Epicurus and the Art of Happiness

by Worley, Peter; Konoplyanik, Alexandra

• ISBN13: 9781399806961
• ISBN10: 1399806963
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2025-07-15
• Publisher: Teach Yourself

Summary

Public interest in re-discovering ancient practical wisdom continues to rise, primarily on the back of Stoicism. Epicureanism, invented by the original Greek rockstar, Epicurus, overlaps with Stoicism and offers a more fun way of getting the same results.

EPICURUS AND THE ART OF HAPPINESS draws on contemporary science and psychology to present an accessible, fun, yet philosophically rigorous explanation of the philosophy, addressing how to live a good life; how to seek pleasure and not get sick of it; how to find self-sufficiency and adopt a 'less is more' mentality without having to feel like you're giving something up!

It asks important questions about the essential components of sustainably good living and how we can identify unnecessary distractions from our overall wellbeing. The book is peppered with Epicurean-esque recipes so you will know exactly where to start to live the best kind of life.

Author Biography

Peter and Alexandra both work for The Philosophy Foundation (Peter the co-founder and co-CEO), an award-winning, registered charity that aims to bring philosophy into the public sphere, especially education. Peter is currently undergoing a PhD at Sheffield university and specializes in ancient Greek philosophy and pedagogy (around which Peter is well-published including peer reviewed papers); he has also been a Visiting Research Associate at King's College London since 2014. Both Peter and Alexandra are practising practical philosophers, helping people work through life philosophically through group work and one-on-one consultations, both working internationally in this field.

Alexandra is also Chief Philosophy Officer at Lifeaddwiser, a digital market leader in wellbeing, and a lecturer at Wellbeing Academy, where she is applying philosophical theories of wellbeing, Epicureanism being one of these, to corporate context. A post-graduate in philosophy from LSE, Alexandra has recent publications in academic journals "Ethical Thought" and "Questions of Education".