Epicureanism as a philosophical alternative to Greek religion. The theology of Epicurus as an impor-tant element of Epicurean “Care for the Soul”

Abstract

The philosophy of Epicurus of Samos could have been perceived by the ancien Greeks as an alternative to their religion and classical philosophy. Epicurus questioned almost all of the most important “dogmas” of the religious and philosophical tradition of the Greeks – as the source of various superstitions and fears that torment people and do not allow them to enjoy a life in harmony with nature. He proposed his philosophy as a kind of “therapy for the soul.” His theological thought was an important element of this therapy, a philosophical “care for the health of the soul.”