Comparisons With Other Philosophies

Comparing Epicurus With Other Philosophers - General Discussion

Discussion comparing the views of Epicurus with opposing philosophers and religions.
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Epicurean Mockery of Opposing Philosophers and Schools
Matteng April 24, 2026 at 9:34 AM
Studies on Epicurus' Influence on Marx
DaveT October 21, 2025 at 9:33 AM

Major Arguments Against Epicurean Philosophy And Responses To Them

Philosophical Doctrines can be difficult or impossible to understand without knowledge of the question they are intended to address. Arguments against Pleasure at the time of Epicurus occur in Plato's Philebus, Protarchus, and Gorgias (and other writers) as referenced in Gosling & Taylor's "The Greeks On Pleasure." We can also find evidence of them in later works, such as Cicero's "On Ends." The purpose of this thread is to organize these arguments and discuss the Epicurean response to each.
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Cicero's Argument That Epicureans Do Not Esteem Mental Pleasures
Cassius September 3, 2023 at 11:40 AM
Note on the Name "Philebus" As Used in Plato's "Philebus"
Elli October 24, 2019 at 5:12 PM

Epicurus vs. Pythagorus

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Epicurus vs Pythagorus - General
Bryan January 30, 2025 at 9:06 PM

Epicurus vs. Aristipus And The Cyreniacs

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Epicurus vs the Cyreniacs
Eikadistes February 3, 2026 at 9:19 PM
"Habeo non Habeor" (Associated With Aristippus?)
Cassius August 22, 2025 at 8:10 AM

Epicurus vs. Democritus And The Atomic Determinists

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Did Democritus Think That Atoms Can Be Alive?
TauPhi August 25, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Democritus' "Nothing is truly real but atoms and void" statement
Cassius October 5, 2022 at 7:58 PM

Epicurus vs. the Stoics (Zeno, Chrysippus, Cleanthes, Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius)

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Experiental Avoidance of Pain / Aversion to Pain
Don July 12, 2026 at 8:37 AM
Rebuttal to a Stoic who stated that "flourishing" would be a "better" goal of life than Pleasure
Cassius July 2, 2026 at 5:09 PM

Epicurus vs. Socrates, Plato, and the Academics

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Plato's Ladder of Beauty from his Symposium
Cassius April 22, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Nietzsche's "The Problem Of Socrates" (Consistent With The Epicurean Criticism of Socrates?)
Cassius March 15, 2026 at 7:34 AM

Epicurus vs Pantheism (SpInoza, Bruno, Et Al.)

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Was Bruno An Epicurean Or A Pantheist?
Cassius April 11, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Epicurus vs. Pantheism (Spinoza Et Al.) - General
Cassius April 11, 2025 at 10:31 AM

Epicurus vs. Aristotle and The Peripatetics

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Aristotle on Friendship (Article)
Kalosyni August 24, 2026 at 8:13 PM
A Full Comparison of Epicurus vs Aristotle
Don February 22, 2026 at 6:14 AM

Epicurus vs. Cicero and the Academic Skeptics (Arcesilaus, Carneades, and Philo)

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Cicero's "Academic Questions"
Cassius January 27, 2026 at 11:53 AM
Cicero’s Stoic Paradoxes - General
Cassius November 20, 2024 at 9:06 AM

Epicurus vs. Pyrrho And The Skeptics

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Ancient Greco-Roman Skepticism
Cassius August 31, 2023 at 10:31 AM

Epicurus vs. Plotinus and the Neo-Platonists

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NeoPlatonism Basics Relevant to the Study of Epicurus
Eggplant Wizard January 10, 2024 at 12:54 PM

Epicurus vs. Buddha and the Buddhists

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First-Beginnings in Lucretius Compared to Buddhist Dependent Origination
Kalosyni January 27, 2026 at 2:14 PM
2022 Epicurus vs Buddhism Compare and Contrast Thread
Eikadistes October 17, 2025 at 11:30 AM

Epicurus vs Abrahamic Religion (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)

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The dark Epicureanism in the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
kochiekoch February 16, 2026 at 8:19 PM
"You will not taste death: Jesus and Epicureanism" (Gospel of Thomas Thread)
mlinssen February 6, 2026 at 12:05 PM

Epicurus vs. Bentham and Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is generally considered to be "the greatest good for the greatest number." This forum is to compare Epicurus with the Utilitarians.
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Sidgwickianism - Henry Sidgwick and Utilitarian Analysis vs. Epicurus
Cassius May 18, 2026 at 7:34 PM
JAMES MILNE / MILL, Mentor of Frances Wright
Cassius May 14, 2020 at 3:57 PM

Epicurus vs. Schopenhauer

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Epicurus vs Schopenhauer - Orientation Discussion
Elli June 12, 2026 at 7:59 AM

Epicurus vs. Humanism

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Epicurean Philosophy Vs. Humanism
Cassius November 22, 2023 at 2:47 PM
Article: Nietzsche's Overcoming of Humanism - Kuldasi
Cassius September 14, 2021 at 11:27 AM

Epicurus vs. Kant and Modern Idealism

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Video on Nietzsche's Criticisms of Kant
Cassius June 9, 2026 at 5:08 AM
Epicurus vs Kant and Modern Idealism - Introduction
Eikadistes April 9, 2026 at 8:16 PM

Epicurean Philosophy vs. Albert Camus and Absurdism

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The Absurdity of Absurdism (?)
Cassius July 5, 2024 at 11:00 PM

Epicurean Philosophy vs. Sartre and Existentialism

Subforum devoted to distinguishing Epicurus from Existentialism / Nihilism
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Nihilism and Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons"
Cassius April 20, 2023 at 6:32 AM
General / Opening - Comments on Existentialism / Nihilism
Mike Anyayahan January 4, 2020 at 12:50 AM

Epicurean Philosophy vs. "Scientism"

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Epicureanism and Scientism: What are the main differences?
Kalosyni July 25, 2024 at 9:23 AM
The Scientism Subforum
Cassius July 20, 2024 at 9:48 AM

Notable Opponents of Epicurean Philosophy

Use this forum for discussions of people who denounced or opposed Epicurean philosophy.
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Thomas More and his "Utopia"
Cassius September 1, 2023 at 8:00 PM
Posidonius - The Stoic Astrologer
Cassius August 29, 2023 at 10:02 AM

Epicurus vs David Hume

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Epicurus vs Ayn Rand / Objectivism

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Why And How Epicurus Would Disagree With Ayn Rand / Objectivism - General Thread
Cassius October 18, 2025 at 3:30 PM

Finding Things At EpicureanFriends.com

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