“Epicureans"

A philosophy. A way of life. A forgotten manner of living. It is a style of leading life based on the precepts of Epicurus. His idea of life was to live in a state of ATARAXIA , a state of crystalline existence, coupled with the freedom from any kind of troubles and engrossment. History has seen many Epicureans through the course of time. Some of them include the great poet Horace who gave the very famous statement of Carpe Diem, which means, seize the day, pretty much endorsing the very philosophy of Epicureans. And the philosopher Lucretius, who based his entire life bordered on the lines of Epicureanism. However the one that most would remember vividly is Caius Cassius from Julius Caesar, leader of the conspiracy against Caesar and brother-in-law of Brutus. His characterisation is one of a kind, and an intriguing one at that. He was one of the most intelligent men that Caesar had in his legation. He was also very skilled at finding out the true ideals of men and manipulating it, to do his bidding. Friendship is very important to an epicurean. So he hated Caesar not because of his policies but because of the person Caesar has become over the period of time. It was a personal vendetta. As an Epicurean he did not believe in the supernatural and believed that the man and universe are self-governing entities and that man is the agent of his own destiny. However towards the end of the play, his faith in Epicurus began to waiver.

Modern Epicureanism has generated many misconceptions. Epicureans believe that the end of human action is to be free from pain and fear. The doctrine that "pleasance is our first and native good" does not advocate gluttony or limitless self-indulgence; rather it preaches the pleasure of a tranquil mind and body. Over the period of time it has been seen that other schools of philosophy lost their students to the Epicurean school of thought. In the modern times, the critics of Epicureanism have misrepresented it as a lazy-minded, shallow, pleasure-loving, immoral, or godless mockery of real philosophy. In our day the word ‘epicureanism’ has come to mean its opposite—an ostentatious exuberance for rare and expensive food and drink. As far as I have read and studied this philosophy, it has been grossly misunderstood and I would suggest anyone to please have the courage to ignore two thousand years of negative prejudice, and assess this philosophy on its own considerable merits.