I included my Personal Outline in the Foreword of the First Edition of The Hedonicon, but I wanted to share it here, as well:
ETHIKON (ethics) — HEDONISM (“HΔONHN EINAI TEΛOΣ” X.11) “Pleasure is the Goal...”
PHYSIKON (physics) — ATOMISM (“TO ΠAN EΣTI ΣΩMATA KAI KENON” X.47) “The universe is bodies and void...”
KANONIKON (canonics) — SENSUALISM (“THΣ AΛHΘEIAΣ EINAI TAΣ AIΣΘHΣEIΣ” X.31) “The truth is the sensations...”
Epicurus teaches that an unceasing study of nature (ΦYΣIOΛOΓIAΣ o r physiologías) is integral to achieving the ultimate goal (TEΛOΣ or télos) of sustaining an existence that is both blessed (MAKAPIOΣ or makarios) and incorruptible (AΦΘAΡTΟΣ or aphthartós). His teachings aim to dispel the universal fear (ΦOBOΣ or phóbos) of death (ΘANATOΣ or thanatos) by empowering each of us to secure a pleasant life (BIOΣ orbíos) without the troubles (ΠPAΓMATA or pragmata) of excessive anger (ΟΡΓH or orgḗ), confusion (TAPAXH or tarakhḗ), sickness ( or ), and sadness (ΛYΠOYMENON or lypoúmenon); he hopes for joy (XAPA or khara) and good cheer (EYΦPOΣYNH or eùphrosúnē). The Patron of Pleasure prescribes a practice for maximizing the serenity (AΠONIA or aponía) of the flesh (ΣAPΞ or sarx) and for magnifying the tranquility (ATAPAΞIA or ataraxía) of the mind (ΔIANOIAΣ or dianoias).
Epicurus teaches that “Truth” (AΛHΘEIA or Alḗtheia) is a true belief (ΔOΞA or dóxa) about the nature (ΦYΣIΣ or phúsis) of “The All” (TO ΠAN or to pan) or “the universe”. He rationalizes that we live in an infinite void (KENOΣ or kenós) containing a boundless (AΠEIPOΣ or âpeiros) plethora of imperishable particles (ATOMOI or atomoí) that forever fall through the eternal heavens (OYPANOY or oúranoû) endlessly enlacing to form innumerable worlds (KOΣMOI or kósmoi) and countless creatures (ZῼΩN or zṓiōn). He recognizes a universal standard (KANΩN or kanṓn) of truth that includes [1] Sensations (AIΣΘHΣIΣ or aísthēsis), [2] Impressions (ΠPOΛEΠΣIΣ or prólēpsis), and the criterion of [3] Feeling (ΠAΘH or pathē) that discerns The Good (TAΓAΘΩN or Tagathōn) of pleasure from the evil (KAKΩN or kakôn) of pain (AΛΓOS or algos).
Epicurus teaches a philosophy (ΦIΛOΣOΦIA o r philosophíā) that exercises frank criticism (ΠAPPHΣIA or parrhesía) and prioritizes natural (ΦYΣIKAI or phusikai) and necessary (ANAΓKAIAI o r anankaîai) desires (EΠIΘYMIΩN or epithymiôn) above vain beliefs (ΚEΝΗΝ ΔΟΞAΝ or kenḕn dóxas) based upon comparative analysis (ΣYMMETPHΣIΣ or symmétrēsis). He contends that the virtues (APETAI or aretaí), including self-sufficiency (AYTAPKEIA or aûtarkeia), security (AΣΦAΛEIA or asphaleia), honor (KAΛΩΣ or kalôs), courage (ΘAPPEIN or tharreîn), and prudence (ΦPONHΣIΣ or phrónēsis) are instrumental to a life of happiness (EYΔAIMONIA or eudaimoníā), for without virtue, there can be no pleasure. Tranquility is the greatest product of justice (ΔIKAIOΣ or díkaios) and security is the greatest product of friendship (ΦIΛIA or philía, the greatest pleasure).
Epicurus teaches that the spiritual practices of gratitude (EYXAPIΣTIA or eukharistía), faith (ΠIΣTIΣ or pístis), and piety (OΣIOTHTOΣ or hosiótētos) provide psychological value to the mortal soul (ΨYXH or psykhḗ). He insists upon the remembrance (MNHMH or mnḗmē) that the soul dies with the body; we only live once; no one is given life to own; we all hold but a lease. The future is neither ours, nor is it wholly not ours, thus, we should neither count on it with despotic certainty, nor abandon hope for it out of spite. Epicurus encourages us to embrace the belief that a god (ΘEOΣ or theós) has better things to do than stage the petty human drama. The divine nature (ΘEIA ΦYΣIΣ or theía phúsis), being sublime (YΨHΛON or hypsēlon), marvelous (AΦPAΣTON or aphraston), dignified (ΣEMNOTATON or semnótaton), and blameless (IΛEΩN o r hīĺ eōn) would never be burdened with the responsibilities of reviewing prayers (EYXAI or eukhaí) and distributing pain, nor trouble itself to supervise the wind, nor bother to regulate the rain, nor suffer the sting of an endless string of cries and complaints.
No deity is needed to know the nature of things, only the subtle science that observes the stirrings of the swerving (ΠΑΡΕΓΚΛΙTIKEN or parenklitikên) firstlings, the primal seeds of substance, the basic, begetting bodies, those smallest, oldest, fastest, strongest motes of matter.
