Polystratus the Epicurean on the Contempt of the Irrational

Polystratus was a Greek philosopher of the 3rd century BCE. He was a leading member of the Epicurean school, succeeding Hermarchus to become its third head, or scholarch, in Athens. In this role, he led the Epicurean community known as the Garden during its early, formative period.

While few details of his life are known, his importance comes from his leadership and his surviving writings. Two of his treatises exist in fragments: On Irrational Contempt and On Philosophy. These works show him defending core Epicurean teachings. In particular, On Irrational Contempt argues that common fears and popular opinions should not be dismissed irrationally but examined with reason, a key Epicurean idea. The surviving text of the treatise presses the charge of trusting without due account, treats the affections as built up falsely on empty and false notions, and appeals to what is judged correctly.

Polystratus’s primary significance was as an early defender of the school’s orthodoxy. His writings open a window onto how Epicurean philosophers, in the generation after the founder Epicurus, worked to explain and consolidate their doctrines against potential criticisms in the wider intellectual world.