archives@tulane.edu / This study focuses on the ways in which Lucretius instructs us to read his philosophic poem, De rerum natura. Taking our bearings from a little-studied digression in the poem on the types of readers for whom Lucretius writes, we find many passages in which an ostensibly materialist argument gives way to reveal metaphoric applications of what is traditionally taken to be Epicurean theory. Proceeding this way, we hope to establish the possibility that Lucretius can be read as putting Epicureanism to his own use, not just as a poet in search of a topic, but as a philosopher revealing a nuanced understanding of human nature and its need for assurance. We take a close look at Lucretius’ arguments for void, free will, the substance of the soul, his refutation of the myth of the Magna Mater, his mockery of erotic love, his theme centering on utilitas, and finally his statements about Epicurus throughout the poem. Through this novel investigation of key moments and images, we try to establish a serious gap between Lucretius and Epicurus, wherein Lucretius critiques what he presents as a dogmatic program that fails to account for the human being. In doing so, Lucretius points the way to a deeper teaching about the place of the human in nature, the difficulty of seeing nature itself without reference to human interest, and the challenge to materialism of coming to self-knowledge. Ultimately, we argue, Lucretius goes beyond the confident safety of Epicureanism and arrives at his own more zetetic philosophy. / 1 / Alexander Frank Limanowski
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_106650 |
| Date | January 2019 |
| Contributors | Limanowski, Alexander Frank (author), Burger, Ronna (Thesis advisor), School of Liberal Arts Philosophy (Degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Tulane University |
| Source Sets | Tulane University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | electronic, pages: 140 |
| Rights | No embargo, Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law. |
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