George Santayana, (1910), Three Philosophical Poets: Lucretius, Dante, and Goethe, chapter: Chapter II. Lucretius
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The system of Democritus was adopted by Epicurus, but not because Epicurus had any keenness of scientific vision. On the contrary, Epicurus, the Herbert Spencer of antiquity, was in his natural philosophy an encyclopedia of second-hand knowledge.
— George Santayana
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The system of Democritus was adopted by Epicurus, but not because Epicurus had any keenness of scientific vision. On the contrary, Epicurus, the Herbert Spencer of antiquity, was in his natural philosophy an encyclopedia of second-hand knowledge." in the context of "George Santayana, (1910), Three Philosophical Poets: Lucretius, Dante, and Goethe, chapter: Chapter II. Lucretius" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Epicurus" (Quotes about Epicurus)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Epicurus
Epicurus (341 BC – 270 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosopher and Sage whose ideas gave rise to systems of thought known as Epicureanism. Influenced by Democritus, Aristippus, Pyrrho, and possibly the Cynics, he turned against the Platonism of his day. He openly allowed women and slaves to join the school as a matter of policy.
About Epicurus
Epicurus (341 BC – 270 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosopher and Sage whose ideas gave rise to systems of thought known as Epicureanism. Influenced by Democritus, Aristippus, Pyrrho, and possibly the Cynics, he turned against the Platonism of his day. He openly allowed women and slaves to join the school as a matter of policy.
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