Epicureans, the
Epicureans, The
[Epicur’eans]
A school of philosophers that derived their name from the Athenian Epicurus, who had his ‘garden’ at Athens. His theory was that pleasurable emotions should be the aim of human life, quiet ease of mind being the sum of happiness. Experience and not truth was the test he applied. Paul endeavoured to turn the thoughts of the Athenians from their self-made philosophy, and their many idols, to the one true God. Act 17:18.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
Epicureans, the
Epicure’ans, The. The Epicureans derived their name from Epicurus, (342-271 B.C.), a philosopher of Attic descent, whose “Garden” at Athens rivalled in popularity the “Porch” and the “Academy.” The doctrines of Epicurus found wide acceptance in Asia Minor and Alexandria. (95-50 B.C.). The object of Epicurus was to find, in philosophy, a practical guide to happiness.
True pleasure and not absolute truth was the end at which he aimed; experience and not reason was the test on which he relied. It is obvious that a system thus formed would degenerate by a natural descent into mere materialism; and in this form, Epicurism was the popular philosophy at the beginning of the Christian era. When St. Paul addressed “Epicureans and Stoics,” Act 17:18, at Athens, the philosophy of life was practically reduced to the teaching of these two antagonistic schools.