Compare And Contrast Epictetus And Socrates Concept Of Philosophy

However, for a disabled slave in the Roman Empire, this attitude was what allowed him to stomach his life, and his options. Nowadays, a person with an injury, theoretically, has options to heal and possibly correct it. Epictetus did not. He also did not live in a society where basic human rights were exercised in the way we expect now. Stoic philosophy, for Epictetus, was a set of guidelines he could use to ‘roll with the punches’. Many other people, when in situations where they have very little control, have turned to Stoic, and specifically, Epictetus’, philosophy. James Stockdale was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He endured years of torture and brutal conditions and survived because of Epictetus’ Stoic

The ethics behind Epicureanism are very simple. Epicurus demonstrates that experience shows happiness is not best attained by directly seeking it. The selfish are not more happy but less so than the unselfish. This statement is very powerful for the simple person. Epicurus proves that if a person seeks to be happy he/she usually won't be able to find true happiness.

He interrogates his audience continually and each subsequent confrontation cheapens the last. Epictetus proves his habit, asking, “Is that shameful to you which is not your own act, that of which you are not the cause, that which has come to you by accident, as a headache or fever? [Moreover, this fever, if one is poor, will more than likely kill the individual in this era, thus justifying the rich’s fear of poverty.] If your parents were poor, and left their property to others, and if while they live, they do not help you at all, is this shameful to you” (537)? While true, Epictetus presents a valid argument when he explains that men should not fear what they cannot control. However, fearing the surrounding conditions of what one cannot control serves as the chief stressor for the rich. No hypothetical person that Epictetus describes prefers relegation to his or her social status, and those that are at the bottom, like himself, have nothing to value. Thus, Epictetus’ stoic ideology is born. Moreover, one might argue that the scenarios described in Epictetus’ quote does not quite align with the philosopher’s thesis. Likewise, his audience must consider all aspects that might make the rich frightful of hunger, poverty, and the death to which the lifestyle will

Over time philosophers have always fought the same moral dilemma, the meaning of life. In 370 B.C. Aristotle lived in an era where war was related to power and the only thing that was an escape to him was his virtues and a ways to be virtuous. On the other hand we have Epictetus from 55 A.D. With centuries of views apart, Aristotle, a well known aristocrat, and Epictetus, a former slave that found philosophy as a way of life. Even though you might expect them to have different points of views, both philosophers coming from different times and different backgrounds still agree that knowledge can overcome any boundary. Both Aristotle and Epictetus fit under Mill’s theory of utilitarianism as they both teach and write books to benefit the greatest amount of people.

Born of different backgrounds, upbringings, and experiences, Epictetus and Seneca are Roman philosophers who outwardly appear very different. Epictetus spent most of his youth as a slave while Seneca was born into money and became a tutor of Nero. Although these two men seem to be very dissimilar, they each shared a common purpose in studying philosophy and teaching people on how to live well. Each suggested different paths for how to do so. Epictetus suggests in his book, The Discourses and The Enchiridion, that living a life in accordance with nature could be achieved by living moderately. Seneca suggests in his work, Letters from a Stoic, that a happy man is self-sufficient and realizes that happiness depends only on interior perfection. Despite the differences, both Epictetus and Seneca are considered Stoics because of their shared belief in the idea that character is the only guarantee of everlasting, carefree happiness. The world outside ourselves will never give us happiness, nor will it be responsible for our unhappiness. It doesn’t matter what’s happening outside ourselves, Epictetus and Seneca claim that the only thing that matters is how we interpret those events. Further evaluating Seneca’s, Letters from a Stoic and Epictetus’s, The Discourses and The Enchiridion, we will clearly be able to differentiate the two in their ideas and opinions regarding stoicism and the keys to living a well, happy life.

When he was gifted with his liberty, Epictetus started “teaching principles of personal freedom and tranquility” (Traylor, 2004. P 11). His followers became so numerous that it alarmed the Roman Empire rulers. When the emperor requested that he “shave off his beard to show the public his subservience to the emperor”, he declined (Traylor, 2004. P 12). Subsequently, Epictetus was ordered into exile. In Greece, his place of exile, he opened a small school. According to Traylor, this school taught students “how to live a life of serenity and purpose” (p 12). Traylor wrote, “He was said to be a kind and good-hearted man, passing away around the year 130 A.D” (p. 12).

Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher who was credited with writing the famous quote “No great thing is created suddenly.” Stoicism is a form of ancient Greek philosophy that teaches self-control in order to overcome otherwise destructive moments. In 50 CE, Epictetus was born as a slave in Hierapolis, but in 130 CE, he passed away as one of the best-known philosophers. After being liberated from slavery in 68 CE, Epictetus began teaching Stoicism in Rome. Comparable to the “great thing” that was not created suddenly in Epictetus’ quote, Epictetus’ freedom from slavery was also not granted to him suddenly. Since Epictetus was a slave for eighteen years, he knew that it takes time for great things to happen.

It is these people who perform supererogatory acts that are heading in the right direction towards an ideal human being. Stoics aims for a life of virtue. They want to be one with nature. It is believed that you will be happy if you find the good in life by doing the right thing. These ideas are always up to us, and the people of boat evacuation found power in them to achieve greater

One piece of advice offered by Epictetus that Socrates would agree with is that “if you want to make progress, let people think you are a mindless fool about externals, and do not desire a reputation for knowing about them” (#13). Socrates does not try to convince others that he has supreme knowledge or expertise, nor does he have the desire too. However, since the oracle proclaimed that Socrates is the wisest of all men, he repeatedly proves to pompous individuals that they are not wise, even though they think they are. Socrates is considered so wise because he consciously admits what he doesn’t know, rather than lying to himself like most other men (Apology, 22 d-e).

Stoicism offers optimism and reinforcement of self-worth, providing mental strength often needed in times of the worst possible suffering. In his Handbook, Epictetus suggests that man believes that certain innate “things that are up to us and some things are not up to us. Our opinions are up to us, our impulses, desires, aversions – in short whatever is our own doing” (Epictetus, ch1). He contends such elements of the individual are “by nature free, unhindered, and unimpeded,” thus

We have noted how Epictetus admonishes us to concentrate all our efforts on our will, on the way we make choices and decisions. The goodness or quality of people is a matter of the good-ness or quality of their will. To be good the will has to be such that it accords with nature, that is to say, it has to be such as it is intended to be by nature or God. But by nature, we are told, the will is intended to be free. Epictetus claims that he wishes it to be his main concern, up to the very last moment of his life, that his will be free. What is it for the will to be free?

Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher who lived from 50-130 AD, was instrumental in allowing the Stoic philosophy to grow and flourish. As ideas have come and gone throughout the years, this is a philosophy, a way of thinking, or even a lifestyle that has maintained its validity ever since its inception into the human mind, and continues to be a formative way of thinking to this day. Without knowing it, I have adopted several of the views that are explicitly written in Epictetus’ The Handbook. As I grew tired and annoyed with the events happening around me, it dawned on me that I can only control how I live my life, and that has been a central philosophy in my life for several years. In this paper, I will use different excerpts from The Handbook to support my claim that this philosophical way of thinking is a superior path to eudaimonia, and I will look at counter-arguments and discuss why they are less valid than the Stoic outlook on life.

Born of different stations, languages and creeds, Epictetus and Seneca are Roman philosophers who externally appear to be very different. Epictetus was born to a slave mother, sold as a slave himself and spent the majority of his youth as a slave in Rome. Seneca was born into money; he became tutor to a boy named Nero who later acquired position of Emperor of Rome in 54 A.D. Though these two men seem to be from very different worlds, they have a shared purpose in studying philosophy. The purpose of their writings was to teach people how to live well. Though they had a shared purpose, they suggested its achievement through different means. Epictetus professed an ‘expect the worst so you wont be disappointed when it happens’

Epictetus was a Stoic philosopher who wrote, The Enchiridion, a manual which instructed people on how to live their life ethically and honorably on a social level. His belief was that regardless of personal conditions, people could live with pride and discipline. Epictetus tells us differentiating between what is in our own power to control and what is not is the key to a noble life (281).

Epicurus lived a life of simplicity, and studied at great length what happiness meant, and announced a set of insights that we only need three things to be happy. These were not of grandeur, riches, or fame, they were simple truths that hid underneath those desires. His beliefs were as follows, that you need your friends around, not just on an every so often basis, regular contact is what counts. Secondly, working for yourself instead of others, getting a sense of helping people out of your work. And lastly that we need to stay calm. We will always be in search of happiness, and the Epicurean lifestyle may be of some insight to us even in the present day.