SOURCE: Jean Francois Sarasin, "An Essay in Vindication of Epicurus, and his Doctrine," in Epicurus's Morals, 1712.

Although mistakenly attributed to St. Evremond for some decades, the essay on Epicurus's morals was actually composed by Sarasin, a seventeenth-century French intellectual and cardinal. His piece, reprinted many times in French and translated into English in 1712, represents one of the significant French attempts to revive Epicurus's reputation, particularly by reminding readers of the simplicity of his philolosophy.

Our Modern Philosophers are very industrious to lessen the Reputation of Epicurus, they explode his Doctrine, not only as unworthy of a Philosopher, but as dangerous to the State; imagining that a Man must necessarily be vicious as soon as he becomes one of his Disciples. They take all Occasions to brand his Opinions as opposite to good Manners, and load his Name with Infamy and Reproach. Yet some among the Stockis who were...