Who to believe?

Quote from ThinkingCat

“what does it mean to you personally to be epicurean in 30 words or less?”

To be wise enough to know what I need and strong enough to avoid the rest. To live pleasurably among people I love and be pleasant to live with.

Quote from ThinkingCat

Wow, these responses are very inspiring, a treasure trove! I’m off to read dewitt!

After introductory text like DeWitt's book I highly recommend going to the source material which Eikadistes listed above. This way you'll have general idea what's what and your own, unfiltered exposure to Epicurean texts. And if you find yourself liking all that, there's plenty more to enjoy later on. Have fun.

Quote from TauPhi

I highly recommend going to the source material which Nate listed above.

Agreed. An early read through the actual texts was my introduction after discovering Epicureanism through mentions in Stoic material (like Marcus Aurelius and Seneca) and in neo-Stoic materials. Also Alain De Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy. I don't recommend those, that's just where I heard about Epicurus.

For me, I moved directly into Diogenes Laertius 's book 10 devoted to Epicurus as my entry to the philosophy. Then Lucretius...etc. Let Epicurus and the Ancient Epicureans speak for themselves, then move into commentary.

That said, Emily Austin's book is the most accessible short introduction to the philosophy available now in my opinion.

Also worth noting is that it is not hard to decide which approach works best for you. Read Chapter One of Dewitt and Chapter One of Austin and you will quickly determine which style best suits you personally.

When I get asked the question next time about "which book to read first" I am going to expand it further by including "A Few Days In Athens" in the list.

Unfortunately for AFDIA, chapter one is probably the least interesting of the whole book. However it does convey, in a 19th century "flowery" way, that what follows is an interesting fictional story, and sometimes people are in the mind to be told an action story rather than just reading non-fiction all the time. And what AFDIA has going for it is that after you get past the first chapter, it does pack in a lot of thought-provoking material about key issues about how Epicurus contrasts with Stoicism, so I think it's well worth reading and probably conveys a better sense of the "earnestness" of the ancient school and some of it's less-talked-about-but-still-important issues than a lot of people give it credit for.

It would be nice to expand the list further and say "read at least the first couple of pages of Lucretius" but I have yet to find many people who aren't thrown into confusion by the many translation and poetry and topic issues that are involved in getting started with it. Lucretius ends up being probably the most reliable of all sources on the full scope of the philosophy, but the hardest to take in on first reading.

On topic of which book to read first, I found this article by Gregory Sadler and I think it can be very beneficial for anyone looking for Epicurean reading list to start their study of the philosophy. Mr Sadler not only gives comprehensive list of ancient texts but also explains what these texts contain in regard to Epicurean philosophy.

Epicureanism Reading Recommendations

what books and authors are key for studying this classical philosophical school?

medium.com

I was just about ready to post a cautionary warning about referencing Greg Sadler (as he is a leader in modern Stoicism) but then:

1 - I checked the artice linked, and yes it is indeed a good comprehensive list of the surviving texts, and

2 - How can I criticize someone who writes?

So yes Greg Sadler's article is a good list of sources - I just don't recommend you follow him too closely on his views on Stoicism.

Quote from Cassius

So yes Greg Sadler's article is a good list of sources - I just don't recommend you follow him too closely on his views on Stoicism.

I've already did my research on Stoicism in the past and I can confidently say it's not for me. I don't regret doing the research, though. And even if Greg Sadler were the incarnation of Lucifer himself, I'd still recommend his article as he did a great job there.

For me, Epicureanism is about: trying to be free from superstitions, looking for and enjoying satisfaction, recognizing everyday joys as well as identifying the sources of memorable pleasures. It's also to see life as a chance of living as pleasantly as we can, and death as the natural end of that chance.

ThinkingCat, I hope you find motivation to deep in epicurean philosophy, and develop (with time) your own perspective, so that you can share with us your own conception of Epicureanism in (more or lees) 30 words. 🤗

Cassius' post 27 above mentions the New Epicurean website (which was created by Cassius before the forum, if I am right on that?) and there is a lot of good stuff on there. I think that it also could be developed even further as a resource for people who want more "linear" reading on Epicureanism, rather than the "spiral" approach to study which the forum provides (reading the forum is a bit like going on a treasure hunt).

What is good about the New Epicurean website is that you can read the material without having to "raft through the rapids" of the forum. On the forum you often need to read a thread from start to finish, because a question (or an incorrect reflection) is presented in the first post, and it contains an incorrect understanding which is then corrected through the posting system...so that 20 or more posts later you get the full picture

Here is the home page, imagine this could be developed further with an improved table of contents. Right now there is a table of key pages, but you need to scroll down to get to it:

NewEpicurean – NewEpicurean.com – Promoting the Study of the Philosophy of Epicurus

Also there is a Links page here with links to most of the other current Epicurean websites:

https://www.epicureanfriends.com/wcf/link-overview/?pageNo=1&sortField=time&sortOrder=ASC

Quote from Cassius

Also there is a Links page here with links to most of the other current Epicurean websites:

https://www.epicureanfriends.com/wcf/link-overv…e&sortOrder=ASC

I'm getting this from your link:

Insufficient Permissions

Access denied. You’re not authorized to view this page.

One interesting tidbit on NewEpicurean.com is Cosma Raimondi. I don't think I've heard of her before and I'll certainly read her letter.

Quote from Godfrey

One interesting tidbit on NewEpicurean.com is Cosma Raimondi. I don't think I've heard of her before and I'll certainly read her letter.

Turns out Cosma is a man's name. Final a is evidently for male names in Italy.

Yes that is a very good letter and we need to highlight it here. I thought we already had a thread but if not we will set one up