Article on Lucretius and "Death is Nothing to Us"

Quote

As Lucretius summarizes in book two of On The Nature of Things, Epicurists believe the ultimate good for human nature is as follows:

To avoid bodily pain, to have a mind free from anxiety and fear, and to enjoy the pleasures of the senses.

I'm curious to read the whole article, but I saw this quote above and found it intriguing.

1. I never thought of the word "Epicurist" but it's certainly more compact than "student of Epicurean philosophy."

2. I was initially reluctant to endorse that summary, but, on reflection, that's not a bad summary. Let me explain my perspective:

To avoid bodily pain - As long as this is interpreted to mean "avoid" and not eliminate. "Epicurists" make choices to experience pain to avoid more future pain.

to have a mind free from anxiety and fear - I may get pushback, but I still see this as an essential part of the philosophy. A mind free from anxiety and fear is a baseline to make prudent choices and to fully experience sensual pleasures.

to enjoy the pleasures of the senses - Yep, in all their multifariousness.

This is all with the caveat that ANY summary is reductive and comes with issues, ex. the Tetrapharmakos. I remain an advocate for that summary while also acknowledging its shortcomings.

I haven't yet read the article, but the term "Epicurist" is interesting in that it seems to avoid being confused with the foodie implications. It co-opts the co-opting of "Epicurean."

I see that usage frequently on the Stoicism subreddit, I'm guessing that it is used in a translation or book in circulation among them.

Looking at Google's Ngram viewer, most of the texts that use "epicurist" in the 19th century seem to be in Dutch.

Epicurist also echoes ΕΠΙΚΟΥΡΕΙΟΣ (Epikoureios) more than Epicurean to my eyes/ears.

And Latin Ĕpĭcūrēus

epicurist - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

PS. I'm not actually actively advocating for using "Epicurist" as an alternative to "Epicurean." Just pointing out the potential. I like Godfrey 's co-opting of the co-opting.

Okay, as an experiment, I've added Epicurist as the translation of ΕΠΙΚΟΥΡΕΙΟΣ on my avatar. Just trying it on for size.

I had the thought that I kind of like the parallel with "scientist." Epicurist philosophy? Epicuric philosophy? I realize this wordplay swims against centuries of usage of "Epicurean" so I don't expect it to "catch on." But play is pleasure so let's play a little. Let's be real: the name of the website is EpicureanFriends after all

Citations from Oxford English Dictionary (earliest 1579):

1579 Which fantasie that good man Epicurus, and all Epicuristes [Dutch Epicuristen] haue likewise followed, and stoutlie defended.

G. Gilpin, translation of P. van Marnix van Sant Aldegonde, Bee Hiue of Romishe Church 107

1610 Were not the Epicurists [Latin Epicurei] in great accoumpt at Athens?

J. Healey, translation of St. Augustine, Citie of God xviii. xli. 729

1787 I was ready to cry out with the Epicurist.

W. Wallbeck, Fables Ded. p. xxi

1860 He did not pause with the speculative Epicurists, who care to follow an idea only so far as it makes things easy.

Dial April 259

1967 The Epicurists and some Stoics condoned suicide because they embraced the point of view that death is the cure for all ills.

Psychoanalytic Review vol. 54 424

2011To concentrate on the present, a practice the Stoics and Epicurists valued greatly.

C. Dunker, Constit. Psychoanalytic Clinic v. 121

I'm giving it a spin, as well.