Karen Romine #33651288 Epictetus Short Essay Throughout his teachings, Epictetus presents god as both immanent, in that

part of him is in all humans, but also transcendent and omnipotent, arranging events to happen as is best. By believing in Epictetus' vision of god, his followers can trust that whatever happens is for the best, and thus, be happy with everything that occurs in their lives. Epictetus portrays god as immanent when he claims that god is present in all human beings. He teaches his followers that [they] are a fragment[s] of god; [they] contain a part of [god] in [themselves], (Disc., p. 10). He also claims that the true nature of god is [K] the true nature of good, and the true nature of good is Intelligence. Knowledge. Right reason, (Disc., p. 9). If humans contain a fragment of god, and god is reason personified, then it follows that the fragment presents itself as humans' ability to reason. This ability is what makes humans superior to other illogical animals. In addition, Epictetus suggests that god has assigned to each man [K] his own personal daemon, and committed him to his guardianship, (Disc., p. 9). The fragment of reason that each human contains is now personified as a daemon, guarding each human against false reasoning. God is within humans as a separate consciousness that quietly watches over them and gives them the ability to understand. By believing in Epictetus' concept of god as immanent, yet still conscious, and benevolent, humans have no reason to hesitate to live a full life because they know that god's daemon is watching over them. Not only is god immanent, Epictetus also suggests that god is omnipotent

Karen Romine #33651288 and transcendent. He claims everything that happens is god's will, and humans are, to some extent, god's servants. He urges followers to remember that you are an actor in a play, which is as the playwright wants it to be... If he wants you to play a beggar, play even this part skillfully, (The Handbook, p. 16). Metaphorically, god is the playwright, controlling the course of events, and humans are the actors, intended to follow god's will. This metaphor, describing god as a playwright, implies that god is an outside influence on events, predetermining them, rather than internally causing things to happen with his imminent presence. Because of this state of god and the universe, Epictetus urges humans to accept their lots in life, as chosen by god, and do their best, regardless of what their roles are. One such role is humans' responsibility to make good use of their ability to reason. Epictetus claims that god has introduced man into the world as a spectator of himself and of his works, (Disc., p. 7). Humans are tasked with observing and understanding the purpose of other creatures, such as cows, whose purpose is to produce milk and cheese. The animals' purposes benefit humans, and by obeying god, humans will understand and make good use of god's other creations. Epictetus' observations support his view that god created a logical world in which each ability has a specific purpose. Combined with the belief that what is good is intelligent and reasonable, god's creation of a logical world implies that he created a world that is good, proving god's benevolence. So, obeying god's orders is no hardship because god is good and everything he wills is for the best. With this understanding, Epictetus tells

Karen Romine #33651288 followers that the gods are beings that arrange the universe well and justly, and followers must, set [themselves] to obey them and acquiesce in everything that happens and to follow it willingly, as something brought to completion by the best judgment, (Handbook, p. 21). Although Epictetus refers to gods plural instead of a singular god, he does not believe in polytheistic gods. Rather, he is appealing to a broader audience by being vague about which god his is referring to. In addition to a singular god, plural gods, and the Christian God, Epictetus also mentions Zeus in some of his teachings. These multiple inconsistencies indicate that he does not believe in any one specifically but is tailoring his speeches to fit different audiences of varying beliefs. Regardless of preexisting beliefs, by believing in the goodness of god, Epictetus' followers can reconcile themselves with anything that happens in their lives and know that ultimately, it is for the best. These beliefs are meant to help followers to accept the Stoic doctrine of wanting what happens to happen in order to lead a happy life.