Epictetus

Epictetus Encheiridion 7 read aloud (CF)

7.1 Καθάπερ ἐν πλῷ τοῦ πλοίου καθορμισθέντος εἰ ἐξέλθοις ὑδρεύσασθαι, ὁδοῦ μὲν πάρεργον καὶ κοχλίδιον ἀναλέξῃ καὶ βολβάριον, τετάσθαι δὲ δεῖ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπὶ τὸ πλοῖον καὶ συνεχῶς ἐπιστρέφεσθαι μή τι ὁ κυβερνήτης καλέσῃ, κἂν καλέσῃ, πάντα ἐκεῖνα ἀφιέναι, ἵνα μὴ δεδεμένος ἐμβληθῇς ὡς τὰ πρόβατα, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ βίῳ, ἐὰν διδῶται ἀντὶ βολβαρίου καὶ κοχλιδίου γυναικάριον καὶ παιδίον, οὐδὲν κωλύσει·  ἐὰν δὲ ὁ κυβερνήτης καλέσῃ, τρέχε ἐπὶ τὸ πλοῖον ἀφεὶς ἐκεῖνα ἅπαντα μηδὲ ἐπιστρεφόμενος· ἐὰν δὲ γέρων ᾖς, μηδὲ ἀπαλλαγῇς ποτε τοῦ πλοίου μακράν, μή ποτε καλοῦντος ἐλλίπῃς.

article Nav

Epictetus Encheiridion 6 read aloud (CF)

6.1 ἐπὶμηδενὶἐπαρθῇςἀλλοτρίῳπροτερήματι. εἰἵπποςἐπαιρόμενοςἔλεγενὅτι«καλόςεἰμι,»οἰστὸνἂνἦν· σὺδέ, ὅτανλέγῃςἐπαιρόμενοςὅτι«ἵππονκαλὸνἔχω,»ἴσθι, ὅτιἐπὶἵππουἀγαθῷἐπαίρῃ. τίοὖνἐστισόν; χρῆσιςφαντασιῶν. ὥσθὅτανἐνχρήσειφαντασιῶνκατὰφύσινσχῇς, τηνικαῦταἐπάρθητι· τότεγὰρἐπὶσῷτινιἀγαθῷἐπαρθήσῃ.

article Nav

Epictetus Encheiridion 5 read aloud (CF)

5.1 ταράσσει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους οὐ τὰ πράγματα, ἀλλὰ τὰ περὶ τῶν πραγμάτων δόγματα. οἷον θάνατος οὐδὲν δεινόν, ἐπεὶ καὶ Σωκράτει ἂν ἐφαίνετο· ἀλλὰ τὸ δόγμα τὸ περὶ τοῦ θανάτου, διότι δεινόν, ἐκεῖνο τὸ δεινόν ἐστιν. ὅταν οὖν ἐμποδιζώμεθα ἢ ταρασσώμεθα ἢ λυπώμεθα, μηδέποτε ἄλλον αἰτιώμεθα, ἀλλ' ἑαυτούς, τουτέστι τὰ ἑαυτῶν δόγματα. ἀπαιδεύτου ἔργον τὸ ἄλλοις ἐγκαλεῖν ἐφ' οἷς αὐτὸς πράσσει κακῶς· ἠργμένου παιδεύεσθαι τὸ ἑαυτῷ· πεπαιδευμένου τὸ μήτε ἄλλῳ μήτε ἑαυτῷ·

article Nav

Epictetus Encheiridion 4 read aloud (CF)

4.1 Ὅταν ἅπτεσθαί τινος ἔργου μέλλῃς, ὑπομίμνῃσκε σεαυτόν, ὁποῖόν τί ἐστι τὸ ἔργον. ἐὰν λουσόμενος ἀπίῃς, πρόβαλλε σεαυτῷ τὰ γινόμενα ἐν βαλανείῳ, τοὺς ἀπορραίνοντας, τοὺς ἐνσειομένους, τοὺς λοιδοροῦντας, τοὺς κλέπτοντας· καὶ οὕτως ἀσφαλέστερον ἅψῃ τοῦ ἔργου, ἐὰν ἐπιλέγῃς εὐθὺς ὅτι «λούσασθαι θέλω καὶ τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ προαίρεσιν κατὰ φύσιν ἔχουσαν τηρῆσαι.» καὶ ὡσαύτως ἐφ' ἑκάστου ἔργου. οὕτω γὰρ, ἄν τι πρὸς τὸ λούσασθαι γένηται ἐμπόδιον, πρόχειρον ἔσται διότι «ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτο ἤθελον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ προαίρεσιν κατὰ φύσιν ἔχουσαν τηρῆσαι· οὐ τηρήσω δέ, ἐὰν ἀγανακτῶ πρὸς τὰ γινόμενα.»

