CLA160H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Epic Poetry, Lucretius, Epicureanism
Document Summary
Pleasure is the goal, and the drive that pushes all organism. His ideal state = ataraxia ( lack of disturbance ) Chief obstacles to this ideal state: irrational fear of gods and death, propagated by mythology. These obstacles prevent finding out how the universe works. Universe is made of atoms and empty space (void), nothing else. The soil is material and dies with the body, so no need to fear a gloomy afterlife. They are not atheists, gods have a role to play, but they are surreal tranquil beings and exist in perfect self-contained world and they don"t care about us so don"t need to pay them mind. Poetry and false misleading myths lead one to unnecessary fears. Epicurus was prolific author, but he didn"t care much for the form and prose of his work, so he doesn"t survive as much as those authors who did care about things like that, such as plato.
