Achieving Tranquility
Epicurus on Living without Fear
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23601679 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tim O’Keefe (0009-0003-6339-8909, Georgia State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 184-202 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-22 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | Oxford Handbook of Hellenistic Philosophy (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190695170.013.7 |
| OpenAlex | W4409664347 |
| ISBN | 9780190695170 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 18 |
This chapter considers Epicurean strategies for eliminating two of the most pervasive and damaging fears: fear of the gods and fear of death. Much of Epicurean philosophy centers on the elimination of empty fears, which are the main obstacle to tranquility in the Epicurean view. This chapter first gives a general taxonomy of types of fear, distinguishing the legitimate fears, which answer to “natural or necessary” desires, from the irrational and empty fears, which rest on false beliefs. It then reviews specific Epicurean arguments for the claims that death is not a harm and that the gods are removed from the workings of the world. The chapter concludes by distinguishing the role Epicurus assigns to practical wisdom in combating fear.
The Possibility of Inquiry. Meno's Paradox from Socrates to Sextus
Theology, Innatism, and the Epicurean Self
Epicurus on the importance of friendship in the good life ( De Finibus 1.65–70; 2.78–85)
Can Epicureans Be Friends?
Epicurus on the Fear of Death and the Relative Value of Lives
Lucretius and the Epicurean Attitude towards Grief
Lucretius, Epicurus, and the Logic of Multiple Explanations
Epicurus' theological innatism
The ethical significance of gratitude in Epicureanism
Chrysippus and Plato on the fragility of the head
Facing Death
Lucretius, Symmetry arguments, and fearing death
Some Puzzles About the Evil of Death
| Highly cited | No |
|---|