The following essay was written for Society of Epicurus. I am sharing it here as well because SNS offers a space to consider questions of identity, ritual, community, and meaning without supernatural claims. Eikas is a tradition that goes back 2,300 years, and Epicurean philosophy has affinity with many of our modern ideas about the … Read more
Epicurean philosophy is a Hellenistic tradition that emerged mainly from the convergence of the atomist physics of Democritus and Leucippus–who posited that all things were made of atoms and whose ideas set the stage for modern physics–and the pleasure ethics of the Cyrenaics–Aristippus the Elder and the Younger, Anniceris, and a few others–, which posits … Read more
Guest writer Aron Gamman explores the compatibility of Naturalism and Judaism…
Just as naturalistic streams have risen in Judaism, Buddhism, and more; even Christianity has emerging naturalistic versions today. These Christians are much like Thomas Jefferson, who view the example given in the story of Jesus as a guide for living, but deny any supernatural aspects (Jefferson even created a bible with all of the supernatural … Read more
Caveat on ‘God talk’ Spiritual Naturalism is a broad category of thought and practice. It’s unifying principles are: (1) an approach to life that stresses the essential perspectives, principles, and practices conducive to the good/flourishing life; and (2) a naturalistic worldview, and by implication the rational and humble approach to knowledge and claims associated with … Read more
by Ted Meissner Buddhism is a term inclusive of the teachings and practices of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha or “enlightened one”, from the 5th century BCE in the Indian subcontinent. There are two major branches of traditional Buddhism: Theravada (“The School of the Elders”) and Mahayana (“The Great Vehicle”), with new development … Read more
Taoism (also spelled Daoism) is a life philosophy and practice of living in harmony with the Tao. Tao means ‘way’ or ‘path’ – a sort of double meaning, as both the ‘way of Nature’ and the ‘way to happiness’. The primary source of Taoist teaching is called the Tao Te Ching, which could be translated … Read more
