a sect of ancient philosophers, so called from their founder Aristippus of Cyrene, a disciple of Socrates.

The great principle of their doctrine was, that the supreme good of man in this life is pleasure; whereby they not only meant a privation of pain, and a tranquillity of mind, but an assemblage of all mental and sensual pleasures, particularly the last.

Cicero makes frequent mention of Aristippus's school; and speaks of it as yielding debauchees. Three disciples of Aristippus, after his death, divided the sect into three branches; under which division it languished and sunk: the first called the Hegelaeo sect; the second the Amicarian; and the third the Theodorian; from the names of their authors.