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This Is A Paper About Epicurus; More Specifically A Critique On Epicurus Letter To Menoeceus. It Is Not The Attempt Of This Pap

This is a paper about Epicurus; more specifically a critique on Epicurus' Letter to Menoeceus. It is not the attempt of this paper to state the complete affect of Epicurus on society nor is it to be exhaustive on the work of the letter to menoeceus due to the limited magnitude of this paper.
Early life and training
Epicurus was born to Neocles (a schoolteacher) and chair Estrate of Samos. Epicurus began to study philosophy at the age of 14. His first mentor was Platonist Pamphilus of Samos. HE was also a student of Nausiphanes of the city of the Ionian City of Teos. (Nausiphanes was a student of Democritus who could explain the origin of Epicurus' atomic theory). At 18 Epicurus went to Athens to perform the two years of military training due for citizenship and for the next ten years nothing is heard of Epicurus. (Britannica)
The Philosophy of Epicurus
    The philosophies of Epicurus stretch across many categories, however the categories for which he is most popular are Physics, Man, and Ethics.
On Physics
    Epicurus philosophy of physics was that of an Atomist. Epicurus believed all matter was capable of being broken down into smaller parts, until finally you got to the atom. Epicurus further states, life consciousness, and the flow of experience are as real as the atoms whose movements produced them. Moreover, time is but an accident of the moving and changing of objects around us. (Edwards Pg. 3-5)

On Man
    The human organism, for Epicurus is also composed of atoms and under going characteristic patterns of change. Body and soul are interdependent; neither can function without the other. Like other atomic compounds, a life from becomes existing when certain conditions are met. They have no creator and no destiny. Epicurus further states, even the seasons are result of atomic process. Atomic films separating from the surface of objects entering the eye, for example, cause sight. (Edwards pg. 3-5)
On Ethics
    Epicurus' doctrine of ethics was crude yet very simple Epicurus placed experience in 1 of 2 categories: pleasurable and painful, pleasurable being the more desirable of the two. If an experience led to pain it should be avoided and if pleasurable, it be strived for.
    The exercise of decerning the two Epicurus called practical wisdom. This measured pleasure against pain. How ever Epicurus states that pains that lead to greater pleasure is to be desired, just as pleasure that leads to greater pains is to be avoided.
Letter to

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