Epicurus: Some Problems in Physics and Perception

Extract

The philosophy of Epicurus is one which was designed for living in a world where truth is attainable through, and only through, the right use of the senses, which are a reliable source of information in that they faithfully relay to the mind all impressions which reach them: all perception is true, but if the impression reaches the sense organ ‘damaged’, or an incorrect interpretation is put on it by the mind, error can occur. Such false conclusions as to the nature of an object of perception, when the information being received about it is inadequate or in some way distorted, can be avoided by ‘filing’ the received impression, for confirmation or contradiction, without coming to a decision on it until conditions are more favourable.