Epicurus

Epicurus (Greek: Ἐπίκουρος, Epíkouros, "ally, comrade"; 341–270 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosopher and the founder of the school of philosophy called Epicureanism. Only a few fragments and letters of Epicurus' 300 written works remain. Much of what is known about Epicurean philosophy derives from later followers and commentators.

For Epicurus, the purpose of philosophy was to attain the happy, tranquil life, characterized by ataraxia — peace and freedom from fear —and aponia —the absence of pain—and by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends. He taught that pleasure and pain are measures of what is good and evil; death is the end of both body and soul and should therefore not be feared; the gods neither reward nor punish humans; the universe is infinite and eternal; and events in the world are ultimately based on the motions and interactions of atoms moving in empty space.

Epicurus in Worldwar
Epicurus' name was the basis of the Hebrew and Yiddish word apikoros, meaning someone who doesn't believe nor practice a religion, most often for the reason that gods are seen as unscientific. Dr. Reuven Russie mused that a good education could make one an apikoros, but his father Dr. Moishe Russie told him that it didn't have to.

Russie senior added that he considered Epicurus a good man, even though most rabbis regarded him as a bad man. The primary Jewish objection to Epicurus was not so much to his ideas, as much as that he was not one of theirs. Epicureanism had led many people to forsake Judaism during the days before the Maccabee Revolt, just as the Race's monetary incentive to Emperor-worship was doing in 1960s Palestine.