Classical Reference Library
Explore the ideas and arguments of the ancient world’s most influential thinkers, from questions of ethics and human nature to knowledge, happiness, society, and our place in the natural world.
STUDENT’S GUIDE · EPICUREAN PHILOSOPHY & THE NATURAL WORLD
An accessible introduction to Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things, with an overview of its six books, explanations of important philosophical ideas, close-reading suggestions, discussion questions, and a classroom activity.
Read resource →CRITICAL ESSAY
Ian Johnston examines Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things, considering its scientific claims, its Epicurean vision of nature, and its enduring influence on Western thought. He argues that the poem’s greatest importance lies not in its science but in its powerful attempt to reshape how we understand nature and our place within it.
Read resource →TEACHER’S GUIDE · EPICUREAN PHILOSOPHY & THE NATURAL WORLD
A guide to teaching Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things, exploring Epicurean philosophy, atoms and void, mortality, the natural world, and the poem’s distinctive use of poetry to communicate philosophical arguments.
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