The Great Ideas: Session Two -- Epicurus and Finding Joy in Simplicity

Exploring Great Ideas: Gardening the Soul

Join us for this series of six sessions, led by the award-winning philosopher Scott Samuelson, on the greatest ideas of ancient Greco-Roman and Chinese philosophy for living a flourishing life. Each session will begin with a brief but comprehensive lecture on one great idea and then move into conversation and exploration of it. No preparation or prior knowledge is required.

Session Two: Epicurus on Finding Joy in Simplicity

No philosopher has given a more penetrating account of the nature of desire than the ancient Greek thinker Epicurus, who cultivated a unique way of simple living that still attracts adherents. We’ll examine his powerful ideas about how our desires can get out of hand and how we can harness them to make the most of the time we have. 

Scott Samuelson is a prominent professor of philosophy, with writing in the Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, and other major outlets. He is the author of Rome as Guide to Life, Seven Ways of Approaching Pointless Suffering, and The Deepest Human Life.

No prior knowledge or reading required. This is your chance to get to know the thinkers and ideasdr

Host or Publisher The Des Moines Lyceum