Letter to Menoeceus and Principal Doctrines

For more than two thousand years, Epicurus has been misrepresented as a crude hedonist. This edition restores his original voice in clear, modern English. The Letter to Menoeceus is a concise invitation to philosophy as a daily practice—an argument that the pursuit of simple pleasures, the acceptance of death as nothing to us, and the cultivation of friendship lead to the happiest life. The Principal Doctrines that follow are forty pithy aphorisms that crystallize the core of Epicurean thought: the nature of the gods, the atomic basis of reality, and the science of desire. Together, they form one of the most practical and humane works of ancient philosophy. Faithful to the original structure and argument, this edition strips away archaic language without sacrificing nuance. A glossary of key terms and a guide to reading Epicurus in context make the wisdom of the Garden accessible to today's general reader. Part of The Modern Wisdom Library.