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The Fourfold Remedy

Epicurus and the Art of Happiness

John Sellars

$14.99

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English
Penguin
29 March 2022
Epicureanism offers the perfect cure for our anxious age. What can it teach us about the art of happiness?

What do we really need in order to live a happy life? Over two thousand years ago the Greek philosopher Epicurus offered a seemingly simple answer- pleasure. All we really want is pleasure.

Today we tend to associate the word 'Epicurean' with the enjoyment of fine food and wine and decadent self-indulgence. But, as philosopher John Sellars shows, these things are a world away from the vision of a pleasant life developed by Epicurus and his followers, who were more concerned with mental pleasures and avoiding pain. Their goal, in short, was a life of tranquillity.

In vivid, elegant prose, Sellars walks us through the history of Epicureanism from a private garden on the edge of ancient Athens to the streets of ancient Rome, to explore a completely different way of thinking about the pleasures of friendship, our place in the world and the meaning of death. Inspiring and illuminating, The Fourfold Remedy draws on ancient wisdom that feels remarkably relevant today, offering a new way of thinking about what truly matters in our lives.

By:  
Imprint:   Penguin
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 198mm,  Width: 129mm,  Spine: 5mm
Weight:   78g
ISBN:   9780141991658
ISBN 10:   0141991658
Pages:   96
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  ELT Advanced ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

John Sellars is a lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London and a member of Wolfson College, Oxford. He is the author of Lessons in Stoicism and The Art of Living as well as one of the founder members of Modern Stoicism, the group behind Stoic Week, an annual global event inviting members of the public to 'live like a Stoic for a week' to see how it might improve their lives. His books have been translated into ten languages.

Reviews for The Fourfold Remedy: Epicurus and the Art of Happiness

Not only an excellent introduction to the history of Epicurean philosophy, but also a helpful guide to facing the manifold anxieties of modern life * The Idler * Lucid and scholarly * Daily Telegraph * Many have sought therapeutic remedies for anxiety and insomnia as well as advice on how to feel happier. Some ancient Mediterranean answers to such psychological issues can be found in John Sellars's little book. . . Epicureanism can ease contemporary worries, Sellars believes; in some ways it resembles cognitive behavioural therapy * Guardian * In this brief and eloquent book, John Sellars takes us through the basic arguments of Epicureanism with wonderful clarity, distilling the essence of an ancient philosophy that speaks with increasing urgency to our troubled times. It is an exemplary guide, and I recommend it enthusiastically to readers of all ages and all walks of life. -- David Konstan, Professor of Classics, New York University


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