Epicurean Justice

Abstract

Epicurus (341–270 B.C.) is one of the first social contract theorists, holding that justice is an agreement neither to harm nor be harmed. He also says that living justly is necessary and sufficient for living pleasantly, which is the Epicurean goal. Some say that there are two accounts of justice in Epicurus — one as a personal virtue, the other as a virtue of institutions. I argue that the personal virtue derives from compliance with just social institutions, and so we need to attribute only one account of justice to Epicurus. I show how this interpretation makes sense of claims about justice by Epicurus and his followers, including Hermarchus, Lucretius, and Diogenes of Oinoanda.

Keywords: social contract, contractarianism, Epicurus, Epicureanism, Lucretius, Hermarchus, Diogenes of Oinoanda, Diogenes of Oenoanda, justice