Editing Epicurus (section)

{{short description|Ancient Greek philosopher, founder of Epicureanism}}
{{Distinguish|Epictetus}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox philosopher
| name  = Epicurus
| image = Epikouros BM 1843.jpg
| caption = Roman marble bust of Epicurus
| region     = [[Western philosophy]]
| birth_date = February 341 BC
| birth_place= [[Samos]], Greece
| death_date = 270 BC (aged about 72)
| death_place= [[Classical Athens|Athens]], Greece
| era = [[Hellenistic philosophy]]
| school_tradition = [[Epicureanism]]
| main_interests   = {{hlist|[[ethics]]|[[epistemology]]|[[physics]]|[[theology]]}}
| notable_ideas   = {{ublist|''[[aponia]]''|''[[ataraxia]]''|"moving" and "static" pleasures}}<br>Attributed: {{ublist|[[Epicurean paradox]]}}
}}

'''Epicurus''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɛ|p|ɪ|ˈ|k|j|ʊər|ə|s}}, {{respell|EH|pih|KURE|əs}}; {{langx|grc|[[wikt:Ἐπίκουρος|Ἐπίκουρος]]}} {{Transliteration|grc|Epikouros}}; 341–270 BC) was an [[Greek philosophy|ancient Greek philosopher]] who founded [[Epicureanism]], a highly influential school of [[philosophy]] that asserted that philosophy's purpose is to attain as well as to help others attain tranquil lives, characterized by freedom from fear and the absence of pain. 

Epicurus advocated that people were best able to pursue philosophy by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends; he and his followers were known for eating simple meals and discussing a wide range of philosophical subjects at "the Garden", the school he established in [[Athens]]. Epicurus taught that although the gods exist, they have no involvement in human affairs. Like the earlier philosopher [[Democritus]], Epicurus claimed that all occurrences in the natural world are ultimately the result of tiny, invisible particles known as ''[[Atomism|atoms]]'' moving and interacting in empty space, though Epicurus also deviated from Democritus by proposing the idea of [[Clinamen|atomic "swerve"]], which holds that atoms may deviate from their expected course, thus permitting humans to possess [[free will]] in an otherwise [[determinism|deterministic]] universe.

Of the over 300 works said to have been written by Epicurus about various subjects, the vast majority have been lost. Only a few letters and a collection of quotes—the ''[[Principal Doctrines]]''—have survived intact, along with several fragments of his other writings, such as his major work ''On Nature''; most knowledge about his philosophy is due to later authors.

Epicureanism reached the height of its popularity during the late years of the [[Roman Republic]], but by late antiquity, it had died out. Throughout the [[Middle Ages]], Epicurus was popularly, though inaccurately, remembered as a patron of drunkards, whoremongers, and gluttons. His teachings gradually became more widely known in the fifteenth century with the rediscovery of important texts, but his ideas did not become acceptable until the seventeenth century, when the French Catholic priest [[Pierre Gassendi]] revived a modified version of them, which was promoted by other writers, including [[Walter Charleton]] and [[Robert Boyle]]. His influence grew considerably during and after the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]], impacting the ideas of major thinkers, including [[John Locke]] and [[Karl Marx]].