Epicureanism: A Very Short Introduction

Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press UK (2015)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Epicureanism is commonly associated with a carefree view of life and the pursuit of pleasures, particularly the pleasures of the table. However it was a complex and distinctive system of philosophy that emphasized simplicity and moderation, and considered nature to consist of atoms and the void. Epicureanism is a school of thought whose legacy continues to reverberate today.In this Very Short Introduction, Catherine Wilson explains the key ideas of the School, comparing them with those of the rival Stoics and with Kantian ethics, and tracing their influence on the development of scientific and political thought from Locke, Newton, and Galileo to Rousseau, Marx, Bentham, and Mill. She discusses the adoption and adaptation of Epicurean motifs in science, morality, and politics from the 17th Century onwards and contextualises the significance of Epicureanism in modern life. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 103,486

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Galileo: A Very Short Introduction.Stillman Drake - 2001 - Oxford University Press.
Hume: a very short introduction.James A. Harris - 2021 - Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Existentialism: A Very Short Introduction.Thomas R. Flynn - 2006 - New York: Oxford University Press UK.
French philosophy: a very short introduction.Stephen Gaukroger - 2020 - Oxford: Oxford University Press. Edited by Knox Peden.
Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction.P. H. Matthews - 2003 - Oxford University Press UK.
Medieval Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction.John Marenbon - 2016 - Oxford: Oxford University Press UK.
God: A Very Short Introduction.John Bowker - 2014 - Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press UK.
Engels: A Very Short Introduction.Terrell Carver - 2003 - Oxford University Press.

Analytics

Added to PP
2015-10-14

Downloads
23 (#997,657)

6 months
6 (#622,431)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Catherine Wilson
The Graduate Center, CUNY

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references