Epicurus Quotes
Epicurus was a Greek Hellenistic philosopher who founded the school known as the Garden in Athens around 307 BC. His ethics taught that pleasure, properly understood as the absence of pain in the body and disturbance in the soul, is the highest good and the natural goal of human life. The quotes below are attributed to Epicurus, organized by topic.
Epicurus on Death
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Attributed to Epicurus:
“Death is nothing to us; for that which is dissolved is without sensation, and that which lacks sensation is nothing to us.”
Epicurus on Happiness
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Attributed to Epicurus:
“Of all the things which wisdom acquires to produce the blessedness of the complete life, by far the greatest is the possession of friendship.”
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Attributed to Epicurus:
“It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and well and justly, and it is impossible to live wisely and well and justly without living pleasantly.”
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Attributed to Epicurus:
“Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little.”
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Attributed to Epicurus:
“If you wish to make Pythocles wealthy, do not give him more money; rather, reduce his desires.”
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Attributed to Epicurus:
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things only hoped for.”
Epicurus on Knowledge
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Attributed to Epicurus:
“We must not pretend to study philosophy, but really study it; for it is not the appearance of health we need, but real health.”
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Attributed to Epicurus:
“Empty is that philosopher's argument by which no human suffering is therapeutically treated.”
Epicurus on Life
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Attributed to Epicurus:
“Live in obscurity.”
Epicurus on Love
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Attributed to Epicurus:
“It is not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us.”