1. Introduction
Welcome to the EpicureanFriends Wiki. We are still in the process of organizing this page, and much more is to come. In the meantime, our Table of Contents for the wiki is here, and it is also visible on the right sidebar if you have a wide-screen device.
2. EpicureanFriends.com
EpicureanFriends was established in 2015 by a group of friends interested in the study of of Classical Epicurean Philosophy, freed from the intrusion of contemporary politics, Stoicism, Platonism, Humanism, and other "isms" with which many seek to combine it. You'll find our primary organizational documents, including our Community Standards, our Not Neo-Epicurean, But Epicurean statement, and our Key Posting Policy statement, in this section of the wiki.
Epicurus rejected many commonplace assumptions made by other philosophers of his time, including the prevailing definition of "pleasure," "gods," "virtue," and even "good and evil." In Epicurean terms, pleasure embraces much more than sensory stimulation, "gods" exist but are not supernatual, and it is important to act "virtuously," and "virtue" is not desirable as an end it itself, but as a means of obtaining pleasure. Likewise, "Good" and "evil" are not abstract absolutes, but are ultimately evaluations based on sensations of pleasure and pain felt by real living things. "Practical Reason" is held to be essential for living wisely, but "dialectical logic" is rejected as misleading. It is a major goal of EpicureanFriends to explore Epicurean terminology in these and other areas so we can appreciate the philosophy as the ancient Epicureans understood it. For more on terminology and similar topics, check out our FAQ page. We also particularly recommend Episode 222 of the Lucetius Today Podcast where we discuss key terminology issues surrounding "happiness" and "pleasure" and "virtue."
3. The Fundamentals of Epicurean Philosophy
We have an outline of eleven key aspects of Classical Epicurean Philosophy to familiarize you with the central points which we emphasize. We also have a longer Foundations of Epicurean Philosophy document, based closely on the ancient texts, with more detail about Epicurus' teachings.
3.1. Physics
Epicurus erected his entire philosophy upon his understanding that the universe is composed of and governed by elemental particles moving through space. Our Physics forum is the place to discuss the nature of the universe, including all things within it, includes the natural "gods" which are part of it.
3.2. Canonics
Canonics, often known as "epistemology," is the science of knowledge. What is truth? What is real? Is confidence in knowledge (or "certainty") possible? These are issues discussed in our Canonics forums, where we do not focus as much on "what" is true, but "how do we know what is true?"
3.3. Ethics
Ethics is the application of Physics and Canonics to determine the best way to live. These are issues discussed in our Ethics forums.
4. Forum Organization
Registered members of the Forum are invited to start in the General Discussion forum, or any of our many Special Topic forums. For a selection of our most significant discussions check our Featured Forum Threads page. If you're looking for something you don't see, use the Search function at the top of each page. You can also search by Popular Tags or review our Full List of Tags. We also have many hyperlinked Outlines that will assist in navigating through the forum structure, along with a list of Forum Short-Cuts to help you find the most popular forums. You can view the most recent posting from across the site at our Latest Posts page.
We welcome to the forum all who are sincerely interested in the study of Epicurus and who wish to collaborate with the EpicureanFriends community. After registering for an account you will be given “Introductory Member” basic level access, which allows you to post in basic forums, and, after introducing yourself and participating for a brief period, attend our First Monday Meet-and-Greet Zoom meeting. Before you register, please be sure to read our foundational documents. These include our Community Standards, our Not Neo-Epicurean, But Epicurean statement, and our Key Posting Policy statement. If you too are interested in pursuing Classical Epicurean Philosophy, your next step is to register for an account! To Create An Account Click Here.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
We have a FAQ to answer many of the questions that normally come up during study. If you have an account and find something missing, let us know and we'll add to it if your question is a common one.
6. Our Collection Of Core Epicurean Texts
We keep a curated online collection of Ancient Epicurean Texts, including Diogenes Laertus Book 10 (which contains all of Epicurus' Letters), Lucretius' De Rerum Natura, and many others.
7. The Two Books We Most Recommend
We most recommend Epicurus and His Philosophy by Norman DeWitt, and Living For Pleasure: An Epicurean Guide to Life by Emily Austin. Austin's book provides an attractive and practical introduction geared toward those who are just starting with the philosophy, and DeWitt's book provides a sweeping overview of the philosophy with many additional details.
8. The Lucretius Today Podcast
In our Lucretius Today podcast we discuss the Epicurean texts in detail each week. Starting with Episode One in 2020 we went verse by verse through Lucretius' poem, and since then we have covered many other important Epicurean texts. Episodes of special note include Lucretius Today Interviews Dr. Emily Austin, Letter to Menoeceus, The Canon, Reason, and Nature, Epicurus and His Philosophy: The New Hedonism, and especially Episode 200 (our anniversary episode discussing our past and future plans for the podcast). We have a page dedicated to a selection of Quotes used in the podcast, and the best place to familiarize yourself with the episode topics is here.
9. Our Articles Section
We curate a number of selected Articles written by participants at EpicureanFriends which discuss Epicurus from the perspective of Classical Epicurean Philosophy.
10. Our Epicurean Friends Youtube Page
We have a selection of useful videos produced over the years. Of special note are our Seven Steps With Epicurus slideshow and our Foundations of Epicurean Philosophy presentation.
11. Our Special Resources Page
Our Special Resources Page provides a variety of informative items prepared by our forum members.
12. Our Recommended Reading Page
In addition to the two books we recommend the most, referenced above, we have a full Recommended Reading List of additional books and articles.
13. Our Image Gallery
Our Images section provides a collection of images, graphics, and memes by EpicureanFriends forum members. A special selection of our Featured Images is here.
14. Personal Outlines of Epicurean Philosophy
As suggested by Epicurus to Herodotus, and as in the example Thomas Jefferson left to us in his personal writings, one of the best ways to internalize Epicurean Philosophy is to write it out in outline forum. See our resources here for sample outlines that help you navigate this site, and work with others who have posted for us their own outlines here.
15. Self Study Courses
Currently we have a Quiz Section. In the future we hope to offer you organized programs in the form of an Epicurean Week and an Epicurean Seven Week Program.
16. Zoom Meetings
Those who register an account and establish a pattern of productive participation will be invited to our First Monday Meet And Greet meeting, which we conduct on the first Monday of each month. Those who continue thereafter to participate productively will eventually be invited to become “Established Members,” and to join our Wednesday night Zoom study groups and our monthly Twentieth Meeting, and participate in sections of our discussion forum which are limited to Established Members.
17. Site Map
Our site map has a listing of all major sections of this site. If you have questions, please feel free to ask any member of our Moderator Team.
