Epicurus

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Bust of Epicurus

Epicurus of Samos (Greek: Ἐπίκουρος, Epikouros, "friend, ally"; 341 BCE – 270 BCE) was a classical Greek philosopher. He founded a major philosophical school in Greece which survived for close to 500 years. His thoughts on such topics as epistemology, materialism, empiricism and hedonism laid the foundation for much of western thought.

Epicurus is generally considered to be the first to express the problem of evil:

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"