Epikouros are certainly not a keen atheist of the progressive definition of the term. He believed regarding lifestyle away from deities, but the guy thought that the latest gods were fairly primary beings and they’d no wedding whatsoever during the human activities. In the Letter to Menoikeus, one of many about three extant emails which can be a portion of the provide for many regarding whatever you know about his teachings, Epikouros themselves produces, since the translated on English by Robert Drew Hicks:
“First accept that [a god] is an income being immortal and you may pleased, with regards to the concept of a god expressed from the popular sense of human beings; and so away from him whatever was at agrees perhaps not with regarding your almost any get uphold each other their happyness https://datingranking.net/de/muslimische-dating-sites/ and his awesome immortality. For it’s you will find gods, and you can experience with him or her is obvious; however they are not for instance the plethora faith, seeing that people don’t steadfastly retain the notions it form valuing him or her. Maybe not the one who rejects the brand new gods worshipped of the variety, but he which affirms of your own gods exactly what the wide range believes about the subject is truly impious. To your utterances of your own number concerning gods aren’t true preconceptions but untrue assumptions; which it’s your top evils accidentally the fresh wicked and finest blessings affect the nice regarding the hand of your gods, seeing as he or she is usually good to their own good characteristics and savor someone wish by themselves, however, deny once the alien any type of isn’t of its form.”
- Epikouros shown some s...