Epicureanism is the doctrine that is based on the postulates of Epicurus.
Epicureanism is a doctrine developed by Epicurus that considers pleasure as the principle of human existence. According to this Greek philosopher (341 BC – 270 BC), the search for the well-being of the mind and body should be the objective of people.
The etymological origin of this term we can establish that it is in Greek and that it is the result of the sum of two different components: the name of the aforementioned philosopher, Epicurus, and the suffix “-ism”, which is used to indicate “doctrine”.
According to Epicureanism, pleasures must be both spiritual and physical. This happiness is also associated with the absence of disturbances and pain : in this way, a balance is achieved between body and mind that brings peace.
Followers of Epicureanism
An Epicurean is one who follows the precepts of Epicureanism. Epicureans are oriented towards self-sufficiency , although they also defend the value of friendship . Unlike hedonists, who focused on the body, they aim to achieve physical, intellectual and emotional fulfillment.
Throughout history, Epicureanism has had many famous followers. A good example of this are the thinkers and writers Virgil and Horace, for example.
For Epicureanism, pleasure and suffering are related to the satisfaction, or lack thereof, of the appetites.
Types of appetite
Epicurus linked pleasure and suffering to the satisfaction, or not, of the appetites . For the father of Epicureanism there are three types of appetites: natural and necessary ones (which are easy to satisfy, such as eating and sheltering); the natural but not necessary ones (such as having an interesting conversation or achieving sexual enjoyment); and those that are neither natural nor necessary (being famous, accumulating power ).
It is important to keep in mind that the search for pleasure, in Epicureanism, is rational . Epicureans believe that, sometimes, pain must be accepted since it is then followed by greater pleasure. And that, conversely, one should reject a pleasure that in the future may bring greater pain. By associating happiness with reason, Epicureanism pursues ataraxia (a state of serenity where there are no disturbances).
However, Epicureanism speaks of other types of pleasure, among which are the pleasures of the soul; the pleasures of the body, which are the most important; stable pleasures, which are those that are felt when one does not have any type of pain; and mobile pleasures, which can be both physical and mental and which involve some kind of change. Among the latter you can find, for example, the pleasure of joy.
The tetradrug and the doctrines of Epicureanism
In addition to all the above, we cannot ignore what is known as a tetradrug. Under this term is included a summary of several of the doctrines of Epicureanism, which were collected by Diogenes Laertius in one of his works and who defined them as "Maximum capitals."
Specifically, the tetradrug indicates the first four doctrines: do not fear the gods, do not fear death, what is good is easy to achieve and what is terrible is easy to endure.