THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS: Focus on Epicurus

Epicurus (c. 341-270 BC) was an Athenian philosopher who believed that the universe is composed of nothing but tiny atoms. By this he meant only that the world is composed of tiny unsplittable objects, not the atoms of modern physics.  More famously, Epicurus developed an ethic based on the claims that the gods do not interfere in the world.  The good life is obtained by being kind, having friends, and practicing moderation in the appetites.  He obtained some notoriety because he also claimed that no action is forbidden so long as it is practiced in accordance with the above restrictions.