Lucrèce
Atoms swerve slightly by chance (the clinamen): this is what makes the will free.
Life
Lucretius (Titus Lucretius Carus, c. 99-55 BC) was a Roman poet. His six-book poem De rerum natura sets out the philosophy of Epicurus in verse: the world is made of atoms and void, the soul dies with the body, and the gods do not care about us. He brings in the swerve of atoms (the clinamen) to save freedom, and argues that death is nothing to us. Very little is known of his life.
Main works
A six-book poem: atoms, the mortal soul, the origin of the world, and fear of gods and death overcome by knowing nature.
In his own words
« Death, then, is nothing to us and does not concern us at all, since the nature of the mind is held to be mortal. »
Nil igitur mors est ad nos neque pertinet hilum, quandoquidem natura animi mortalis habetur.
« If all motion is always linked, a new motion always rising from the old in a fixed order, and if atoms by swerving do not make some beginning of motion that breaks the laws of fate… »
Denique si semper motu conectitur omnis et vetere exoritur motus novus ordine certo nec declinando faciunt primordia motus principium quoddam, quod fati foedera rumpat
Positions
click a row to see the evidenceThe gods exist but live in peace, far from the world, and neither made it nor care about us.
Lucrèce, De rerum natura (vers 55 av. J.-C.), livres I, II et V
The senses are the first source of truth; reason cannot contradict them.
Lucrèce, De rerum natura (vers 55 av. J.-C.), livre IV
The mind and soul are made of fine atoms and die with the body.
Lucrèce, De rerum natura (vers 55 av. J.-C.), livre III
The swerve of atoms (clinamen) breaks strict necessity and makes free will possible.
Lucrèce, De rerum natura (vers 55 av. J.-C.), livre II
Following Epicurus, the good is pleasure and freedom from pain and fear, which guide what we should do.
Lucrèce, De rerum natura (vers 55 av. J.-C.)
Nature was not made for us by the gods and death is nothing to us: no design is given, what remains is to live in serenity.
Lucrèce, De rerum natura (vers 55 av. J.-C.), livres III et V