Updated: January 2025. It's been a long road from when Epicurus College first went online until today, and we have chosen to devote our efforts in other directions - primarily EpicureanFriends.com and the Lucretius Today Podcast - during most of that time.
Keep checking back because we hope to have announcements soon about upgrades to this website.
The purpose of this class is to familiarize the student with the fundamental doctrines of Epicurean philosophy. When this course is complete, the student will know both the major doctrines of Epicurus and the major controversies about those doctrines. The student will also have a general background of where Epicurean Philosophy fits within the religious and philosophical landscape of both ancient Athens and the modern world.
The purpose of this course will be to learn Epicurus using Lucretius' "De Rerum Natura" as our guide. In other words, in this course we will study Epicurus in exactly the order and with exactly the content that Epicurus' greatest poet used to introduce Epicurean philosophy to his friend Memmius. Course material will include the discussion of each section of the poem as conducted on the Lucretius Today Podcast.
The purpose of this class is to familiarize the student with how Epicurean philosophy compares in general terms to other modern and ancient philosophies. When
this course is complete, the student will know both the major doctrines
of Epicurean philosophy and a general idea of how those doctrines
compare with ancient and modern alternative theories.
This seminar will provide a summary of Epicurean Philosophy primarily through the use of selected excerpts of the ancients texts.
The purpose of this class is to familiarize the student with the fundamental doctrines of Epicurean physics. When
this course is complete, the student will know both the major doctrines
of Epicurean physics and a general idea of how to evaluate those doctrines given developments in modern physics.
The purpose of this class is to familiarize the student with the fundamental doctrines of Epicurean canonics, which is the equivalent in philosophical terminology of "epistemology" - or more informally, the issue of how we know what we think we know. When
this course is complete, the student will know both the major doctrines
of Epicurean canonics and a general idea of how those doctrines compare with ancient and modern alternative theories.
The purpose of this class is to familiarize the student with the
fundamental doctrines of Epicurean ethics, the question of "how to live." When
this course is complete, the student will know both the major doctrines
of Epicurean ethics and a general idea of how those doctrines
compare with competitive ancient and modern theories.
This special seminar will study the surviving text materials on romantic love by Epicurus, Lucretius, and other Epicurean writers. Special attention will be given to the work of Frances Wright and Ninon De L'Enclos,
This Course will discuss the controversial topic of where, if at all, Epicurus is portrayed by Raphael in his "School of Athens" fresco. The course will cover the alleged identifies and representations of other famous Greek philosophers in the fresco, and discuss the possibilities for Epicurus' appearance.
