Epicurean Therapy
What I Overlooked and Why It Matters
In my previous essay I tackled the question “Why are Stoics More Popular Than Epicureans?” In it, I suggested that one of Stoicism's key advantages over Epicureanism was its connection to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Stoicism, I argued, had an appeal to those suffering from past traumas that Epicureans, with our emphasis on avoiding unnecessary suffering and cultivating emotional stability, couldn't match.
I was wrong.
Recent subscribers Matthias E. and Hiram Crespo, pointed out that I had overlooked a rich therapeutic tradition within Epicureanism. I’m going to cover some of those points in this essay, particularly the writings of Philodemus. Not only can Epicureanism match Stoicism's therapeutic practices—in many ways, it offers an even more sophisticated approach to mental well-being.
The Ancient Therapy You've Never Heard Of
Stoicism is rightly well-known for its useful mental framing techniques and emotional management strategies. As Marcus Aurelius said–
"If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgment of them. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment now."
But consult the writings of Philodemus of Gadara, a 1st Century Greek who helped to promote Epicureanism in Rome, and you'll find something remarkable: a complete system of therapeutic practices that feels surprisingly modern.
Philodemus wrote on a range of subjects, probably drawing from extant writings by Epicurus which are lost to us in our time.
Take anger management, for instance. Where Stoics generally advocated for suppressing strong emotions, Philodemus offered something more nuanced. His scroll “On Anger” reads like a modern psychological framework: anger can be rational or irrational, natural or unnatural.
Anger is natural and that’s why it can’t be avoided. In this way, his insight isn’t so different from the Stoic idea that a true sage will have the same initial reaction to stimulus but will respond differently because of his training. But Philodemus doesn’t tell us to banish our anger.
Instead, he suggests that anger can be "redeemed" if channeled productively toward pleasure. We shouldn’t try to fight our emotions but instead try to use them. If this sounds familiar, it's because it’s not far from what modern therapists teach about emotional regulation.
Death, Anxiety, and Ancient Solutions
"Death is nothing to us, since when we exist, death is not present, and when death is present, we do not exist." That's Principal Doctrine 2, and it's not just a philosophical statement—it's a therapeutic technique for reframing our relationship with mortality. Epicurus didn't just tell people not to fear death; he gave them practical tools to overcome that fear.
Lucretius took this further with his symmetry argument: why fear what comes after death when we don't fear what came before birth? Philodemus even devoted an entire scroll to death anxiety, creating what might be the world's first comprehensive treatment manual for existential dread.
What makes this manual particularly remarkable is its comprehensiveness. It doesn't just offer platitudes about accepting death. Instead, it provides specific techniques for addressing different aspects of death anxiety. Whether you're worried about the process of dying, the state of being dead, or the impact of death on your loved ones, Philodemus has specific therapeutic approaches for each concern.
The manual even anticipates common objections and resistance to treatment. Anyone who's ever been to therapy knows that simple logical arguments often aren't enough to overcome deep-seated fears. Philodemus understood this, which is why his manual includes strategies for dealing with emotional as well as intellectual resistance to therapeutic insights.
Modern therapists treating death anxiety still use many of the same basic approaches found in Philodemus' text: cognitive restructuring, exposure to death-related thoughts in a safe context, and the development of more adaptive perspectives on mortality.
Rethinking Therapeutic Traditions
The Kyriai Doxai (Principal Doctrines) functions as what Crespo aptly calls a "pharmacopia of the soul"—a collection of remedies for various psychological ailments. As Epicurus himself pointed out, the goal of philosophy should be to offer healing to practitioners. The Tetrapharmakos or “four-fold remedy” is an example of a quick mnemonic that helps to keep anxiety at bay:
Don’t Fear the Gods (or Supernatural)
Don’t Fear Death
What is good is easy to get
What is awful is easy to endure
Treat these simple phrases as your lodestar and you’ll have fewer issues. As above, it’s not as easy as simply saying “don’t fear death” in order to lose all fear of it. The point isn’t to become impervious to all fear. It’s to remind yourself of the insights you’ve already learned.
So why did I overlook these therapeutic elements? I’ll admit that while I was aware of Philodemus there is a lot about his writings that I didn’t know. I’m grateful to those who have been studying Epicureanism for a long time for sharing their insights.
A New Perspective
Does this mean we should abandon CBT Stoicism's therapeutic insights? Of course not. But it does mean we need to stop treating Stoicism as the only ancient philosophy with practical therapeutic value. Epicureanism offers a sophisticated—and in many ways more modern—approach to psychological well-being.
In fact, maybe it's time we stopped treating these philosophies as competitors. Both offer valuable tools for mental health. The real question isn't which philosophy is better, but how we can best use these ancient insights to address modern suffering.
Ειρήνη και Ασφάλεια
Peace and Safety