Born: 341 B.C.   Died: 270 B.C.

Epicurus founded a philosophical community outside of Athens known as the Garden. Though a prolific writer, only some fragments and letters survive. His main physical doctrines include the following: Only void and bodies exist; bodies are composed of indestructible and eternal atoms which occupy and move through void; soul is composed of a finer substance (like breath or heat), but dissipates at death; time is not real, but a notion abstracted from experience; matter is infinite; and the number of worlds is unlimited. Epicurus' ethical doctrines included the edict to live a life of simple pleasure, free from fear and disturbances in the soul. Additionally, the wise person overcomes hatred, envy, and contempt. While he endorsed belief in gods, he argued against mythic notions of gods for they are inconsistent with perfectly happy divinities, and they cause disturbances and fears. Contrary to the caricature of Epicurean hedonism, a life of pleasure for Epicurus meant making prudent choices among various pleasurable things, namely those resulting in mental happiness and bodily health.