Epicurus on the Fear of Death

Paper Summary:

The purpose of this essay is to locate and evaluate an argument in the philosophical work by Epicurus. In a letter he wrote to Menoeceus, Epicurus made an argument against the fear of death. This essay begins with a summary of the argument. Following the summary is the actual argument laid out in 9 premises. Followed by an indepth evaluation of Epicurus' claims against the irrational fear of death.

From the Paper:

"The Argument: In his letter to Menoeceus, Epicurus argues that death is irrelevant to life. Epicurus substantiates this claim by making the distinction that good and bad require awareness while death is the privation of all awareness. His argument suggests that a correct understanding of death will make the transience of life sufficient and satisfying by alleviating the pursuit of immortality. Epicurus further argues that a man is foolish to fear death, because death pains neither the living nor the dead. He contends that it is only the prospect of death that pains man. Epicurus equates the fear of death with the mortal anxiety associated with the anticipation of death. It follows that a wise man will not fear that which pains neither in his presence nor in its absence. Neither will a wise man seek death or cling to life, because life will not vex him and the cessation of life is not something he will perceive as bad. Therefore, if death is the fundamental impetus driving all mortal fears, and death is actually nothing to mortals, then every mortal with a correct understanding of death will fear nothing."

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