Plutarch and Epicureanism

Abstract

After Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, Epicurus is the philosopher most frequently mentioned in the Plutarchan corpus. One may reasonably wonder: Why did Plutarch dedicate considerable energy, as it seems, to combating Epicurean philosophy, whether in self-contained treatises or through anti-Epicurean arguments embedded in his other works? And if he is so hostile toward Epicurus and his school, of what use to us is his, supposedly, biased testimony and his impassionate interpretation of Epicurean doctrines? Overall, what are we to make of Plutarch's engagement with the philosophy of the Garden? In this chapter the author discusses the first question by considering the intellectual and philosophical background of Plutarch's work and the place of Epicureanism in it. The second and third questions are explored by looking more closely into the way in which Plutarch interpreted and interacted with the philosophy of the Garden in his three extant anti-Epicurean works.

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