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On the Nature of Things
by Lucretius
On the Nature of Things by Titus Lucretius Carus (written
around 60 BC) has for centuries been one of the most popular and
influential works from our classical past. The poem is a long,
impassioned plea for a materialistic understanding of the universe and
of human life, without reference to divine creativity or benevolence or
to a future life. Only such a view, Lucretius claims, can liberate human
beings from religious superstitions, irrational fears, and false
ambitions and thus enable us to live successfully. Long celebrated as
the greatest expression of faith in Epicurean philosophy, the poem has
exercised a decisive influence on the development of Western scientific
thought since the Renaissance and is a vitally important part of our
humanist traditions.
Translated by Ian Johnston
Ian Johnston’s new poetic translation brings out the full emotional
range of this great work and captures the restless and intense urgency
of the original text. The English is an accurate rendition of Lucretius
in a fluent modern idiom, so that it makes this important vision of the
world accessible to the modern reader.
The translation includes notes to assist the reader who is encountering
Lucretius for the first time.
Classics/ Philosophy ISBN:
978-1-935238-76-8
USD $19.50
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