Public Law Studies Quarterly

An Introduction to the Concepts of Law and State in Epicureanism

Document Type : Article

Authors

Navid Sheydaei 1
Mohammad Javad Javid 2

1 PHD Student in Public law, university of Tehran, Tehran, Iran‎

2 Prof., Department of Public law, Faculty of Law , university of Tehran, Tehran, Iran‎

https://doi.org/10.22059/jplsq.2022.339319.3092
Abstract
Since Epicurus is known as a philosopher who generally advocates hedonism, it is believed that he cannot have a political or social theory. Few traces of him have remained. The difficulty of researching about him increases when we want to go beyond the essence of his philosophy and discuss its tangible legal and social dimensions. Although the importance of Epicurus's philosophy is due to the fact that the study of the philosophy of this period in the post-Renaissance centuries, with the formation of utilitarian schools and subsequently public law and government theory, seems to prove this point. Epicurean philosophy, based on its approach to the philosophy of life and encouraging people to live a life away from suffering and by limiting themselves to less troublesome pleasures, also in the social field, calls people to stay away from the political field and define their own happiness, beyond the reach of the government. The Epicurean state is a small, minimal state formed under the contract of individuals not to harm them, and these institutions are made by human beings who pursue tangible goals.

Keywords

Epicureanism
government
justice
law social contract
utilitarianism
Subjects

  1. English

    1. A) books
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    1. B) Articles
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    1. C) websites
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    "Epistemology "Edited by Matthew McGrath (Washington University in St. Louis), available online at: https://philpapers.org/browse/epistemology

     

    References in Persian:

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    1. B) Articles
    2. Ghazal Ayagh, H. Q. (1938). Epicurus. Journal of Armaghan, 19(3), 177-182 (In Persian).
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Public Law Studies Quarterly
Volume 54, Issue 2 - Serial Number 38
Summer 2024
Spring 2024
Pages 843-860

  • Receive Date 01 June 2022
  • Revise Date 24 July 2022
  • Accept Date 11 September 2022

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