Epicurus a Socratic man
Epicurus was a Greek
philosopher, born in Samos around 342-341 before Christ, he attended school of
Senocrates in Athens, and after he built his school in Athens around 307-306.
Philosophical think of Epicurus has interpreted always as a search of pleasure
and enjoyment, but it is not so, because with read of letter to Meneceus around
happiness he shows a Socratic ground; we must consider that with Socrates an
anthropological period of philosophy begun, and Epicurus on this letter he
wrote: “The necessity is irresponsible, luckiness unsteady, but our will is
free, and we can merit praise of reprimand”, I understand that this concept is
very common today, but I want search origin of this concept that is in Socratic
individualism, this is we can decide around all, in fact he wrote again: “The
sage knows that is vain to believe that fate is owner of all, because
everything happen to necessity or will of luckiness or to our will”, this last
step is very important, because “our will”; then Epicurus levelled human will to fate, therefore he consider man
as similarly to fate, that now are two entities different and similarly
important. Other question that attributed to Epicurus is atheism, this is
certainly a lie from contemporary of Epicurus is from schools competition and
after during Middle age is was enforced, but Epicurus as all Greek believed to
gods, in this letter we read: “The gods exist, it’s evident…”, but Epicurus
didn’t consider never the gods as common think, he wrote: “Then is unreligious
who refuses people religion, but alone who refuses judges around gods of
people”, then I can think gods in my opinion and not alone in conformity common
think. About enjoyment Epicurus writes: “The simple tastes give same pleasure
of more finest, and brad and water give same pleasure to whom lacks.” and then:
“When we say that pleasure is good, we
won’t mean the simple enjoyment of pleasure-loving…but we mean that helps body
don’t bear pain and soul to be serene”, then we can consider Epicurus over the
common think, and we can think Epicurus a Socratic that seen man as promoting
of his fate.
Alessandro Lusana
