Ideas from 'fragments/reports' by Epicurus [289 BCE], by Theme Structure
[found in 'The Epicurus Reader' by Epicurus (ed/tr Inwood,B. /Gerson,L.) [Hackett 1994,0-87220-241-0]].
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1. Philosophy / B. History of Ideas / 2. Ancient Thought
22733
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Epicurus accepted God in his popular works, but not in his writings on nature [Sext.Empiricus]
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1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 2. Invocation to Philosophy
13291
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Slavery to philosophy brings true freedom
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1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / a. Philosophy as worldly
22758
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Philosophy aims at a happy life, through argument and discussion
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1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / b. Philosophy as transcendent
14523
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We should come to philosophy free from any taint of culture
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1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / f. Philosophy as healing
22240
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The aim of medicine is removal of sickness, and philosophy similarly removes our affections
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1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 2. Analysis by Division
1484
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We should say nothing of the whole if our contact is with the parts [Plutarch]
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2. Reason / C. Styles of Reason / 1. Dialectic
2670
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Epicurus despises and laughs at the whole of dialectic [Cicero]
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5. Theory of Logic / D. Assumptions for Logic / 2. Excluded Middle
21668
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Epicurus rejected excluded middle, because accepting it for events is fatalistic [Cicero]
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5. Theory of Logic / E. Structures of Logic / 2. Logical Connectives / e. or
21676
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Epicureans say disjunctions can be true whiile the disjuncts are not true [Cicero]
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12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 3. Innate Knowledge / b. Recollection doctrine
1823
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We can't seek for things if we have no idea of them [Diog. Laertius]
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12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 9. A Priori from Concepts
1824
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To name something, you must already have an idea of what it is [Diog. Laertius]
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12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 2. Qualities in Perception / d. Secondary qualities
5949
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Epicurus says colours are relative to the eye, not intrinsic to bodies [Plutarch]
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12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 5. Interpretation
1821
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Sensations cannot be judged, because similar sensations have equal value, and different ones have nothing in common [Diog. Laertius]
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12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 1. Empiricism
1820
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The criteria of truth are senses, preconceptions and passions [Diog. Laertius]
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12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 4. Pro-Empiricism
1822
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Reason can't judge senses, as it is based on them [Diog. Laertius]
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13. Knowledge Criteria / D. Scepticism / 1. Scepticism
4549
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Epicurus denied knowledge in order to retain morality or hedonism as the highest values [Nietzsche]
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13. Knowledge Criteria / D. Scepticism / 3. Illusion Scepticism
2668
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Epicurus says if one of a man's senses ever lies, none of his senses should ever be believed [Cicero]
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13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 1. Relativism
1482
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If two people disagree over taste, who is right? [Plutarch]
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1483
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Bath water is too hot for some, too cold for others [Plutarch]
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1487
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When entering a dark room it is colourless, but colour gradually appears
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15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 2. Psuche
14526
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The rational soul is in the chest, and the non-rational soul is spread through the body
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6035
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Soul is made of four stuffs, giving warmth, rest, motion and perception [Aetius]
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16. Persons / F. Free Will / 1. Nature of Free Will
6018
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Epicurus was the first to see the free will problem, and he was a libertarian [Long/Sedley]
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16. Persons / F. Free Will / 2. Sources of Free Will
20922
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Epicurus showed that the swerve can give free motion in the atoms [Diogenes of Oen.]
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16. Persons / F. Free Will / 4. For Free Will
14516
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There is no necessity to live with necessity
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17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 7. Anti-Physicalism / a. Physicalism critique
1909
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How can pleasure or judgement occur in a heap of atoms? [Sext.Empiricus]
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22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / g. Moral responsibility
7814
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It was Epicurus who made the question of the will's freedom central to ethics [Grayling]
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22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / h. Fine deeds
3562
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Fine things are worthless if they give no pleasure
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22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / f. Good as pleasure
1840
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Pleasure is the chief good because it is the most natural, especially for animals [Diog. Laertius]
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22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 3. Pleasure / b. Types of pleasure
3557
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The end for Epicurus is static pleasure [Annas]
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1839
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Pains of the soul are worse than pains of the body, because it feels the past and future [Diog. Laertius]
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1842
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Pleasures only differ in their duration and the part of the body affected
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23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 1. Contractarianism
1845
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Justice has no independent existence, but arises entirely from keeping contracts
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23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / c. Motivation for virtue
1841
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We choose virtue because of pleasure, not for its own sake [Diog. Laertius]
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23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 4. External Goods / a. External goods
1829
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A wise man would be happy even under torture [Diog. Laertius]
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23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 4. External Goods / d. Friendship
1843
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Friendship is by far the most important ingredient of a complete and happy life
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25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 4. Suicide
1831
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Wise men should partake of life even if they go blind [Diog. Laertius]
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26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 2. Natural Purpose / c. Purpose denied
12044
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Only Epicurus denied purpose in nature, for the whole world, or for its parts [Annas]
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26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / g. Atomism
20907
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Democritus says atoms have size and shape, and Epicurus added weight [Ps-Plutarch]
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21669
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Atoms don't swerve by being struck, because they move in parallel, so the swerve is uncaused [Cicero]
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21680
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What causes atomic swerves? Do they draw lots? What decides the size or number of swerves? [Cicero]
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27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 1. Nature of Time / a. Absolute time
14525
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Stoics say time is incorporeal and self-sufficient; Epicurus says it is a property of properties of things
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28. God / A. Divine Nature / 2. Divine Nature
2637
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For Epicureans gods are made of atoms, and are not eternal [Cicero]
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28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / a. Ontological Proof
2633
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Epicurus saw that gods must exist, because nature has imprinted them on human minds [Cicero]
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28. God / C. Attitudes to God / 5. Atheism
2639
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Some say Epicurus only pretended to believe in the gods, so as not to offend Athenians [Cicero]
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29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 1. Religious Commitment / a. Religious Belief
14527
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If god answered prayers we would be destroyed, because we pray for others to suffer
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