from kidney stones and finally succumbed to it in 270 B.C.. He was 72 years old when he died. He was also never married therefore' having no kids.

Philosophy
Epicurus emphasized that the pleasurable results of an action must always be weighed against it's possible side effects. He believed that the pleasurable result in the short term must be weighed against the possibility of a greater, more lasting, or more intense pleasure in the long term. He thought that the world is made up of indivisible little bits of matter flying through space. To Epicurus everything occurring or happening in the world is due to colliding, rebounding and entangling of atoms which have no plan or purpose behind their actions. In the book, Sophie's World it stated on packet 6, page 226, paragraph 11. "About the same time, Marx had written a doctoral thesis on Democritus and Epicurus--in other words, on the materialism of antiquity.

5 Quotes
"If God listened to the prayers of men, all men would quickly have perished: for they are forever praying for evil against one another."

"It is better for you to be free of fear lying upon a pallet, than to have a golden couch and a rich table and be full of trouble."

"The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool."

"The time when most of you should withdraw into yourself is when you are forced to be in a crowd."

"It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself."

3 Famous Works
Epicurus found the principles of Epicurean philosophy. Which, led the foundation of ethics in Ancient Greece with his theory of "Ethic of Reciprocit. He was also in the military service.