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