Epicureanism

ISBN-13: 9781844651696 / Angielski / Twarda / 2009 / 256 str.

Tim O'Keefe

Opis

This introduction to Epicureanism offers students and general readers a clear exposition of the central tenets of Epicurean philosophy, one of the dominant schools of the Hellenistic period. Founded by Epicurus of Samos (c. 341-270 BCE), it held that for a human being the greatest good was to attain tranquility, free from fear and bodily pain, by seeking to understand the workings of the world and the limits of our desires. Tim O'Keefe provides an extended exegesis of the arguments that support Epicurean philosophical positions, analyzing both their strengths and their weaknesses while showing how the different areas of Epicurean inquiry come together to make a whole. Lucid, witty, and entertaining, "Epicureanism" wears its knowledge lightly while offering a wealth of stimulating and humorous examples.

Spis treści

Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations 1. Introduction: The life of Epicurus and the history of Epicureanism Part I Metaphysics and Physics 2. Atoms and Void 3. Atomic Motion 4. Sensible Qualities 5. Cosmology 6. Biology and Language 7. The Mind 8. Freedom and Determinism Part II Epistemology 9. Scepticism 10. The Canon Part III Ethics 11. Pleasure, the Highest Good 12. Varieties of Pleasure, Varieties of Desire 13. The Virtues and Philosophy 14. Justice 15. Friendship 16. The Gods 17. Death Notes Further Reading References Index

O autorze

Tim O'Keefe is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Georgia State University, USA.