Epicurus is associated with Epicureanism, a philosophical precursor to utilitarianism. In the popular imagination, “epicurean” conjures up visions of hedonism and sensual pleasure, especially where food and drink are concerned; while Epicurus himself took pleasure as the ultimate good, his notion of “pleasure” was closer to “curling up with a good book ” than “partying late into the night” or “gorging yourself to excess.”
