Epicurus and Democritean Ethics: An Archaeology of Ataraxia

by James Warren, A.M. Snodgrass (Contribution by), Patricia E. Easterling (Contribution by)

The Epicurean philosophical system has enjoyed much recent scrutiny, but the question of its philosophical ancestry remains largely neglected. This book traces its origins in the fifth-century BC atomist Democritus, in his fourth-century followers such as Anaxarchus and Pyrrho, and in Epicurus' disagreements with his own Democritean teacher Nausiphanes. The result is not only a fascinating reconstruction of a lost tradition, but also an important contribution to the philosophical interpretation of Epicureanism, bearing especially on its ideal of tranquillity and on the relation of ethics to physics.

Genres: Philosophy

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 23, 2002

Reviews

[Jonathan Griffiths]

For anyone interested in the subject (e.g. the fragments of Democritus, history of Hellenistic scepticism, influences on Epicurus' thought, ataraxia as the ideal Epicurean state/goal), consult the following 2 reviews of this book before taking it on.

http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2002/2002-10...

https://ndpr.nd.edu/news/23406-epicur...

On the whole, poorly written & unevenly organised, with scattered useful comments & handling of evidence but little overall argumentative cohesion. 2 star.