Epicureanism and Scientific Debates Vol.1

Epicureanism is not only a defence of pleasure: it is also a philosophy of science and knowledge. This edited collection explores new pathways for the study of Epicurean scientific thought, a hitherto still understudied domain, and engages systematically and critically with existing theories. It shows that the philosophy of Epicurus and his heirs, from antiquity to the classical age, founded a rigorous and coherent conception of knowledge. This first part of a two-volume set examines more specifically the contribution of Epicureanism in the fields of language, medicine, and meteorology (i.e., celestial, geological and atmospheric phenomena). Offering a renewed image of Epicureanism, the book includes studies on the nature of human language and on the linguistic aspects of scientific discourse; on the relationship between Epicureanism and ancient medicine, from Hippocrates to Galen; on meteorological phenomena and the method of explaining them; and on the reception of Epicurus's legacy in Gassendi.

Francesca Masi is Associate Professor of the History of Ancient Philosophy at the University Ca’ Foscari of Venice. Her main research areas are ontology, physics, psychology, and ethics in classical and Hellenistic philosophy. She is the author of several studies on Epicurus and Epicureanism.

Pierre-Marie Morel is Professor of Ancient Philosophy at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He has translated Epicurus and Diogenes of Oinoanda into French. He is also the author of several books and studies on ancient philosophy.

Francesco Verde is Associate Professor of the History of Ancient Philosophy at Sapienza University of Rome. His main research areas are Epicureanism and Aristotelianism of the Hellenistic age.