A Life Worthy of the Gods

Epicurus, and his Roman disciple Lucretius, held that the primary cause of human unhappiness was an irrational fear of death. What is more, they believed that a clear understanding of the nature of the world would help to eliminate this fear. They contended that if man recognizes that the universe and everything in it is made up of atoms and empty space, he will see that the soul cannot possibly survive the extinction of the body—and no harm can occur to him after he dies. A fascinating exploration of Epicureanism as a coherent analysis of irrational fears, desires, and beliefs, including a look at why they persist even in modern societies.