Epictetus Essay

In order for one to be happy, one must be free. So this begs the question, how do you become free? Epictetus lends us his distinction between things/objects that depend on us and those that do not. He states that our body, fame, power, etc. are things that do not depend on us. And, our judgments, our desires and dislikes are all things that do depend on us. In order to be free, Epictetus says we need to focus on the things that do depend on us, and for us to not let things that don’t depend

From the “Handbook of Epictetus” by Epictetus in Pursing Happiness, a selection was chosen compiled of empirical advice. This selection of work was published in 125 AD. In short summary, Epictetus stated “somethings are up to us and some are not up to us” (88). He believed that having any sentimental affection towards objects or people can lead to self-dejection, disappointed, and anger. Because you have no control of the outcomes. As to if anything was too happened to your love one, you would encounter

to tackle this challenge, and each has left behind various theories on how to achieve happiness. One of the most famous philosophers, Epictetus, came to the conclusion that Stoicism is the best way to find happiness in the mortal world. Epictetus lived from approximately 50-130 A.D. and the stoic movement began to catch on even earlier, around 300 B.C. (Epictetus 1). Stoicism, however, takes an extreme approach of both

Epictetus is a greek philosopher who wrote the famous “Handbook.” The “Handbook” was a series of comparisons between an individuals choice of power. Growing up a slave in Phrygia (Modern day Turkey) and eastern Rome, Epictetus always contemplated the value of power. Power, as defined by Epictetus himself is the capacity in which an individual can control his or her behavior and actions. Within his handbook, the author develops the idea of power in certain stages. Like many philosophers during his

Allison has made an interesting argument against Epictetus that his philosophy would make us emotionless and self-centered. I would like to challenge this argument by pointing out that we might end up being less happy and more self-centered without a peaceful mindset. Take death as an example: when we are lamenting the death of our loved ones, our emotions are not productive from a utilitarian perspective because we are not benefiting the deceased because they can no longer be affected. Grieving

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

On the other hand, in the Epictetus’ Enchiridion, they barely talk about love. Rather than talk about love, in Enchiridion, Epictetus mentions the idea of the dignity of life in a rational way, but not an emotional way like Christianity. Being rational seems to become the core of Stoicism. “So far, there is nothing to value myself upon. And when I find an interpreter, what remains is to make use of his instructions. This alone is the valuable thing” (Epictetus par. 49). “Never say of anything, ‘I

It is essentially a compilation of ethical advice provided by Epictetus for one to follow and ideally live by. Abiding by this large set of strategies will provide those who believe in it a guideline to a happier way of living. Doing so should allow one’s life to be more fulfilling and truly free. Epictetus’s own beliefs are strong throughout this writing and provide a moral backbone for which he bases his strong opinions on. Epictetus used his intimate ability as a philosopher and his innate skill

Yet, Epictetus offers another interesting concept for Stoics. He divides things into two categories: things that are “up to us” and those that are “not up to us” (Ench. 1.1-2). Things that are “up to us” include: opinions, desires, and actions, i.e., what are conditional on assent. Everything else such as our bodies, possessions, and reputations, are “not up to us.” Epictetus believes that we should only pay attention to things that are “up to us” and pay no attention to indifferents which fall into

Comparing Seneca and Epictetus on Tranquility and Peace of Mind: Seneca and Epictetus both wrote sections over the topics of tranquility and peace of mind. Seneca’s writing on this topic can be found his essay “On Tranquility” while Epictetus’ thoughts on the matter can be found in Chapter Two of Book Two of his “Discourses”. Mostly, these two essays are very comparable. But, there are some key differences in the overall messages of both essays that is widely a result of the competing beliefs that