Epictetus’ Ideas in Philosophy Research Paper

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Introduction

Everyone is aware that philosophy deals with the most abstract questions about the nature of life and the purpose of human existence. Humanity has been trying to solve the problems surrounding the topic of meaning for decades, and it had reached some conclusions. That is why several philosophers are known for successfully answering the most prominent questions of reality. One of those people is the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus. As Sellars indicated, Epictetus believed that his philosophy is an “art of living” and should be directed towards “the transformation of one’s way of life” (7). So, to discover Epictetus’ ideas deeper, this research paper will talk about his life and ideas and relate his teachings to other famous philosophers’ opinions.

Life of Epictetus

Epictetus had a challenging life that made him face various events which, eventually, brought him closer to the understanding of life and the development of his teachings. The philosopher began his life as a slave for a Roman master, and there is a story “that Epictetus’ master broke his legs in a fit of rage” (Dryden and Still 9). Because of that, Epictetus remained disabled and experienced severe pains throughout his life (Dryden and Still 9). After a long period of slavery, Epictetus had a chance to learn philosophy and became a teacher in Rome (Dryden and Still 9). However, the emperor Domitian had organized a banishment of the philosophers, which required Epictetus to leave Rome immediately (Dryden and Still 9). Despite all the serious issues met, the philosopher was able to establish a school in Nicopolis, Greece where Epictetus shared his knowledge of life with the young generation (Dryden and Still 9). It can be concluded that difficult life situations have contributed to the development of Epictetus’ view of the world and motivated them to share his knowledge with people.

Epictetus’ Ideas and Teachings

One of the main ideas developed by Epictetus was a belief that philosophy is not just a theory but rather a way of life. As suggested by Sellars, Epictetus was promoting this idea through an everyday life thing – his shaving habits (35). Epictetus saw the beard as something sacred; therefore, no one should try to get rid of it (Sellars 33). The Greek philosopher believed that if a Roman citizen chose to shave their beard, it meant that this person did not embrace the idea of philosophy as a means of life (Sellars 33). For this reason, Epictetus was incredibly proud of his beard as he was able to attribute his philosophy to such a small aspect of life.

Moreover, for Epictetus, the beard issue meant that philosophy should be understood as a matter of behaviors rather than words. This view primarily indicated that a person’s actions are a more critical definition of their philosophical position than their spoken words. Epictetus taught students the superiority of actions over words by advising them that to realize which philosophical school they belong to, they need to take a look at their everyday life behaviors (Sellars 36). He ensured students that they need to focus on moral preconceptions, which he believed were universal (Tremblay 113). Epictetus was sure that his philosophy was hard to embrace since it required to feel happy even in the most terrible circumstances of life.

Another distinguishing feature of the Stoic philosophy is that people are responsible not only for their actions but also for their emotions. The main idea of this belief was to show that harmful emotions do not appear from their source but are instead a result of people’s inability to discipline themselves (Dryden and Still 31). People suffer from negativity because they cannot apply their moral beliefs to specific situations (Tremblay 113). Consequently, the Stoic philosophy aims at achieving a “disciplined reflection on the workings of the mind, in the hope of leading a more satisfactory life” (Dryden and Still 31). Thus, Epictetus believed that individuals are in control of their life through the observation of their actions and emotions as they are the main distinguisher of how people handle life situations.

Relation to Aristotle

While different philosophies have their common points, there are many distinguishing features between them, and Epictetus’ theory can be compared to the one of Aristotle. Both beliefs provide a profound knowledge of how humans might find happiness in life; however, their approaches to moral excellence are contrasting. As illustrated by Jensen, Aristotle considered one’s satisfaction to be dependent on the community (108). Otherwise, the Stoic philosophy stated that a successful and happy life of an individual is established only around themselves. The happiness of people derives from them and is not dependent on the choices and behaviors of the surrounding world (Jensen 108). Thus, while happiness for Aristotle was composed of several contributions, Epictetus attributed happiness entirely to an individual.

Relation to Plato

The thought of Plato had a significant influence on the developments of Stoic philosophy; nevertheless, Epictetus still adapted Plato’s ideas to his style. As mentioned by Dryden and Still, Epictetus borrowed some passages from Plato’s Gorgias and corresponded them with the readings from Discourses (9). Plato’s ideas helped Epictetus to differentiate right from wrong, which encouraged the philosopher to create a personal perspective on reality. While Platonic thought focused on various facts of the world, Epictetus decided to concentrate on the self (Dryden and Still 9). Plato’s philosophy would significantly complicate Epictetus’ experience since the philosopher would lose the possibility to live in harmony with the world due to the circumstances brought by life. Even though Epictetus borrowed the views of Plato, he changed and adapted them according to his realities.

Conclusion

Overall, philosophy is a crucial and complicated study of the world. It helps individuals to address the questions of the meaning of life, happiness, success, and morality. Moreover, the existence of various philosophies shows that every person is free to choose an individual perspective on the world. Therefore, the presented research paper discussed Epictetus, his life experience, and teachings and compared his ideas to the thoughts of Aristotle and Plato.

Works Cited

Dryden, Windy, and Arthur Still. The Historical and Philosophical Context of Rational Psychotherapy: The Legacy of Epictetus. Routledge, 2018.

Jensen, Mark N. “Epictetus vs. Aristotle: What Is the Best Way to Frame the Military Virtues?” Naval War College Review, vol. 70, no. 3, 2017, pp. 101-120.

Sellars, John. The Art of Living: The Stoics on the Nature and Function of Philosophy. Routledge, 2018.

Tremblay, Michael. “Digestion and Moral Progress in Epictetus.” Journal of Ancient Philosophy, vol. 13, no. 1, 2019, pp. 100-119.

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