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