Welcome new user Ataraxia

SUNDAY WEEKLY ZOOM - 12:30 PM EDT - Book Review: De Rerum Natura by Lucretius -- Read the post for our December 7, 2025 meeting -- or find out how to attend.

 

    Welcome Ataraxia ! When you get a chance please introduce yourself and tell us about your background and interest in Epicurus. It would be helpful also if you could include how you found the EpicureanFriends forum, as that would help with our publicity efforts in the future.

    Hi, everyone! It's nice to find this forum! Apologies for registering and dropping off for a bit - my time and energy tend to be somewhat limited, so I'll likely be lurkier than I am posty, as it were.

    I read the request to new members stickied above, so to give an idea, my own knowledge of Epicureanism is probably more basic than many here, and I haven't really been actively involved in philosophy anywhere for about a year now. That said, it obviously appeals and my own philosophic background leans heavily on existentialism, with Epicureanism being sort of a cornerstone, along with infamous grouches like Schopenhauer, Sartre, Dostoevsky and Nietzsche.

    On physics and epistemology, I don't quite know what to say, but the fact that Epicurean physics and epistemology kind of anticipate (sub)atomic theory, materialist secularism and empiricism while, I think, offering an additional and necessary component in an ethical and kind of metaphysical aspect, i.e. a framework for living and for dealing with human concerns in this life such as fear of mortality and clinging to superstitions as maladaptions, etc.... is a large part of the appeal.

    Hopefully that made some sense. Lately I have been rather despairing about the state and probable future of the world and, since practice or belief centering anything supernatural or transcendent doesn't work for me, have turned back to Lucretius for some Big Picture Comfort™. I thought to look for a community of likeminded Epicureanish folks, and here I am.

    Also! Hey! How on earth was this username not taken? I hit the signup button so certain I'd be kicked back to try again.

    Glad to have you Ataraxia and thank you for posting!

    On the user name I probably should have put that on some kind of list to prevent it from being taken (hey I better do that for Epicurus!!!!) but since you claimed Ataraxia first then you get the gold star!

    Do you mind saying how you came across the forum? Reddit/Facebook/Twitter or some other way? That would help in our outreach efforts.

    Thank you again for posting and I look forward to getting to know you better.

    Haha, thank you! I was genuinely surprised to get this username, but I have used it before, so I'm kind of glad. It feels cozy.

    I found this forum through a Duckduckgo search, but came across links pointing this way on Reddit at the same time. It looked like the most active Epicurean forum, at a glance.

    (Also, argh, now I'm thinking of things I wanted to add or clarify in the above post, but don't have the time or attention at the moment. Ah, well, suffice it so say I can nerd out more.)

    Thanks for the info! Last question for now: Are you based in the USA, or what country? (or at least hemisphere ;) ) That's something i also like to keep track of for purposes of planning online "meetings" so as to pick reasonable times of day.

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