Epicureanism: The Good and The Bad

Epicureanism: The Good and The Bad

Epicureanism: The Good and The Bad
What is Epicureanism?   Epicureanism is the “art of making life happy”.   The philosophy of Epicureanism was named after Epicurus, who founded the school in Athens.   Coincidentally the school of Stoicism was founded at the same time in 307 B.C.   The Epicurean School followed a strict set of core beliefs and laws.   The principles of the school were stated and every disciple had to “learn the maxims by heart”.
(Taken from Catholic Encyclopedia: Epicureanism-History)
“Here pleasure is the highest good” said by Seneca in the book Epicureanism.   This quote is the main thought of the philosophy.   Epicureans believed that if anything felt good, then it was good.   Epicurus stated that, “We cannot live pleasurably without living prudently, gracefully, or justly; and a pleasurable life cannot be separated from these.”  
(Taken from Epicureanism by William Wallace, Chapter 3 Page 48)
The philosophy of Epicureanism is found in society today through the Buddhist monks.   They seclude themselves from the world, by doing so they meditate and try to grasp the meaning of life.   They seek pleasure of the mind; they find peace in themselves.   The monks, in doing so are modern day examples of Epicureans.   By living a peaceful and simple life, they grasp the world in a different perspective than the average working person.
Today’s world contains many different types of peoples.   They all have different lifestyles.   I see people who generally like to seclude themselves from the world.   I also see people who interact and coexist with the world.   I think that there are still little sects of Epicureans around the world.   By definition an Epicurean devotes their life to pleasure, in my opinion this would be perceived as a hippie from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.   They tended to be adventurous and have peace of mind, only due to their large encounters with drugs.
The Epicurean belief can be a part of a person’s life,...