Epicure, Epicurean

Eat, drink, and have fun! This could be the motto of Epicurus and his disciples. If death is the final ending, claimed the Greek philosopher, there is no point in wasting our lives on religion that could only restrain us from being happy.

Epicurus (341 BC – 270 BC) believed that the entire world was comprised of microscopic parts, which he called atoms. Unlike Aristotle and Socrates, Epicurus rejected anything that the human eye failed to see; therefore, the only moral code people should follow was their personal perception of good and evil. In other words, nothing could stop you from pursuing your happiness, even if it was frowned upon by others. Unsurprisingly, this apostle of materialism found little understanding among Christians who criticized him for popularizing unabashed consumption.

Even though Epicurus saw perfect harmony in asceticism rather than indulgence, it is the latter that is now widely associated with his name. The noun “epicure,” used to dub someone who either follows Epicurus's teachings or who “enjoys good food and drink,” entered the English language around the year 1380. Within the centuries, the word had acquired a more negative connotation. The Online Etymology Dictionary states that from the first half of the seventeenth century, the eponym began to describe “one who gives himself up to sensual pleasure, especially glutton, sybarite.”

Together with the noun form, came the adjective “epicurean.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary dates it back to 1586 and defines it as “relating to, or suited to an epicure,” that is, to someone who is “devoted to sensual pleasure.” How our perception of what is sensual pleasure has changed throughout the years, shows this New York Times dispatch from 1876: “An epicurean prisoner of state; green peas and cucumbers for a contumacious witness; the expensive habits of a member of the district real estate ring.”

Presently, writers reach for “epicurean” to criticize indulgent, even hedonistic, behavior. Bruce Crumley of Time Magazine reported from Paris that “the turmoil in the world economy is hitting the French where it hurts this epicurean nation hardest – on their dinner tables.” One of the best examples how far people may go to satisfy their urges is the Epicurean Masters of the World, an exclusive series of dinners. For roughly $25,000 per person, anyone can eat meals prepared by the best chefs and taste fine, and of course awfully expensive, wines.

If you have problems with choosing what is the best for you, why don't you ask an epicurean concierge? It is a person, usually working for five-star hotels, who has a great knowledge on the most exquisite and astronomically pricey food and drink. Being an epicure is not a cheap thing.


* For ages philosophers and theologists have been seeking an answer to the Epicurean Paradox (the Riddle of Epicurus). The paradox is the famous question that the Greek philosopher asked his opponents: “If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?” (quote from 2000 Years of Disbelief by James A. Haught) Christians have claimed that God has given people freedom and whatever evil is in this world, it comes from people themselves, not from God. But for epicures it is another prove that they have chosen the right track by neglecting moral scruples and indulging in their wants instead.