My video summary of Epicurean philosophy

    Hello everyone,


    I hope everyone is having a pleasant day. I have created a YouTube video speaking about Epicurean philosophy. It is very much ad hoc and meant to peak peoples interest to research our philosophy.

    I hope it may help even one person look deeper into Epicureanism.


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    Great video and welcome back Eoghan! Here is the comment I posted under it at Facebook


    This is a great video and many thanks to Eoghan for taking the time to produce it. Everyone who gets into Epicurean philosophy ought to spend some time thinking about how they would present it like Eoghan has here. Before the admins approved the post it was reviewed and two minor comments are worth making:


    First, Eoghan mentions "Utilitarianism" as an offspring of Epicurus' philosophy, but as that term is generally used, "Utilitarianism" is generally interpreted to replace pleasure as a feeling of the individual with the abstraction of some kind of (allegedly) "objectively" measured sum of pleasure of the many. This breaks the consistency of and is different from Epicurus' philosophy, so there is a very important distinction there to keep in mind.


    Also, at the very end of the video Eoghan references his own book recommendations. Everyone has books they like best, but for new readers please also keep in mind Norman DeWitt's "Epicurus and His Philosophy," which is probably the best and most sweeping introduction to Epicurus available. Also, the book "Epicurus and the Pleasant Life" by Haris Dimitriadis of this group is good, and there are many others as well. But for the most sweeping and sympathetic introduction to the philosophy be sure to check out DeWitt as soon as possible in your reading.


    But the most important comment to make is that this is a very well done summary! It doesn't get bogged down in many of the typical "rabbit holes" that divert attention from the big picture, and it's really valuable to see someone present it intelligently. Thanks again Eoghan for taking the time to put this together.

Key Discussions Table

Physics: Canonics: Ethics:
Materiality:  Ultimate Particles and Void
 The Three Components of The Epicurean Canon Pleasure As the Highest Good
Epicurean Gods And Life Elsewhere In The Universe
 Epicurean Logic And Reason Virtue As Instrumental To Pleasure
The Impossibility of Life After Death
 The Trustworthiness of the Senses The Relationship of Pleasure To Absence of Pain And Disturbance
The Existence of "the Swerve"
 Knowledge And Truth Emotion In Epicurean Philosophy
The Universe As Eternal In Time
 The Significance of "Images" Engagement With The Non-Epicurean World
The Universe As Infinite In Space
Agency / Free Will
The Universe As Having No Center
Friendship in Epicurean Philosophy
The Impossibility of Infinite Divisibility
 Justice in Epicurean Philosophy

Dealing With Adversity