Philosophy of Epicurus, in a nutshell:
-The universe is made up of a bunch of tiny little atoms
-These atoms are in a constant state of falling through space
-All of the atoms are falling at the same rate, never touching one another
-The exception to this rule occurs when, sometimes and without warning, one of these falling atoms swerves and crashes into another atom
-This is how atoms combine and build into the forms we see around us
-This swerving is also responsible for free will
-When we perceive things in the world, we do so directly via bundles of atoms which physically touch the atoms of our body
-The absence of pain is the greatest state of happiness there is, and the essence of Epicurus' concept of a good life
-All things pleasurable are good in and of themselves, and all things painful are likewise innately bad
-However, we may sometimes endure certain pains if they will lead to greater pleasures, or avoid certain pleasures if they will lead to greater pains
-Pleasure exists in two states: kinetic and static
-Kinetic pleasure exists when we are fulfilling a need--eating a meal to sate our hunger, for example
-Static pleasure is the state which comes after the kinetic pleasure has passed
-Kinetic pleasures should not be valued for their own sake, but as a means to reaching a state of static pleasure
-Humans do not necessarily have any 'natural' tendency towards communal life
-Laws exist solely as a way to ensure that we do not cause pain for others, and that they likewise do not cause pain to us
-Moral values are only good insofar as our noncompliance with them would cause pain, either via punishment or fear of punishment
* * * *
Skepticism being the school of thought which advocates suspension of judgement, which means accepting that we cannot know anything about the world for certain. This attitude was meant to combat dogmatic thinking, and was believed to lead to a peace of mind characterized by freedom from worry and contradictions. Early Skepticism was known as Pyrrhonism, named after the philosopher Pyrrho. Later forms of Skepticism are referred to as Academic Skepticism, and were practiced by members of the Academy.