Description
Oxford University Press Epicureanism A Very Short Introduction by Catherine Wilson
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. Salient FeaturesProvides readers with a sense of the influence of Epicureanism and its ideas on philosophical thought across the centuries Demonstrates how Epicureanism's message of 'civilized moderation' remains relevant today Places Epicureanism within the context of its rival views: Stoicism and Kantian ethics Part of the bestselling Very Short Introductions series - over seven million copies sold worldwide