Chapter 9: Epicurus’ physics: the gods and providence
Random number: 39
Epicurus comes from the Hellenistic age, and was known as 'The Master of Happiness'. Epicurus proposed a Tetrapharmakos (or 'Four-Fold-Remedy') to living a happy life (as he believed that happiness was the state of complete absence from pain). "God presents no fears, death no worries. And while good is readily attainable, evil is readily endurable". In Epicurus' physics, Epicurus explains how the Gods could not have created the world, and so they should not pose any fears to us.
Epicurus borrows Atomism from Democritus, and proposes that there an infinite number of atoms in an infinite space, and they randomly move and collide to create an infinite number of worlds. Epicurus rejects the idea that the Gods have created our world for multiple reasons. Firstly, the Gods are perfect beings, so what would cause them to take on the task of creating a universe? They enjoy a blessed happiness, and no new impulse could make them change from that state. They certainly didn't create the world for our sake, it's not as if before existing we were suffering and crying out to be created, that would be ridiculous.
Secondly, how did the God's create the universe without a model or a blueprint created by nature? Epicurus' idea that there are an infinite number of atoms colliding and rearranging in every possible arrangement solves this conundrum, as it would not be awry to think that over the infinitude of time an arrangement just happened to bring about our world.
Thirdly, the world isn't even a beneficial place. Much of the earth's surface is uninhabitable, and the animals that live in those environments have to do the best they can just to survive. A child, when he or she is born, isn't able to survive by themself, and wails in misery. If the earth was created by the Gods as a divine gift, this seems like a very bad gift to me.
For Epicurus, the Gods exist, but they are not concerned with us (for why would they be?) The Gods are blessed, and what is blessed is tranquil, i.e. it is free from duties and has peace of mind. If the Gods truly created and ruled the world, it doesn't seem like they would be very tranquil, in fact quite the opposite. The Gods must be outside the world and unconcerned with it.
For this reason, we shouldn't bother ourselves with the Gods. In other words, we shouldn't be worried about divine punishment or anything of the sort, for the Gods do not care about us.