Chance and Deliberate Restraint within Epicurean Science
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2025-08-17
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en
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This paper re-examines the scholarly debate on the nature of chanceevents within the Epicurean cosmos, through a historiographical critique of key scholars: Jean-Marie Guyau (1878/2022), Philip DeLacy (1969) and A.A Long (1977/2006). While these scholars dispute whether chance-events in the cosmos oppose determinism, their reliance on extratextual speculation renders their disagreement fundamentally methodological rather than exegetical in nature. This observation, as argued by this paper, provides sufficient ground for a new exegetical interpretation. Central to this interpretation is the claim that Epicureans deliberately restraint themselves from a deep inquiry into the nature of chance-events, since it is superfluous to the pursuit of ‘mental tranquility’ (ἁταραξία). In conclusion, this paper maintains that the absence of textual support for the scholarly positions should not be considered as a lacuna requiring to be filled, but should rather be seen as deliberate and consistent with the overall aim of Epicurean science.
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Faculteit der Filosofie, Theologie en Religiewetenschappen