by Linda Wendler

For his third presentation to HSGP James Richardson, PhD, discussed two humanists, kindred souls separated by 1600 years. The earlier humanist was the Roman poet Lucretius who lived in the first century BCE. The later humanist was the 16th century French essayist Montaigne whose works and life embodied most of the teachings of Lucretius.

We know little about Lucretius and it was only by luck that a copy of a copy of his masterpiece, On the Nature of Things, was discovered in a remote monastery in Germany early in the 15th century by a Florentine book hunter. Written in poetic form, this work delineates the philosophy of Epicurus, a Greek active in the 4th century BCE. Lucretius anticipated modern thought by describing all matter as made up of atoms in constant motion. Although this motion is generally toward the center of the earth, atoms are free to move in unexpected directions or swerve, which eliminates determinism and makes possible the concept of free will. All natural phenomena have natural explanations. Religions, on the other hand, arise from men's ignorance and their fears, especially their fear of death.

Lucretius is especially concerned to reduce the human fear of death. He believed there was no afterlife or immortality because body and soul need each other and their atoms disperse after death. Death is the end of suffering and its inevitability is to be met with dignity, not terror. He followed Epicurus on what constitutes a good life: one devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. Epicurus was not a hedonist and believed that excess leads to pain. It is the fear of death that leads humans to pursue wealth and power to excess; it is the resultant pride and envy that poisons human relationships.

The Epicurean ideal is a group of friends gathered in a quiet garden conversing amiably on matters of significant mutual interest. Epicureanism is not an activist morality but is better suited to retirees with the goal of a peace of mind that makes one content with what was has without worrying about what others possess.

Thus Lucretius' great poem presents a comprehensive account of what it is good for us to believe and contains useful precepts on how we should live. It was under-appreciated in the West for a thousand years and in fact was regarded as sinful.

By the time that Florentine book hunter had a new copy made of Lucretius' work, the intellectual climate had changed and the learned of Renaissance Europe were reading ancient works in the original languages. They were not always looking for precursors to Christian beliefs and practices and were more open to the ideas in the original texts.

The second humanist, Montaigne, managed to combine a close reading of Lucretius with at least a nominal commitment to Catholicism. The fact that an open assertion of atheism could easily bring in the hangman may have encouraged prudence in his overt religious decisions.

A major difference between Montaigne and Lucretius is that the latter believed that our senses were trustworthy although our minds might misinterpret the information. Montaigne was a skeptic among whose favorite sayings was the question “What do I know?” The Reformation was a period of epistemological crisis in which the problem of knowledge as well as theology were major issues. Montaigne concluded that we cannot have knowledge but that uncertainty is our lot, leading him say that it is better to be guided by custom and established institutions rather than our fallible minds.

As opposed to our lack of information about Lucretius, we know a lot about Montaigne because his great subject was himself. He invented the essay form and four hundred years later his writings still hold great appeal to readers. In an early essay, “That to philosophize is to learn how to die”, Montaigne closely follows Lucretius in saying that death is inevitable, that it is nothing to fear and that such fear makes it impossible for the soul to be at rest and enjoy happiness. Richardson provided numerous quotes from Montaigne that are as applicable today as they were when written.

The works of Lucretius and Montaigne continue to this day to influence thinkers, from David Hume and Thomas Jefferson, to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. to the contemporary author Sherwin Nuland, author of a book entitled How We Die.

HSGP Chapter Profile

In early 2011, Eric Nguyen of the American Humanist Association interviewed Shelley Newman, HSGP's president at that time. The interview serves as a profile of the Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix, including a brief history of the organization.

Read the interview on the American Humanist Association Website.

Breakfast

At our regular Sunday meetings, breakfast is offered for sale to members and guests for $5.00. For coffee only, the charge is $1.00. If you would like to have coffee and/or food, please pay at the welcome desk by the entrance door. Of course, donations are always gratefully accepted as well.

For your convenience, the membership desk is immediately behind the welcome desk at each Sunday meeting. Stop by to join or renew your membership in HSGP, or to update your records such as your email address.