ataraksia

Ataraksia, also spelled ataraxia, is a state of serene calmness and freedom from disturbance in the mind. The term comes from the Greek ἀταραξία and denotes imperturbability or tranquility.

In ancient philosophy, ataraxia was a central ideal in both Pyrrhonian skepticism and Epicureanism. Pyrrhonists pursued it by epoché—suspending judgment about appearances—to avoid dogmatic beliefs and the distress they can cause. Epicureans sought ataraxia through the moderation of desires and the attainment of aponia, or absence of physical pain, aiming for a peaceful, undisturbed psyche.

The Stoics also valued inner steadiness, though they tended to describe the goal as apatheia—freedom from disruptive passions—rather than ataraxia. Later writers sometimes used the term alongside notions of virtue, rational order, and moral self-control as pathways to serenity.

In subsequent periods, ataraxia remained a recurring theme in philosophy and literature, appearing in medieval, Renaissance, and early modern thought as an ideal of contemplative or ethical serenity. In contemporary usage, the term often denotes psychological serenity or emotional equilibrium and is discussed in contexts such as mindfulness and well-being. It is not a clinical diagnosis but a legacy concept that continues to describe a tranquil, undisturbed mental state.