De rerum natura

the Apology by Plato setting in 399 BCE and De Rerum Natura by Titus Lucretius 300 years later. Titus Lucretius, an atheist or agnostic Roman poet and philosopher inspired by the works of Epicurus. Lucretius believed in the theory of atomism which lead to materialistic thinking and how atomism affects how one should view the purpose of life especially at the end of one’s life. Lucretius has written his thoughts on death at Book III of De Rerum Natura – the translation used is by Rolfe Humphries

In his only extant work, the poem De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things), Epicurean author Titus Lucretius Carus writes of the soul as being inseparable from the corporeal body. This view, although controversial in its opposition to the traditional concept of a discrete, immortal soul, is nevertheless more than a mere novelty. The argument that Lucretius makes for the soul being an emergent property of interactions between physical particles is in fact more compelling and well-supported now than

Lucretius was a Roman poet and philosopher who wrote “De rerum natura” (On the Nature of Things), an epic poem widely regarded as one of the most influential works in history of literature, and science. In addition to his doctrinal and scientific impact, Lucretius exerted a profounded influence on countless later philosophers and scientists. Very little is known about the life of Lucretius. He was born in 99 BC, according to most accounts. Jerome a prominent Roman clergyman, wrote that

Before the scientific revolution, controversy, alienation, and even imprisonment was what many new developing thinkers faced. Proposed ideas that challenged the teachings of the churches sparked controversy. Their early negative response has since then led many to believe religion clashes with science and obstructs the understanding of the natural world. However, faith and knowledge have been wrongly separated into two different groups and their cohesiveness has been over looked. This will be examined

Titus Lucretius Carus was a philosopher who lived during the first century B.C. who is renown for his poem De Rerum Natura or The Nature of Things. The poem explores Lucretius’ ideas on various topics, notably theism, happiness, death, physics and the human soul. His ideas tend to reflect values commonly associated with the Atomists and the Epicureans, the former consists of philosophers believing that all tangible things can be broken down into indivisible particles called atoms, and the latter

In his work, On the Nature of Things (De Rerum Natura), Lucretius sought to address “superstitious fears and unscientific notions” that were embedded in his state’s (Rome) religion (450). He recalls the story of King Agamemnon having to sacrifice his daughter to appease Artemis. Upon this recollection, he makes the claim that religion is wicked. However, unlike Lucretius’s belief, true religious faithfulness, as it relates to the Biblical God, does not lead to wickedness, but rather offers redemption

On the Nature of Things, known also by its original Latin title De Rerum Natura, is a 1st century B.C. poem written by the Roman poet and philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus. The poem was written with the purpose of explaining the philosophy of the ancient Greek philosopher, Epicurus, to the common Roman audience of the time. Lucretius was born c. 99 B.C. and died around 55 B.C. Lucretius was a follower of Epicureanism. This philosophy sought to refute myth and legends that gods were responsible for

The chart above shows how Lucretius’ arranged his poem to combat his two main targets: the fear of death the fear of the gods. In Books 1 & 2, Lucretius’ expounds upon his atomic theory of indestructible particles, which cause an everlasting cycle of combination and separation, creation and destruction, and birth and death. Everything in the universe is composed of these particles, thus everything is mortal. Book 3 is dependent on the two previous books as it brings the ethical implication to the

Lucretius, a Roman philosopher, was greatly inspired by the teachings of Epicurus. In Lucretius’s book, On the Nature of Things, he expands on many Epicurean principles and at times even alters them. “Nothing comes from nothing”, the first principle that Lucretius endorses, is essential to his argument for the origin of the world. Using this principle, Lucretius against the accepted Roman religion by adding the concept that “divine intervention” is not the root of creation, instead he gives credit

Lucretius’ beliefs and Philosophical Remedy In Lucretius’ poem, On the Nature of Things, Lucretius makes his famous claim that religion “subverts all reasoned thought / and turns your life to terror and confusion” (1.106-107). Since Lucretius is against the idea, his entire poem is completely based on providing facts and helping people cope with the idea of death. Since Lucretius was a man that believed in science, physics and logical reasoning, his claim against religion had a lot to do with