Epicurus
Quotes
An ancient Greek philosopher who founded a school emphasizing the pursuit of happiness through modest living, friendship, and freedom from fear. Contrary to later misconceptions, his teachings advocated for the absence of pain and the cultivation of inner tranquility rather than indulgent pleasure. His philosophy greatly influenced later ethical thought and concepts of well-being.
Epicurus
Quotes
An ancient Greek philosopher who founded a school emphasizing the pursuit of happiness through modest living, friendship, and freedom from fear. Contrary to later misconceptions, his teachings advocated for the absence of pain and the cultivation of inner tranquility rather than indulgent pleasure. His philosophy greatly influenced later ethical thought and concepts of well-being.
The acquisition of riches has been for many men, not an end, but a change, of troubles.
Neither one should hesitate about dedicating oneself to philosophy when young, nor should get tired of doing it when one's old, because no one is ever too young or too old to reach one's soul's healthy.
So death, the most terrifying of ills, is nothing to us, since so long as we exist, death is not with us; but when death comes, then we do not exist. It does not then concern either the living or the dead, since for the former it is not, and the latter are no more.
All sensations are true; pleasure is our natural goal.
A world is a circumscribed portion of sky... it is a piece cut off from the infinite.
Those desires that do not bring pain if they are not satisfied are not necessary; and they are easily thrust aside whenever to satisfy them appears difficult or likely to cause injury.
What will happen to me if that which this desire seeks is achieved, and what if it is not?
A free life cannot acquire many possessions, because this is not easy to do without servility to mobs or monarchs.
Justice is never anything in itself, but in the dealings of men with one another in any place whatever and at any time. It is a kind of compact not to harm or be harmed.
There are infinite worlds both like and unlike this world of ours. For the atoms being infinite in number... are borne on far out into space.
The things you really need are few and easy to come by; but the things you can imagine you need are infinite, and you will never be satisfied.
Death is nothing to us: for after our bodies have been dissolved by death they are without sensation, and that which lacks sensation is nothing to us. And therefore a right understanding of death makes mortality enjoyable, not because it adds to an infinite span of time, but because it takes away the craving for immortality.
Justice is a contract of expediency, entered upon to prevent men harming or being harmed.
We must consider both the ultimate end and all clear sensory evidence, to which we refer our opinions; for otherwise everything will be full of uncertainty and confusion.
The term "incorporeal" is properly applied only to the void, which cannot act or be acted on. Since the soul can act and be acted upon, it is corporeal.
All other love is extinguished by self-love; beneficence, humanity, justice, philosophy, sink under it.
A man who causes fear cannot be free from fear.
Most beautiful is the sight of those near and dear to us when our original kinship makes us of one mind.
If you wish to make Pythocles rich, do not add to his store of money, but subtract from his desires.
Happiness is man's greatest aim in life. Tranquility and rationality are the cornerstones of happiness.
If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.
The summit of pleasure is the elimination of all that gives pain.
Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can and does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If, as they say, God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?
