What does epicureanism mean?
Definitions for epicureanism
ˌɛp ɪ kyʊˈri əˌnɪz əm, -ˈkyʊər i-; ˈɛp ɪ kyʊˌrɪz əm, ˌɛp ɪˈkyʊər ɪz əmepi·cure·anism
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word epicureanism.
Princeton's WordNet
epicureanismnoun
a doctrine of hedonism that was defended by several ancient Greek philosophers
Wiktionary
Epicureanismnoun
A system of philosophy based upon the teachings of Epicurus (c. 340–c. 270 BC).
Epicureanismnoun
A love or knowledge of enjoyment, especially of good food and drink.
Wikipedia
Epicureanism
Epicureanism is a system of philosophy founded around 307 BC based upon the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus. Epicurus was an atomic materialist, following in the steps of Democritus. His materialism led him to a general attack on superstition and divine intervention. Epicureanism was originally a challenge to Platonism. Later its main opponent became Stoicism. Although Epicureanism is a form of hedonism insofar as it declares pleasure to be its sole intrinsic goal, the concept that the absence of pain and fear constitutes the greatest pleasure, and its advocacy of a simple life, make it very different from "hedonism" as colloquially understood. Following the Cyrenaic philosopher Aristippus, Epicurus believed that the greatest good was to seek modest, sustainable pleasure in the form of a state of ataraxia (tranquility and freedom from fear) and aponia (the absence of bodily pain) through knowledge of the workings of the world and limiting desires. Correspondingly, Epicurus and his followers generally withdrew from politics because it could lead to frustrations and ambitions that would conflict with their pursuit of virtue and peace of mind.Few writings by Epicurus have survived. Diogenes Laërtius preserves three letters written by Epicurus as well as a list of the Principal Doctrines of Epicureanism. However, there are independent attestations of his ideas from his later disciples. The epic poem De rerum natura (Latin for On the Nature of Things) by Lucretius presents the core arguments and theories of Epicureanism in one unified work. Many Epicurean texts have also been found on scrolls unearthed at the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum, mostly works written by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus or his teacher Zeno of Sidon along with fragments of works by Epicurus himself. Diogenes of Oenoanda, a wealthy Epicurean in the 2nd century AD, had a portico wall inscribed with tenets of the philosophy erected in Oenoanda, Lycia (present day Turkey). Epicureanism flourished in the Late Hellenistic era and during the Roman era, and many Epicurean communities were established in places such as Antioch, Alexandria, Rhodes, and Herculaneum, but by the late 3rd century AD Epicureanism all but died out, being opposed by other philosophies (mainly Neoplatonism) that were then in the ascendant. Interest in Epicureanism was resurrected in the Age of Enlightenment and continues in the modern era.
ChatGPT
epicureanism
Epicureanism is an ancient Greek philosophical system founded by Epicurus around the 4th century BC. It teaches that the greatest good is to seek modest, sustainable pleasure in the form of a state of tranquility, freedom from fear, and absence from bodily pain. This philosophy advocates for a life of peace and contentment, promoting the pursuit of intellectual happiness over physical pleasure. It also embraces the concept of death as the end of the sensory experience, therefore, not to be feared. Epicureanism often emphasizes friendships as an important ingredient of happiness.
Webster Dictionary
Epicureanismnoun
attachment to the doctrines of Epicurus; the principles or belief of Epicurus
Wikidata
Epicureanism
Epicureanism is a system of philosophy based upon the teachings of Epicurus, founded around 307 BC. Epicurus was an atomic materialist, following in the steps of Democritus. His materialism led him to a general attack on superstition and divine intervention. Following Aristippus—about whom very little is known—Epicurus believed that what he called "pleasure" is the greatest good, but the way to attain such pleasure is to live modestly and to gain knowledge of the workings of the world and the limits of one's desires. This led one to attain a state of tranquility and freedom from fear, as well as absence of bodily pain. The combination of these two states is supposed to constitute happiness in its highest form. Although Epicureanism is a form of hedonism, insofar as it declares pleasure to be the sole intrinsic good, its conception of absence of pain as the greatest pleasure and its advocacy of a simple life make it different from "hedonism" as it is commonly understood. Epicureanism was originally a challenge to Platonism, though later it became the main opponent of Stoicism. Epicurus and his followers shunned politics. After the death of Epicurus, his school was headed by Hermarchus; later many Epicurean societies flourished in the Late Hellenistic era and during the Roman era. Its best-known Roman proponent was the poet Lucretius. By the end of the Roman Empire, being opposed by philosophies that were now in the ascendance, Epicureanism had all but died out, and would be resurrected in the 17th century by the atomist Pierre Gassendi, who adapted it to the Christian doctrine.
Matched Categories
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of epicureanism in Chaldean Numerology is: 8
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of epicureanism in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for epicureanism
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- thuyết sử thiVietnamese
Get even more translations for epicureanism »
Translation
Find a translation for the epicureanism definition in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Word of the Day
Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?
Citation
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"epicureanism." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/epicureanism>.
Discuss these epicureanism definitions with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In