De Rerum Natura, Vol 1 by Lucretius
The poem opens by laying out an Epicurean natural philosophy: the universe is made of innumerable indivisible atoms moving in the void, their random motions and occasional ‘swerve’ giving rise to all physical phenomena; souls and sensations are material and perish with the body, so death is nothing to fear. It argues that the gods, if they exist, are distant and uninterested in human affairs, and that careful observation and reasoning about nature — rather than superstition or divine intervention — explain weather, celestial phenomena, and life’s workings. The aim is to free readers from fear of gods and death by showing how a material, lawful cosmos allows for tranquility and rational living.
- Published
- -54
- Nationality
- Roman
- Length
- Unknown
- Pages
- Unknown
- Original Language
- Latin
- Avg User Rating
- No ratings yet
- Alternate Titles
-
- De rerum natura libri sex
- On the Nature of Things
This book is not currently on any lists.