article Nav

Epictetus Encheiridion 2 read aloud (CF)

2.1 Μέμνησο, ὅτι ὀρέξεως μὲν ἐπαγγελία τὸ ἐπιτυχεῖν οὗ ὀρέγῃ, ἐκκλίσεως δὲ ἐπαγγελία τὸ μὴ περιπεσεῖν ἐκείνῳ ὃ ἐκκλίνεται· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐν ὀρέξει ἀποτυγχάνων ἀτυχής, ὁ δὲ ἐν ἐκκλίσει περιπίπτων δυστυχής. ἂν μὲν οὖν μόνα ἐκκλίνῃς τὰ παρὰ φύσιν τῶν ἐπὶ σοί, οὐδενί ὧν ἐκκλίνεις περιπεσῇ· νόσον δ' ἂν ἐκκλίνῃς ἢ θάνατον ἢ πενίαν, δυστυχήσεις.  2.2 ἆρον οὖν τὴν ἔκκλισιν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν καὶ μετάθες ἐπὶ τὰ παρὰ φύσιν τῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν. τὴν ὄρεξιν δὲ παντελῶς ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἄνελε· ἄν τε γὰρ ὀρέγῃ τῶν οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν τινος, ἀτυχεῖν ἀνάγκη, τῶν τε ἐφ' ἡμῖν ὅσων ὀρέγεσθαι καλὸν ἄν, οὐδὲν οὐδέπω σοι πάρεστι. μόνῳ δὲ τῷ ὁρμᾶν καὶ ἀφορμᾶν χρῶ, κούφως καὶ μεθ' ὑπεξαιρέσεως καὶ ἀνειμένως.

article Nav

Epictetus Encheiridion 1 read aloud (CF)

1.1 τῶν ὄντων τὰ μέν ἐστιν ἐφ' ἡμῖν, τὰ δὲ οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν. ἐφ' ἡμῖν μὲν ὑπόληψις, ὁρμή, ὄρεξις, ἔκκλισις καὶ ἑνὶ λόγῳ ὅσα ἡμέτερα ἔργα· οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν δὲ τὸ σῶμα, ἡ κτῆσις, δόξαι, ἀρχαὶ καὶ ἑνὶ λόγῳ ὅσα οὐχ ἡμέτερα ἔργα. 1.2 καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστι φύσει ἐλεύθερα, ἀκώλυτα, ἀπαραπόδιστα· τὰ δὲ οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἀσθενῆ, δοῦλα, κωλυτά, ἀλλότρια.  1.3 μέμνησο οὖν ὅτι, ἐὰν τὰ φύσει δοῦλα ἐλεύθερα οἰηθῇς καὶ τὰ ἀλλότρια ἴδια, ἐμποδισθήσῃ, πενθήσεις, ταραχθήσῃ, μέμψῃ καὶ θεοὺς καὶ ἀνθρώπους· ἐὰν δὲ τὸ σὸν μόνον οἰηθῇς σὸν εἶναι, τὸ δὲ ἀλλότριον (ὥσπερ ἐστίν) ἀλλότριον, οὐδείς σε ἀναγκάσει οὐδέποτε, οὐδείς σε κωλύσει, οὐ μέμψῃ οὐδένα, οὐκ ἐγκαλέσεις τινί, ἄκων πράξεις οὐδὲ ἕν, οὐδείς σε βλάψει, ἐχθρὸν οὐχ ἕξεις, οὐδὲ γὰρ βλαβερόν τι πείσῃ.  1.4 τηλικούτων οὖν ἐφιέμενος μέμνησο ὅτι οὐ δεῖ μετρίως κεκινημένον ἅπτεσθαι αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ἀφιέναι παντελῶς, τὰ δὲ ὑπερτίθεσθαι πρὸς τὸ παρόν. ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ταῦτα θέλῃς καὶ ἄρχειν καὶ πλουτεῖν, τυχὸν μὲν οὐδ' αὐτῶν τούτων τεύξῃ διὰ τὸ καὶ τῶν προτέρων ἐφίεσθαι· πάντως γε μὴν ἐκείνων ἀποτεύξῃ δι' ὧν μόνων ἐλευθερία καὶ εὐδαιμονία περιγίνεται. 1.5 εὐθὺς οὖν πάσῃ φαντασίᾳ τραχείᾳ μελέτα ἐπιλέγειν ὅτι «φαντασία εἶ καὶ οὐ πάντως τὸ φαινόμενον·» ἔπειτα ἐξέταζε αὐτὴν καὶ δοκίμαζε τοῖς κανόσι τούτοις οἷς ἔχεις, πρώτῳ δὲ τούτῳ καὶ μάλιστα, πότερον περὶ τὰ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἢ περὶ τὰ οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν· κἂν περί τι τῶν οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ᾖ, πρόχειρον ἔστω τὸ διότι οὐδὲν πρὸς σέ.

article Nav

Epictetus Was A Hardass Professor 2

    Comments

    Epictetus was a 1st century Roman Stoic Philosopher. He was extremely influential in his time, both in popular Roman culture and morality, and philosophy. Epictetus was born a slave and lived a very rough life. His leg was crippled from a young age, supposedly from his master punishing him. He also struggled with illness his entire life, however eventually he was able to become a free man and establish a school of philosophy, where he taught until he died. While I'm not sure there are any account of what type of teacher he was, due to the harsh, demanding style of his Stoic ethics it isn't hard to imagine that he might have been demanding of his students (or perhaps not, but that's at least how I imagine it).

    According to his philosophy everything happens according to nature. So, according to Epictetus, it is simply irrational to get upset at things being as they are. He rejects that external events can cause in us negative feelings, and instead claims that it is our attitudes and judgments of those events that cause suffering. So, if one is to cry over spilt milk, it isn't the milk that made us cry, but our own belief that it shouldn't have spilled. Once we recognize that the milk spilling is in perfect accord with the predetermined harmony of the world, well then I guess it shouldn't bother us. Realizing how difficult this kind of life was for most people, he also had practical advise on how to achieve the stoic frame of mind. For example, he said that we should visualize negative outcomes ahead of time (such as a loved one dying), to mentally prepare ourselves for their inevitable arrival.

    You can find out more about Epictetus on the History of Philosophy without any Gaps, or Partially Examined Life (the linked article is pretty informative too).

    Subjects
    Type
    Image
    Image Credit
    article Nav

    Epictetus Was A Hardass Professor 1

      Comments

      Epictetus was a 1st century Roman Stoic Philosopher. He was extremely influential in his time, both in popular Roman culture and morality, and philosophy. Epictetus was born a slave and lived a very rough life. His leg was crippled from a young age, supposedly from his master punishing him. He also struggled with illness his entire life, however eventually he was able to become a free man and establish a school of philosophy, where he taught until he died. While I'm not sure there are any account of what type of teacher he was, due to the harsh, demanding style of his Stoic ethics it isn't hard to imagine that he might have been demanding of his students (or perhaps not, but that's at least how I imagine it).

      According to his philosophy everything happens according to nature. So, according to Epictetus, it is simply irrational to get upset at things being as they are. He rejects that external events can cause in us negative feelings, and instead claims that it is our attitudes and judgments of those events that cause suffering. So, if one is to cry over spilt milk, it isn't the milk that made us cry, but our own belief that it shouldn't have spilled. Once we recognize that the milk spilling is in perfect accord with the predetermined harmony of the world, well then I guess it shouldn't bother us. Realizing how difficult this kind of life was for most people, he also had practical advise on how to achieve the stoic frame of mind. For example, he said that we should visualize negative outcomes ahead of time (such as a loved one dying), to mentally prepare ourselves for their inevitable arrival.

      You can find out more about Epictetus on the History of Philosophy without any Gaps, or Partially Examined Life (the linked article is pretty informative too). (Existential Comics)

      Subjects
      Type
      Image
      Image Credit
      article Nav
      Subscribe to Epictetus