The Ethics of Epicurus and its Relation to Contemporary Doctrines

Description

This is the first English translation of a compelling and highly original reading of Epicurus by Jean-Marie Guyau. This book has long been recognized as one of the best and most concerted attempts to explore one of the most important, yet controversial ancient philosophers whose thought, Guyau claims, remains vital to modern and contemporary culture. Throughout the text we are introduced to the origins of the philosophy of pleasure in Ancient Greece, with Guyau clearly demonstrating how this idea persists through the history of philosophy and how it is an essential trait in the Western tradition. With an introduction by Keith Ansell-Pearson and Federico Testa, which contextualizes the work of Guyau within the canon of French thought, and notes on both further reading and on Epicurean scholarship more generally, this translation also acts as a critical introduction to the philosophy of Guyau and Epicurus.

Jean-Marie Guyau (1854 -1888) was a French philosopher and poet. His central works include Esquisse d'une morale sans obligation ni sanction (A Sketch of Morality Independent of Obligation or Sanction) and L'Irreligion de l'avenir (The Non-Religion of the Future). His works met an enthusiastic reception by important thinkers of his time, such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Pierre Kropotkin and Henri Bergson. Federico Testa is an Associate Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study of the University of Warwick, UK. His current research focuses on Michel Foucault's politics of life, French contemporary philosophy and the revival of Hellenistic tradition within Modern and Contemporary philosophy. Keith Ansell Pearson holds a Personal Chair in Philosophy at the University of Warwick, UK. He is the author of acclaimed monographs on Nietzsche and Bergson and has published a number of essays on Guyau's ethics.

This is a fascinating study of Epicurus, also containing a valuable account of Epicureanism in the early modern period, and it is an important document in the history of Epicureanism in its own right. Guyau is himself an unjustly neglected philosopher, making this volume doubly welcome. * John Sellars, Reader in Philosophy, Royal Holloway University of London, UK * Once compulsory reading for Tolstoy, Nietzsche, and Bergson, Guyau's study is three books in one: a masterful introduction to Epicureanism, a modern history of the philosophy since Hobbes and Spinoza, and a passionate defense of its utility as a guide to social and ethical conduct today. This translation will reestablish Guyau's reputation as one of the great intellects - and influencers - of the late nineteenth century. * James I. Porter, Irving Stone Professor of Rhetoric and Classics, University of California, Berkeley, USA * This is a beautiful translation of a game-changing classic in Epicurean scholarship. A work of philosophy in its own right, Guyau exquisitely captures the illusive nature of an ethics of the "whole of life" and reveals its uniquely emancipatory potential. Finally, English readers can discover the magic of Guyau's prose that influenced many of the greatest thinkers of 19th materialism! * Thomas Nail, Professor of Philosophy, University of Denver, USA *