Q0429
“It is impossible to live pleasantly without living wisely, finely, and justly.” — Epicurus (Letter to Menoeceus)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Letter to Menoeceus. Theme: life.
English
It is impossible to live pleasantly without living wisely, finely, and justly.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Letter to Menoeceus and files it under Epicureanism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Epicurus
Epicurus (341–270 BCE) founded the Garden school in Athens, teaching atomist physics and a therapy of desire aimed at ataraxia. He admitted women and slaves as students and wrote extensively; most works are lost, leaving letters and maxims plus Lucretius’s later poem.
How to read this passage
Life is both a biological fact and a practical project. Philosophers debate flourishing, suffering, mortality, and the standards by which a biography can be judged successful or wasted. This passage enters that discussion through life, wisdom, justice.
Concepts in this quote
- Life
- Philosophy quotes about life ask what makes a life good, meaningful, or worth examining—questions that drive ethics, religion, and everyday decision.
- Wisdom
- Wisdom is practical insight under uncertainty: knowing what matters, what one does not know, and how to act without false certainty.
- Justice
- Justice concerns fairness, rights, desert, and the arrangement of institutions that claim to treat people as equals.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Epicurus. (n.d.). It is impossible to live pleasantly without living wisely, finely, and justly. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0429
MLA: Epicurus. “It is impossible to live pleasantly without living….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0429.
Chicago: Epicurus. “It is impossible to live pleasantly without living….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0429.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “It is impossible to live pleasantly without living…”?
The passage is attributed to Epicurus, Letter to Menoeceus. The archive attributes this English wording to Letter to Menoeceus and files it under Epicureanism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Epicurus mean by life?
Life is both a biological fact and a practical project. Philosophers debate flourishing, suffering, mortality, and the standards by which a biography can be judged successful or wasted. This passage enters that discussion through life, wisdom, justice.