Epicurus' doctrine of human freedom as a precursor to the problem of free will

The article analyzes the provisions on which Epicurus' doctrine of freedom is based. It is shown that the deviations of atoms, which many researchers consider to be the main argument in defense of freedom in Epicurus, do not prove freedom, but the objectivity of accidents and the probable nature of events. Without denying the influence of either necessities or accidents on our lives, Epicurus urged us to use those that are beneficial to humans, but to find freedom where everything depends only on us. This requires a reasonable limitation of one's desires and a preference for pleasures that lead to bliss, understood as freedom from the sufferings of the body and the anxieties of the soul. It is proved that human freedom of Epicurus is manifested, first of all, in the constant freedom of choice, which can be considered his contribution to the development of the problems related to free will.