Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A philosophy advanced by Epicurus that considered happiness, or the avoidance of pain and emotional disturbance, to be the highest good and that advocated the pursuit of pleasures that can be enjoyed in moderation.
- noun Devotion to a life of pleasure and luxury.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The philosophical system of Epicurus, or attachment to his doctrines, especially the doctrine that pleasure is the chief good in life.
- noun [lowercase] Attachment to or indulgence in luxurious habits; fondness for good living. See
epicure , n., 2.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun Attachment to the doctrines of Epicurus; the principles or belief of Epicurus.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A system of
philosophy based upon the teachings of Epicurus (c. 340–c. 270 BC). - noun A love or knowledge of
enjoyment , especially of good food and drink.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a doctrine of hedonism that was defended by several ancient Greek philosophers
Etymologies
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Examples
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Epicureanism is a materialist philosophy, all atoms drifting through the void according to the laws of Nature.
The Nose Knows : A.E. Stallings : Harriet the Blog : The Poetry Foundation 2007
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The system of philosophy called Epicureanism was founded by a Greek named
Early European History Hutton Webster
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"Epicureanism," and considerable stress has been laid upon the profound influence which Greek culture is supposed to have exerted upon Jewish thinkers towards the second century B.C., when the moral atmosphere was choked with "the baleful dust of systems and of creeds."
The Sceptics of the Old Testament: Job - Koheleth - Agur Emile Joseph Dillon 1894
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Walter Pater says, in his most oracular mood, in that fine manifesto of a lofty Epicureanism which is known as the Conclusion to the Renaissance essays, that to form habits is failure in life.
From a College Window Arthur Christopher Benson 1893
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(Epicurus believed that gods existed, just that they didn't interact with human beings) '' 'Epicureanism' '' is the belief that great happiness can be achieved through the avoidance of pain and fear.
Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] Whizkid 2010
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'' 'Epicureanism' '' is the belief that great happiness can be achieved through the avoidance of pain and fear.
Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] Whizkid 2010
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a facile "Epicureanism," is seen, properly understood, to involve something like the austerity of a fastidious Puritanism, and to result in a jealous asceticism of the senses rather than in their indulgence.
Vanishing Roads and Other Essays Richard Le Gallienne 1906
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The earlier Ubaldini, lodged in the sixth circle of Hell (canto 10), had been a papal legate accused of heresy for sympathizing with the Holy Roman Emperor and for Epicureanism.
Architecture and Memory: The Renaissance Studioli of Federico da Montefeltro 2008
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Reductionism was the outcome of combining the atomism that early modern physicists took over from Epicureanism with the notion of deterministic laws of physics.
Nancey Murphy - Is “Nonreductive Physicalism” an Oxymoron? William Harryman 2009
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Nagai Kafū was recently attacked for his Epicureanism (kyōrakushugi), yet a closer look reveals that Epicureanism and Naturalism (as practiced here) are really two sides of the same coin.
Néojaponisme » Blog Archive » A History of Modern Japanese Literary Criticism: Act One, Scene 1 2009
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