Epicurus of Samos - The seeker of tranquility (341 BCE-270 BCE)

Greek philosopher Epicurus is known for developing the simple pleasure, friendship, and retirement ethics. He was a prolific author who produced 37 volumes, but sadly, just a few pieces and four letters have survived. Many others who came after him were influenced by his views, including Lucretius of Rome and his work On the Nature of Things as well as the utilitarians Jeremy Bentham and J.S. Mill. He established philosophical schools that persisted from the fourth century BC until the fourth century AD. In Athens, he established the Epicurean school. The primary goal of the Epicureans was happiness, which they believed could be attained by being free from worry and fear. In Epicurus' opinion, inquiry is useless if it doesn't lead to mental tranquility. According to his theory, the cosmos is made up of "atoms" and the "void."

At the juvenile age of 14, sources claim that he had lost faith in his professors. He shared Aristotle's empiricist philosophy and thought that all knowledge is derived from one's senses. His new way of thinking was essentially based on the notion of avoiding pain and pursuing pleasure. Epicureanism promotes a contented and peaceful lifestyle. His greatest attributes are freedom, ataraxia (peace of mind), and the lack of suffering and terror. Friendships and self-sufficiency are essential for a happy existence. In order to obtain ataraxia, according to Epicurus, we must pursue pleasure since it is ethically acceptable. In this sense, even suffering may be advantageous if it results in mental tranquility. His early teachings were anything but hedonism, despite the fact that his name and ideology have been misinterpreted and associated with it. Because of his early education, it is clear that Epicurus was greatly affected by the ideas of Plato, Aristotle, and—most significantly—Democritus. His teachings gradually attracted a number of devoted disciples, even winning over slaves and women.