Go with the Flow: The Psychology and Ethics of Atomic Motion in Lucretius

Lucretius innovates upon prior Epicurean philosophers by making the discussion of atomic movement in his didactic epic not just a complement to his exegesis of Epicurean philosophy, but in developing new scientific explanations for Epicurean doctrine through the principles of atomic motion. I claim that Lucretian tranquility is a kinetic phenomenon, an approach which provides new insight on the psychological and the ethical elements of his philosophy, and allows his On the Nature of Things to be brought into a fuller conversation with current scholarship on Epicurean psychology and ethics. I examine how atomic movement is emulated on the individual/psychological and societal/ethical level through metaphor and allegory. The leaky vessel and the honeyed cup refer to the link between atomic turbulence and the psychological realm: representing emotional imbalance and its opposite. Meanwhile, allegories of Venus and Mars represent the unifying and disruptive effects of atomic movement in interpersonal relationships and society. Finally, I propose that Lucretius’plague account enshrines mutual aid and self-sacrifice without violating the principles of Epicurean egoism, establishing ethical behavior as an essential component of tranquility.