Hellenistic

Epicurus is infamous for thinking that pleasure is the good. But surprisingly, he says the highest pleasure is mere absence of pain. In this episode, Peter enjoys the challenge of trying to understand why.

Peter begins to examine the philosophy of Epicurus, focusing on his empiricist theory of knowledge and his atomic physics.

Peter considers Aristippus and the Cyrenaics, a group of hedonistic philosophers who were in touch with their feelings… but nothing else.

In this episode we unleash the most outrageous ancient philosophers, Diogenes and the Cynics, and their quest to “deface the currency” by exposing the hypocrisy of Greek society.

Peter introduces the Hellenistic philosophical schools – the Cynics, Epicureans, Stoics, and Skeptics – and asks how they responded to earlier thinkers.

In these episodes, Peter considers the contribution of the main schools of the Hellenistic age: the Stoics, Epicureans, and Skeptics, and also discusses their reception in the Roman empire. Minor schools like the Cynics and Cyrenaics are also included. With interviews from James Warren, David Sedley, John Sellars, Raphael Woolf, A.A. Long and R.J. Hankinson.

Further Reading

A good place to start, with helpful texts and commentary is: