Epictetus

Epictetus was born in Hierapolis in Rome in 55 AD as a Roman slave to Epaphroditus. He somehow later on gained his freedom, possibly when Epaphroditus died, and began teaching philosophy in Rome. He taught in Rome until he and all other philosophers were expelled by Domitian in 90 AD He then moved to Nicopolis, Epirus where he founded his own school and later on died around 135 AD.

Ethics Epictetus believed in Stoicism and was one of the leading Stoics. Stoicism is a moral doctrine that says human beings must conform themselves to the ways of the universe. Epictetus followed early stoics. He was mainly interested in ethics and defined philosophy as "learning how it is possible to employ desire and aversion without hindrance." He said true education was realizing the at there was only one thing that belongs to an individual and that is his will or purpose. Just as the Stoics, Epictetus felt that this will could not be compelled by anything external like insult, reputation, enslavement, political office, love, exile, or loneliness. He felt that men were not responsible for the ideas that present themselves to their consciousness but they are responsible for how they use them.

Epictetus had 2 main maxims that he believed in:

  1. Apart from the will there is nothing good or bad
  2. We must not try to anticipate or to direct events, but merely to accept them with intelligence. This also means Do not concern yourself with things beyond your control.
A story about Epictetus when he was a slave shows what this means. It was said that one day Epaphroditus was twisting Epictetus' leg. Epictetus looked up at him smiling and said "You will break it." Finally when the leg broke Epictetus replied calmly "I told you so." Epictetus felt that for man to do this he must believe there is a God who directs the universe with his thoughts. He also felt human's were limited and irrational but the universe was perfect. They must accept the fact of their powerlessness before fate since they cannot control destiny. They also, because of their weaknesses, be tolerant of the faults of others.

Political Theorist As a Political Theorist Epictetus felt man was a member of a great system that brings together men and God. Each man is a member of his own Commonwealth but also of the city of Gods and men. The natural instinct of life is self-interest and self-preservation. The individual however cannot secure his own interests unless he also contributes to the common welfare. Epictetus felt man must see the world as a whole, grow with God, and make the will of nature his own.

Teaching As a teacher Epictetus taught by the Socratic method of elicitation, he did not lecture. He would shock his students in order to motivated them. He would use exaggeration after exaggeration using Aristotle's idea of ethical education that the best way to straighten a crooked stick was to bend it in the opposite direction. He felt a good teacher did not try to impress his students but should lead them. He should eliminate the differences of knowledge and competence between them. He should dominate instead he should teach.

Epictetus like Socrates wrote nothing and the only accounts we have are from his student Flavius Arrian. The Discourses and The Manual are the two that survive from Arrian and not all parts of those survive. Out of the two The Manual is better known however both are mainly based on ethics.

Influences It is said that when Epictetus died he was practically deified. He influenced many people in a great way. Gellius called him the greatest of philosophers and an anonymous epigram describes him as " a friend of the immortals." Some of the many people he influenced include Lucian, Celsus, Arrian, Hadrian, and even Christians such as Chrysostom and Augustine. His The Manual was adopted by Christian ascetics. Marcus Aurelius was probably influenced the most by him. Others influenced by him were Descartes, Spinoza, and Kant.

Epictetus was influenced mainly by Musonius Rufus and by Socrates. Epictetus came to admire Socrates and even idolized him not only for what he said but how he said it.

Epictetus also influences many people today notably Admiral James Stockdale, who many know as Ross Perot's running mate in the Presidential Elections. Stockdale was a POW in the Vietnam war for 8 years and attributes his survival to his education of the classics mainly Epictetus. Stockdale remembers mainly calling on such quotes of Epictetus' such as "Men are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them." Another quote he remembers calling on are "Do not be concerned with things which are beyond your power." The main idea of Epictetus' that he called on was " Lameness is an impediment to the body but not to the will." He used this because for the first few years as a prisoner he had a very badly broken leg just as Epictetus did. They both never let this impediment to their bodies inhibit their minds and willpower. Due to this reliance on the philosophies of Epictetus Stockdale was able to survive his time as a POW and make it back to the United States alive. He now believes that the classics and philosophies of people such as Epictetus should be required as part of military training.

Shawn Christenbury

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