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EpictetusEpictetus

A Stoic and Socratic Guide to LifeA Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life

OLLI at GMUOLLI at GMU

December 11, 2008December 11, 2008

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The philosopher’s school is like a surgery, you ought not to go

out of it with pleasure, but with pain.

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Some Things Are In Our Control Some Things Are In Our Control

And Others NotAnd Others Not

Things in our control are:

� Opinion,

� Pursuit,

� Desire,

� Aversion, and, in a word,

� Whatever are our own actions.

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Things not in our control are:

� Body,

� Property,

� Reputation,

� Command, and, in one word,

� Whatever are not our own actions.

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The things in our control are by nature:

� Free,

� Unrestrained,

� Unhindered;

but those not in our control are:

� Weak,

� Slavish,

� Restrained,

� Something else,

� Belonging to others.

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When therefore we are hindered, or disturbed, or grieved, let us never attribute it to others, but to ourselves; that is, to our own principles.

� An uninstructed person will lay the fault of hisown bad condition upon others.

� Someone just starting instruction will lay the faulton himself.

� Someone who is perfectly instructed will placeblame neither on others nor on himself.

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EpictetusEpictetus

A Stoic and Socratic Guide to LifeA Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life

OLLI at GMUOLLI at GMU

December 11, 2008December 11, 2008

8

EpictetusEpictetus

A Stoic and Socratic Guide to LifeA Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life

OLLI at GMUOLLI at GMU

December 11, 2008December 11, 2008

Thank you very much!Thank you very much!

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EpictetusEpictetus

A Stoic and Socratic Guide to LifeA Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life

OLLI at GMUOLLI at GMU

December 11, 2008December 11, 2008

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See you next week

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