Cyrenaics

Cyrenaics, minor school of Greek philosophy, so named from Cyrene, birthplace of the founder of the school, the Greek philosopher Aristippus. A disciple of Socrates, Aristippus contended in his principal doctrines that knowledge is unreliable and useless; that the human race ought to try to control its circumstances rather than be controlled by them; that the pursuit of immediate pleasure is the chief purpose of life; and that sensual enjoyments are preferable to the more complicated and subtle joys of intellect, although pleasure must not be sought beyond the limits imposed by law and custom.

Cyrenaicism flourished during the 4th century bc but decreased in importance early in the next century. Among later Cyrenaics were Theodorus, who argued that lasting cheerfulness and tranquillity are better than more intense but transient delights; Anniceris, who held that the highest gratifications derive from human sympathy and self-sacrifice; and Hegesias, called the Death-Persuader, who taught that pleasures are rare at best, that avoidance of pain should be the main concern of the wise, and that suicide is by far the most efficacious way of avoiding pain.

Cyrenaicism is important in the history of philosophy as the most extreme expression of hedonism and as the forerunner of the more sophisticated and influential hedonism of Epicureanism.