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 Nicopolis
Taught Arrian, when Vespasian's brutal son
Cleared 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
!