Discourses and Selected Writings (Penguin Classics)

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Everyday acquire something that will fortify you against old-age, death, loss, and other ills as well; Oldfather, William Abbott (1925), Epictetus, the Discourses as reported by Arrian, the Manual, and Fragments, vol.1, Loeb Classical Library a b Heinrich Ritter, Alexander James William Morrison, (1846), The History of Ancient Philosophy, Volume 4, p. 206 True education lies in learning to distinguish what is our own from what does not belong to us. [15] But there is only one thing which is fully our own: that which is our will or choice ( prohairesis). [15] The use which we make of the external impressions is our one chief concern, and upon the right kind of use depends exclusively our happiness. [16] William O. Stephens, Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom, London: Continuum, 2007 ISBN 0826496083.

The universe is wholly governed by an all-wise, divine Providence. [21] All things, even apparent evils, are the will of God, and good from the point of view of the whole. [21] In virtue of our rationality we are neither less nor worse than the gods, for the magnitude of reason is estimated not by length nor by height but by its judgments. [15] The aim of the philosopher therefore is to reach the position of a mind which embraces the whole world. [15] The person who recognizes that every event is necessary and reasonable for the best interest of the whole, feels no discontent with anything outside the control of moral purpose. [21] The Cynic sage [ edit ] Epictetus is mentioned in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce: in the fifth chapter of the novel the protagonist Stephen Dedalus discusses Epictetus's famous lamp with a dean of his college. [75] Epictetus also is mentioned briefly in Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger, and is referred to by Theodore Dreiser in his novel Sister Carrie. Both the longevity of Epictetus's life and his philosophy are alluded to in John Berryman's poem, "Of Suicide."He is unwaveringly concerned with the practical rather than the theoretical. This book is full of castigation for philosophy students who consider themselves successful when they can satisfactorily summarize and refute a logical argument. Logic is just a plaything, Epictetus says, and all this argument is entirely besides the point. How will you react when you’re in a ship that’s being tossed about in a storm? How will you react if you’re banished or if your loved one dies? How will you face death? Remember, he says, that books are ultimately just another external good, like money or power, and by prizing them, like any external good, we simply make ourselves victims of circumstances.

a b Heinrich Ritter, Alexander James William Morrison, (1846), The History of Ancient Philosophy, Volume 4, p. 201 Impressions and judgements rule our minds. Our thoughts run rampant in our minds and are the causes of all our discontent and suffering. Contrary to common belief, if a thief steals your wallet and you feel bad, it is not the thief that is the cause of that feeling of badness, it is your judgement that is. "Oh, how unfair this is!" you say. Yet, as Epictetus would say, that wallet never truly belonged to you. Nothing belongs to you. Things are simply returned to the void in which they first arrived. The buddhist perspective on non-attachement is felt strongly in Epictetus's words. ("It is not events that disturb people, it is their judgement concerning them.") Anyway, those are just the musings of a questioning mind while reading fragment after fragment of a seemingly absurd practical philosophy.

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And it is fairly easy too see how this connection can be made: Epictetus teaches that all our concern should be focused on our own soul, and that all involvement with the outer world is not only futile, but negatively interfering with leading a good life. When we care about what possession we have, what others think of us, what desires we want to pursue, we set ourselves on a course to unhappiness, since all these things, in ultimo, have no impact whatsoever on how we feel. We think they do, but this is a mistake, which can only be detected through the use of a well-trained reasonable mind. Through applying reason we learn to realize that what others do and feel is their problem, what we do and feel ours. And that only that which is in my power concerns me. Keith Seddon, Epictetus' Handbook and the Tablet of Cebes: Guides to Stoic Living, Routledge, 2005. My dear Lucillius Make this your business in life: Learn to share the Joy of a Soul Happy and Confident, lifted above every circumstance " Seneca Epistles The year of his birth is uncertain. He was born a slave. We do know that he was born early enough to be teaching philosophy by around AD 93, when Domitian banished all philosophers from Rome, because he was among those who left the city. He also described himself as an old man to Arrian around 108 AD cf. Discourses, i.9.10; i.16.20; ii.6.23; etc.

I will end this rambling review with my two favourite quotes from the book, the first found in the Handbook: So choose: either regain the love of your old friends by reverting to your former self or remain better than you once were and forfeit their affection Keep the prospect of death, exile and all such apparent tragedies before you every day – especially death – and you will never have an abject thought, or desire anything to excess

Epictetus obtained his freedom sometime after the death of Nero in AD 68, [17] and he began to teach philosophy in Rome. Around AD 93, when the Roman emperor Domitian banished all philosophers from the city, [18] Epictetus moved to Nicopolis in Epirus, Greece, where he founded a school of philosophy. [19] Robin Waterfield, (2022), The Complete Works: Handbook, Discourses, and Fragments. (The University of Chicago Press) ISBN 9780226769332 A. A. Long, Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002 ISBN 0199245568. By the gods, I want to be and pray to be, but I’m not yet able to look my masters in the face, I still attach value to my poor body, and take care to keep it whole and sound, despite the fact that it isn’t so. But I can show you a free man, to save from having to search any longer for an example. Diogenes was free.

There are theoretical troubles, too. I could not entirely agree with his division of the universe into things falling within or without the sphere of choice. Surely it is more accurate to think of a scale, or a gradation, of things more or less within our power. We can minutely influence an election, we can somewhat influence our friends, we can usually control our bodies, and we can almost always control our attitude. Thus, instead of saying “Only worry about things within the sphere of choice,” it would be more accurate to say “Only worry about things insofar as your choices can affect them.” And then, even so, in practice it is so often difficult to tell whether we are fulfilling our duties to the best of our abilities. This is a manual for Business Ethics 101. The following metaphor is not original to me, but imagine your life as placed on a wheel with spokes. If you focus your life in the center, the hub, then when the wheel turns, as it must, you will be moved, to be sure, but you won’t be thrown over the place.

Somewhere in book 2, Epictetus criticizes the Academics and Epicureans of contradictions and, ultimately, self-refutation. Skeptics claim nothing can be known, but yet this proposition if proclaimed to be a general truth - how do they know? Epicureanism claim only individual pleasures should be sought, yet Epicurus himself busied himself with teaching and writing many books to inform others - why bother? As a matter of fact, Epictetus brilliantly remarks, a true Epicurean should teach his students Stoicism, since then he can, being a closet-Epicurean, have all the fun for himself. The teaching Epicurean is a contradiction in terms - he creates other Epicureans who then compete with him for pleasures.... But if everyone in his environment close themselves off from the world, he can then do what he wants. There is a lot of passionate prose here about fortitude, determination, heroism in the face of adversity, about the value of a person not coming from their possessions, or natural born abilities, but rather from their character in the face of suffering, and the payoff of patiently facing it all and, bringing good out of the bad. His most famous pupil, Arrian, studied under him as a young man (around AD 108) and claimed to have written his famous Discourses based on the notes he took on Epictetus's lectures. Arrian argued that his Discourses should be considered comparable to the Socratic literature. [20] Arrian described Epictetus as a powerful speaker who could "induce his listener to feel just what Epictetus wanted him to feel." [21] Many eminent figures sought conversations with him. [22] Emperor Hadrian was friendly with him [23] and may have heard him speak at his school in Nicopolis. [24] [25]