• Welcome to Epicurus College, the home of higher learning in Epicurean Philosophy, sponsored by EpicureanFriends.com!  Over the coming months we will be working to get this site in operation as a learning tool for those interested in the philosophy of Epicurus. Currently, the material on this website consists of preliminary drafts with much revision and polishing needed. Until such times as those revisions are complete, please be sure to visit us at www.EpicureanFriends.com.

Announcements:

Launching In 2023!

by Cassius Amicus -

Updated: January 2023.  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.  At this point we now have an extensive podcast library to add to the resources, and we're close to being ready to move forward again.  Keep checking back because we hope to have announcements soon about new classes and features.

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Available courses

Introduction to Epicurean Philosophy

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.

Learning Epicurus Through Lucretius

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.

Epicurean Philosophy In Relation To Competitors

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.

Epicurean Philosophy In The Words Of the Ancients

This seminar will provide a summary of Epicurean Philosophy primarily through the use of selected excerpts of the ancients texts.

Epicurean Physics

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.

Epicurean Canonics

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.

Epicurean Ethics

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.

Epicurus On Romantic Love

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,

Where Is Epicurus In The "School of Athens"?

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.

Biographical Details of Epicurus

The purpose of this class is to familiarize the student with the basics of what is known historically about the life of Epicurus. When this course is complete, the student will have a general understanding of the personal history of Epicurus and how he fit within the series of well known ancient Greek philosophers.

Course categories

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General (4)

Physics (1)

Canonics (1)

Ethics (2)

History (2)