Epicurus was born in 341 B.C. in Samos, an island colony of Athens in the Mediterranean
Sea. Since his father was a schoolteacher, Epicurus received a proper traditional Greek
education in rhetoric, poetry, and music. As a child, Epicurus became interested in
philosophy and began studying different theories. The ideas of Democritus particularly inspired
Early Life
him. Democritus had developed a theory of atoms, tiny, indivisible particles
of matter, and Epicurus saw in this a way out of superstitious beliefs in gods, spirits, and fate.
At 18, he went to Athens for his two years of military service. visiting Athens,
a city renowned worldwide as the cradle of philosophy, greatly influenced the young Epicurus.
When he was about 20 years old, he moved to Colophon, a city in modern-day Turkey,
to join his family who had been exiled from Samos. During this period, Epicurus traveled, studied,
and developed his unique philosophical views. at the age of 32, Epicurus embarked on his
teaching career first at Mytilene and subsequently at Lampsacus. His theories on atoms, however,
caused so much controversy that he was forced to flee. As a result,
Epicurus sought refuge in Athens, hoping to find more tolerance for his unconventional ideas.
At the time, Athens was the vibrant center of the philosophical world,
making it a natural choice for a man such as Epicurus. However, as a foreigner,
Epicurus found life in Athens challenging. The Athenians had become weary of philosophers who
came from all over the world to question their religion and insult their gods. They made a law
that only proper Athenian citizens could teach philosophy in Athens. Foreigners like Epicurus
were allowed to work but expected to keep their opinions to themselves in public places.
to tackle this Challenge, Epicurus bought a small property just outside of Athens where
he established his school. it was named simply ‘The Garden’. the garden served as a testing
ground for his central philosophical query: ‘How to be happy?’ In truth, Epicurus introduced
How to be Happy
more than just a school or a community to Athens; he brought an entire way of life.
when people heard that Epicurus had established a school focused on the pursuit of happiness,
the rumors started flying and he became the talk of the town.
One critic claimed the school hosted grand parties and had nightly sexcapades. Another
spoke about Epicurus having 18 orgasms in a single night in a bed full of virgins.
Of course, they were just lies. In fact, these and other rumors were started by the Stoics,
who were a rival school of philosophy to the Epicureans. and It’s because of such
gossip that we still sometimes use the adjective ‘Epicurean’ to describe luxury and decadence.
Epicurus was focused on happiness and pleasure; yes, he was a hedonist,
meaning he believed that what is pleasurable is morally good and what is painful is morally
evil. But if anything, he was an ascetic who thought that pleasures and good food
have a negative effect on happiness. For the most part, his basic food consisted of bread,
olives, and a slice of cheese now and then. As for clothing, he only owns two cloaks.
So, what was Epicurus’s answer to his question on “How to be happy?”
Epicurus believed that pleasure is simply the absence of pain. If we can reach a state of mind
where all pain is totally absent, then we call this state ‘happiness’. What are the sources of
pain? Let’s examine these five elements Epicurus identified that contribute to our unhappiness
1. Expectations At the basis of Epicureanism
Expectations
lies a trick. Epicurus suggests that instead of having high expectations and then having them
shattered by unforeseen circumstances, you should lower your expectations so that most
of what can happen will be better than what you expect. High expectations often set the
stage for disappointment. For example, imagine a flawless Sunday, an ideal birthday, or a perfect
Christmas and you have probably ruined your Sunday, your birthday, and your Christmas.
Bad Luck
2. Bad Luck Epicurus writes:
“The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool.”
For Epicurus, being wise means being in control of one’s desires, and the ability
to lead a rational, and measured life. In such a life, misfortune has little meaning,
because the happiness of a wise person does not depend on good fortune or luck. Even catastrophic
events would not affect a person who does not depend on worldly material to be happy.
On the other hand, a prosperous fool is still a fool: they will always want more,
and they will always be unhappy about their present situation.
3. Fear of death Epicurus emphasizes that,
Fear of Death
in a world that works according to physical laws, nobody ought to be afraid
of either the gods or one’s own death. He writes: “Death does not concern us,
because as long as we exist, death is not here. And when it does come, we no longer exist.”
Is this argument convincing enough? In an atomistic universe, like Epicurus sees
the world, death would be nothing but the dissolution of the body into individual
atoms that would go on to form new things. Consciousness would cease with death. Therefore,
we wouldn’t be able to perceive our own death, and there would be no afterlife to experience.
4. Relationships People are just as
Relationships
obsessed with romantic relationships now, as they were back in the olden days. However,
Epicurus observed that love and happiness seldom coexist. He also strongly believed that marriage
was not essential for achieving happiness, and declared it was better to be joyously
single or divorced than to be unhappily married. Epicurus advocated that true happiness could only
be obtained through friendship, stating, “Of all the means which are procured by wisdom to ensure
happiness throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.”
5. Material possessions Epicurus made the point
Material possessions
that we don’t need an excessive amount of material things or technology to be happy.
He believed that instead of accumulating wealth, one should try to live a simple
life and find joy in things like friends, the pleasures of work, and philosophy.
Indeed, Epicurus and his disciples practiced this philosophy every day in The Garden. they
lived simple and frugal lives. They engaged in intellectual conversations, meditated,
and sought to create a community based on friendship and mutual support. and unlike
other Athenian philosophy schools, “The Garden” was open to women and slaves.
Epicurus had no heirs or sons as he never married in his life. He was 72 at the time of his death.
Epicurus’ ideas on the pursuit of happiness and the significance of intellectual pleasures
greatly influenced thinkers such as John Stuart Mill and Thomas Jefferson.
Karl Marx wrote his Ph.D. thesis on Epicurus, and and one could argue that
what we know as communism, is a scaled-up, corrupted version of Epicurean societies.
epicurus’ materialist views have influenced modern scientists and thinkers. and Even today,
the teachings of Epicurus continue to pursue happiness through simplicity,
intellectual endeavors, and friendship.