Cyrenaic school of philosophy

E46552
ancient Greek philosophical school ethical theory hedonistic school of philosophy

The Cyrenaic school of philosophy was an ancient Greek hedonistic movement, founded in Cyrene, that taught immediate physical pleasure as the highest good and the primary aim of life.

All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Cyrenaic school 9
Cyrenaicism 4
Cyrenaic school of philosophy canonical 3

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient Greek philosophical school
ethical theory
hedonistic school of philosophy
coreTenet future pleasures are uncertain and less important than present pleasures
immediate bodily pleasure is the primary aim of life
knowledge is limited to one’s own sensations
only present experiences are knowable
pleasure and pain are the only intrinsic goods and evils
pleasure is the highest good
self-control is needed to maximize pleasure and avoid pain
virtue is valuable only as a means to pleasure
we cannot know the external world as it is in itself
countryOfOrigin Ancient Greece
linked to: Greek Antiquity
ethicalStance ethical hedonism
psychological hedonism
foundedBy Aristippus of Cyrene
linked to: Aristippus
hasMainInterest epistemology
ethics
hedonism
hasNotableMember Anniceris
Arete of Cyrene
Aristippus of Cyrene
linked to: Aristippus

Aristippus the Younger
linked to: Aristippus

Hegesias of Cyrene
Theodorus the Atheist
historicalSources Cicero
Diogenes Laertius
influenced Epicureanism
later hedonistic ethics
influencedBy Aristippus of Cyrene
linked to: Aristippus

Socratic philosophy
locatedInTheHistoricalRegion Cyrenaica
namedAfter Cyrene
philosophicalSchoolOf Aristippus of Cyrene
linked to: Aristippus
placeOfOrigin Cyrene
subSchool Annicerian school
Hegesiac school
linked to: Annicerian school

Theodorean school
timePeriod 4th century BCE
tradition Hellenic philosophy
Socratic school
linked to: School of Socrates
viewOnFuture discounts long-term calculation in favor of present enjoyment
viewOnKnowledge asserts certainty only of one’s own feelings
skeptical about knowledge of external objects
viewOnPain pain is the greatest evil
viewOnPleasure emphasizes intense, momentary pleasures
prefers bodily pleasures over mental pleasures
viewOnPolitics generally indifferent to political life
viewOnVirtue virtue is instrumental, not an end in itself

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (18)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Cyrene associatedWith Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Aristippus founded Cyrenaic school
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Aristippus philosophicalSchool Cyrenaic school
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Aristippus influenced Cyrenaics
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Aristippus associatedWith Cyrenaics
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Classical period hasPhilosophicalSchool Cyrenaicism
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
School of Socrates influenced Cyrenaic school
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Arete of Cyrene philosophicalSchool Cyrenaic school
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Arete of Cyrene associatedWith Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Kyrenaikē associatedPhilosophicalSchool Cyrenaic school
subject linked to: Kyrenaïkē
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Hellenistic philosophy hasPart Cyrenaic school
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Anniceris memberOf Cyrenaic school
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Anniceris philosophicalSchool Cyrenaicism
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Theodorus the Atheist philosophicalSchool Cyrenaic school
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Annicerian school tradition Cyrenaicism
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Annicerian school relatedTo Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Hegesias of Cyrene memberOf Cyrenaic school
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Hegesias of Cyrene philosophicalSchool Cyrenaicism
linked to: Cyrenaic school of philosophy