Overview

Hellenistic philosophy, much more so than its classical predecessors, was concerned with the application of ethics in everyday life, regarding ethics as a means to achieving happiness. Epicurus and his followers argued that if four basic principles were followed then freedom from fear and anxiety could be achieved, and thereby happiness. The four key doctrines underpin Philodemus of Gadara's (c. 110 BCE to c. 40 or 35 BCE) doctrines, and he wrote on a wide range of topics, including death, rhetoric, music, poetry, logic, theology, epistemology, the history of philosophy and ethics. Although Philodemus' works are fragmentary, new technologies have allowed revised editions to be compiled. This volume utilizes these revised editions, firstly, to explore three areas of Epicurean doctrine that are clarified by Philodemus' works: Epicurean theories of knowledge; their theory of emotions; and their views on friendship. Secondly, it examines the effect of Philodemus' Roman socio-cultural and political context on his interpretation of Epicurean philosophy. This book's emphasis on both philosophical interpretation and cultural history represents a new approach to Philodemus that allows us greater insight into how he dealt with the competing claims of philosophy and a Roman context.

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9781472485434

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