Epicureanism at the Origins of Modernity

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Religious, Science & Nature, Science
Cover of the book Epicureanism at the Origins of Modernity by Catherine Wilson, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Catherine Wilson ISBN: 9780191608155
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: June 19, 2008
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: Catherine Wilson
ISBN: 9780191608155
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: June 19, 2008
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

This landmark study examines the role played by the rediscovery of the writings of the ancient atomists, Epicurus and Lucretius, in the articulation of the major philosophical systems of the seventeenth century, and, more broadly, their influence on the evolution of natural science and moral and political philosophy. The target of sustained and trenchant philosophical criticism by Cicero, and of opprobrium by the Christian Fathers of the early Church, for its unflinching commitment to the absence of divine supervision and the finitude of life, the Epicurean philosophy surfaced again in the period of the Scientific Revolution, when it displaced scholastic Aristotelianism. Both modern social contract theory and utilitarianism in ethics were grounded in its tenets. Catherine Wilson shows how the distinctive Epicurean image of the natural and social worlds took hold in philosophy, and how it is an acknowledged, and often unacknowledged presence in the writings of Descartes, Gassendi, Hobbes, Boyle, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley. With chapters devoted to Epicurean physics and cosmology, the corpuscularian or "mechanical" philosophy, the question of the mortality of the soul, the grounds of political authority, the contested nature of the experimental philosophy, sensuality, curiosity, and the role of pleasure and utility in ethics, the author makes a persuasive case for the significance of materialism in seventeenth-century philosophy without underestimating the depth and significance of the opposition to it, and for its continued importance in the contemporary world. Lucretius's great poem, On the Nature of Things, supplies the frame of reference for this deeply-researched inquiry into the origins of modern philosophy. .

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This landmark study examines the role played by the rediscovery of the writings of the ancient atomists, Epicurus and Lucretius, in the articulation of the major philosophical systems of the seventeenth century, and, more broadly, their influence on the evolution of natural science and moral and political philosophy. The target of sustained and trenchant philosophical criticism by Cicero, and of opprobrium by the Christian Fathers of the early Church, for its unflinching commitment to the absence of divine supervision and the finitude of life, the Epicurean philosophy surfaced again in the period of the Scientific Revolution, when it displaced scholastic Aristotelianism. Both modern social contract theory and utilitarianism in ethics were grounded in its tenets. Catherine Wilson shows how the distinctive Epicurean image of the natural and social worlds took hold in philosophy, and how it is an acknowledged, and often unacknowledged presence in the writings of Descartes, Gassendi, Hobbes, Boyle, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley. With chapters devoted to Epicurean physics and cosmology, the corpuscularian or "mechanical" philosophy, the question of the mortality of the soul, the grounds of political authority, the contested nature of the experimental philosophy, sensuality, curiosity, and the role of pleasure and utility in ethics, the author makes a persuasive case for the significance of materialism in seventeenth-century philosophy without underestimating the depth and significance of the opposition to it, and for its continued importance in the contemporary world. Lucretius's great poem, On the Nature of Things, supplies the frame of reference for this deeply-researched inquiry into the origins of modern philosophy. .

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book Shakespeare's Comedies: A Very Short Introduction by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book Principles of International Criminal Law by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book Luminescence Spectroscopy of Semiconductors by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book Chance and Temporal Asymmetry by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book Counter-Revolution by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book Richard Dawkins by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book De Gustibus by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book EU Law in Judicial Review by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book Europe Undivided by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book How to Think About Analysis by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book Antarctic Lakes by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book Necessary Existence by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book Veiling Esther, Unveiling Her Story by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book The Error of Truth by Catherine Wilson
Cover of the book Explaining Criminal Careers by Catherine Wilson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy