The Ethics of Epicurus and its Relation to Contemporary Doctrines

This is the first English translation of a compelling and highly  original reading of Epicurus by Jean-Marie Guyau. This book has long  been recognized as one of the best and most concerted attempts to  explore one of the most important, yet controversial ancient  philosophers whose thought, Guyau claims, remains vital to modern and  contemporary culture. Throughout the text we are introduced to the  origins of the philosophy of pleasure in Ancient Greece, with Guyau  clearly demonstrating how this idea persists through the history of  philosophy and how it is an essential trait in the Western tradition.
With  an introduction by Keith Ansell-Pearson and Federico Testa, which  contextualizes the work of Guyau within the canon of French thought, and  notes on both further reading and on Epicurean scholarship more  generally, this translation also acts as a critical introduction to the  philosophy of Guyau and Epicurus.