I've been meaning to look into Epicureanism ever since it was mentioned in regard to Thomas Jefferson at a "Wines of the Continental Congress" wine tasting in Philadelphia. I have yet to do so, but here is a preliminary definition:
"Epicureanism is a system of philosophy based upon the teachings of Epicurus... Epicurus believed that what he called "pleasure" is the greatest good, but the way to attain such pleasure is to live modestly and to gain knowledge of the workings of the world and the limits of one's desires. This led one to attain a state of tranquility (ataraxia) and freedom from fear, as well as absence of bodily pain (aponia). The combination of these two states is supposed to constitute happiness in its highest form. Although Epicureanism is a form of hedonism, insofar as it declares pleasure to be the sole intrinsic good, its conception of absence of pain as the greatest pleasure and its advocacy of a simple life make it different from "hedonism" as it is commonly understood." -- (Wikipedia)
