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Concise presentation about Epictetus's work
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Gary Grohmann School of Practical Philosophy,
Canberra
His teachings were noted down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses.
Philosophy, he taught, is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline.
To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control, but which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline.
Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power.
Human beings have a duty to care for all fellow humans.
He spent his youth as a slave in Rome to Epaphroditos, a very wealthy freeman and secretary to Nero.
Epictetus found a passion for philosophy, and studied Stoic philosophy under Musonius Rufus, as a slave, which allowed him to rise in respectability as he grew more educated.
It is known that he became cripple
Epictetus traveled to Nicopolis in Greece, where he founded a philosophical school.
(The first School of Practical Philosophy?) He lived a life of great simplicity, with few
possessions In his old age he adopted a friend's child who
would otherwise have been left to die, and raised him.
He died around 135 AD.
No writings of Epictetus are known. His discourses were transcribed and compiled
by his pupil Arrian . The main work is The Discourses, four books
of which have been preserved (out of an original eight).
Arrian also compiled the Enchiridion, or Handbook.
Arrian states that "whatever I heard him say I used to write down, word for word
Both the Discourses and the Enchiridion begin by distinguishing between those things in our power and those things not in our power
Reason alone is good, and the irrational is evil The good person should labour chiefly on their
own reason To repel evil opinions by the good is the noble
contest in which humans should engage; it is not an easy task, but it promises true freedom,
peace of mind, and a divine command over the emotions.
The first object of philosophy, therefore, is to purify the mind.
We should, cultivate the mind with special care
We have all a certain part to play in the world, and we have done enough when we have performed what our nature allows
James Stockdale The philosophy of Epictetus is well known in
the American military through the writings and example of James Stockdale, an American fighter pilot who was shot down over North Vietnam, became a prisoner
In Courage under Fire: Testing Epictetus's Doctrines in a Laboratory of Human Behavior (1993), Stockdale credits Epictetus or his survival
Laurence Sterne James Joyce
Epictetus is mentioned in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
J. D. Salinger Epictetus is mentioned briefly in Franny and Zooey by J.
D. Salinger.
Matthew Arnold Much he, whose friendship I not long since won,
That halting slave, who in NicopolisTaught Arrian, when Vespasian's brutal sonCleared Rome of what most shamed him.
Tom Wolfe A Man in Full - and Gladiator (2000 film). This was in part the outcome of discussions Wolfe had with
James Stockdale Theodore Dreiser
Dreiser refers to Epictetus in his novel Sister Carrie. "It is the unintellectual miser who sweats blood at the loss of a hundred dollars. It is the Epictetus who smiles when the last vestige of physical welfare is removed."
John Berryman
Psychology - Albert Ellis Psychologist Albert Ellis, the founder of Rational Emotive Behavior
Therapy, credited Epictetus with providing a foundation for his system of psychotherapy
Religion = Kiyozawa Manshi Kiyozawa Manshi, a controversial reformer within the Higashi
Honganji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism cited Epictetus as one of the three major influences on his spiritual development and thought.
Acting Epictetus' philosophy is an influence on the acting method
introduced by David Mamet and William H. Macy, known as Practical Aesthetics. The main book that describes the method, The Practical Handbook for the Actor, lists the Enchiridion in the bibliography.
Socratic approach QUESTIONS
How do I live a happy and fulfilling life? How can I be a good person?
What matters most is the sort of person you are becoming and what sort of life you are living!
Know what you can control and what you cant
Some things are within our control and some things are not
Stick with your own business
Be clear that what belong to others is their business and none of yours
Desire Demands its own Attainment
Desire and aversion demand to be pleased
Events dont hurt us but our views of them can
It is our attitudes and reactions that give us trouble
No Shame No Blame
Things are simply what they are
Your Will is always within your power
Nothing truly stops you
Your will neednt be affected by an incident unless you let it
Make full use of what happens to you
Every difficulty in life presents us with an opportunity.
Care for what you happen to have
There is nothing to lose
The good life is the life of inner serenity
The surest sign of a higher life is serenity
Disregard what doesnt concern you
Keep your will in harmony with Truth
Act well the part that is given to you
We are like actors in a play
Everything happens for a good reason
As you think so you become
Happiness can only be found within
Freedom is the only worthy goal in life
No One can Hurt You
Try not to merely react in the moment Take a wider view
Character matters more than reputation
Worry is a waste of time
It is better to be a good person and fulfill your obligations than to have renown and power
Self-mastery is our true aim
Remember that our aim is spiritual progress
Treasure your mind, cherish your reason, hold to your purpose
Dont surrender your mind to influence
Clearly define the person you want to be
Its time to stop being vague
Speak only with good purpose
Understand the moral power of our words
Be careful of the company you keep
It is human to imitate the habits of those with whom we interact
Take a stand
Dont be cravenly noncommittal
Call things by their right names
Give your assent only to what is actually true
The souls cry
The real purpose of philosophy
The power of habit
Caretake this moment Give your best and always be kind!
The golden sayings of Epictetus by Hastings Crossley, in The Harvard Classics edited by Charles W. Elliot. P.F. Collier and Son Corporation. 1969.
Boter, Gerard. 1999. The Encheiridion of Epictetus & its Three Christian Adaptations: Transmission & Critical Editions. Leiden: Brill.
Dobbin, Robert. 1998. Epictetus: Discourses Book 1. Oxford1995. The Discourses of Epictetus. ed. with introduction and notes by Christopher Gill. London: Everyman/
Dent.Includes the complete Discourses, Higginson, Thomas Wentworth. 1944. Epictetus: Discourses and Enchiridion. Roslyn, NY: Higginson, Thomas Wentworth. 1948. The Enchiridion. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Lobell, Sharon. 1995. Epictetus: The Art of Living. The Classic Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and
Effectiveness: A New Interpretation. San Francisco: Harper SanFrancisco. Long, George. 1890. The Discourses of Epictetus with the Encheiridion and Fragments. London: George
Bell. 1848. Long, George. 1991. Enchiridion. Amherst, NY: Prometheus. Matheson, P. E. 1916. Epictetus: The Discourses and Manual. 2 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press.* Matson, Wallace I. 1998. Epictetus: Encheiridion. in Louis P. Pojman. ed. Classics of Philosophy: Volume
1, Ancient and Medieval. New York: Oxford University Press. Oldfather, W. A. 1925, 1928. Epictetus: The Discourses as Reported by Arrian, The Manual, and
Fragments. 2 vols. Cambridge, MA: Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press. YouTube - several aural presentations
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