Epicureanism

Under Epicureanism refers on the one hand the doctrine of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (ca. 341-270 BC), on the other hand, the school tradition of his followers, the Epicureans, and in the broadest sense, oriented towards Epicurus' teachings of living. Called The ancient Epicureanism, also κῆπος ( Kepos, " garden " ), was - in addition to the Stoa, the Academy and the Peripatetics - one of the four major philosophical schools that have the intellectual life of the post-classical antiquity largely determined.

Epicurus and Epicureanism

Although the school tradition on Epicureanism subsequently files to the third century AD, its teaching content hardly changed (unlike the other schools of philosophy ) in the course of its long history. New lessons learned, as in physics, were not incorporated into the teaching, the Epicureans was even a certain fearful dogmatism rumored ( ποῦ κεῖται, - " Where is it? " Is the typical question of the followers of Epicurus have been ). This may be due, among other things also that Epicurus his physics had assigned the task especially the people to understand that every seemingly supernatural phenomenon can be explained in a natural way yet. When alleged "miracles" he contented himself usually so "natural " to offer several explanations, without having to opt for the "right". In Scripture, the Roman Lucretius ( de rerum natura, " From the nature of things " ) are several examples of such a process. In a frequently used allegorical interpretation of the term " garden ", it states that soil of the garden ask the canonic of Epicurus is, the fence, the physics, the fruits but the ethics. A primacy of ethics can be found, although more or less in all the schools of philosophy since the " Socratic turn" (see Socrates ), but in the other teaching buildings physics was reduced to a not so decidedly protective and defensive function. Epicurus sought after peace of mind ( ataraxia ) and pleasure ( Hedone ).

Effective history

Lucretius ( 99-56 BC), who announced the Epicureanism as a kind of doctrine of salvation, made the teachings of Epicurus in Rome at home. Epicureanism Roman coinage developed so far its own appearance, as his followers, the rule of life "Live in secret " is not necessarily strictly followed. Even with Lucretius, critical remarks see on the political elites of his time, and by some politically active Romans has survived, they were influenced by Epicureanism ( such as Cassius, one of the main conspirators against Caesar ). The poet Horace refers Although himself as " Epicuri de grege porcus " ( " pig from the herd of Epicurus ," Epistles 1, 4, 16 ), but later finds, in the context of Augustan renewal to more state-supporting positions. The Roman philosopher Seneca (ca. 4 BC to 65 AD), whose philosophy is required in the first line of the Stoics, Epicurus still often quoted and commented on it often benevolent. Some Roman emperors, including Marcus Aurelius ( 121-180 AD), the Epicurean school have promoted. Overall, the Epicureanism for residents of the Roman Empire seems to have been just particularly attractive in times of political crisis. An exceptional witness to the survival of Epicureanism in the Roman Empire until the third century AD in the monumental inscription of Diogenes of Oinoanda.

With the advent of Christianity, Epicureanism was increasingly discredited. Many early church fathers (eg Eusebius, Origen ) polemicised violently against the teachings of Epicurus because of their alleged atheism and unbridled hedonism. While there have been attempts to harmonize the teachings of the Stoics with Christianity, Epicureanism appeared to be totally incompatible with basic Christian positions. At least in the reign of Emperor Constantine ( 306-337 AD) was extinguished the active Epicurean teaching tradition. However, in medieval times the memory of Epicurus is still alive ( see, eg, Carmina Burana, carmen 211). Even in later times have writers and thinkers who advocated "free life " and hedonism, forever appealing to Epicurus.