EPICURUS - OVERVIEW

<BODY> <TABLE width=400 BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=2 CELLPADDING=1> <TR> <TD><IMG ALIGN=Left SRC="0701a.jpg" WIDTH="94" HEIGHT="150" ALT="EPICURUS"></TD> <TD><CENTER><FONT SIZE=5><B><FONT SIZE=6>EPICURUS</FONT><BR> THE MASTER OF PLEASURE<P> (342-270 BC)</B></FONT><BR><BR> "Pleasure is our first and kindred good" </CENTER></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <FONT SIZE=4><B>Overview</B></FONT><P> Founder of the philosophical school, Epicureanism, best known for its doctrines of <A HREF="../t03/g020.html" TARGET="_top">hedonism</A> and atomism, Epicurus aimed to free man from anxiety of the unknown.<P> Epicurus is best known for his doctrine of hedonism, that attainment of maximum pleasure is the starting point of every choice. Few philosophical stances have been as consistently misunderstood. When Epicurus says "our one need is untroubled existence", he is not suggesting a life of ease. Rather the opposite. Pleasure could be either bodily well being, in which case it equated with perfect health and freedom from pain, or mental, which meant freedom from fears and anxiety. The Epicurean achieved this state of tranquillity through study and an understanding of how the universe functioned. <BR clear=left><BR> <HR width=100%> <A HREF="http://www.creatorix.com.au"><IMG SRC="../creatorix.gif" WIDTH="85" HEIGHT="40" BORDER="0" ALT="Creatorix" align=right></A> </BODY>