Why was Epictetus different from other philosophers? What was his main concern with life?

Question

I am not doing a course on philosophy nor am I studying for anything. (I'm just curious and my cat is still around.)

Answer 1

He was a Stoic, but with a difference:
"Epictetus focused on ethics to a greater extent than the early Stoics had. He held that our aim was to be masters of our own lives. The role of the Stoic teacher, according to Epictetus, was to encourage his students to learn, first of all, the true ‘nature of things’, which is invariable, inviolable and valid for all human beings without exceptions. The ‘nature of things’ is their bipartition into two categories; those things that are subject to our exclusive power (prohairetic things) and those things that are not subject to our exclusive power (aprohairetic things). The first category of things includes judgement, impulse, desire, aversion, etc. The second category of things, which can also be called adiaphora, includes health, material wealth, fame, etc. Epictetus then introduced his students to two cardinal concepts: the concept of ‘Prohairesis’ and the concept of ‘Dihairesis’. Prohairesis is what distinguishes humans from all other creatures. It is the faculty that makes us desire or avert, feel impelled or repel something, assent to or dissent about something, according to our own judgements. Epictetus repeatedly says that ‘we are our prohairesis’. Dihairesis is the judgement that is performed by our Prohairesis, and that enables us to distinguish what is subject to our exclusive power from what is not subject to our exclusive power. Finally, Epictetus taught his students that good and evil exist only in our Prohairesis and never in external or aprohairetic things. The good student who had thoroughly grasped these concepts and employed them in everyday life was prepared to live the philosophic life, whose objective was eudaimonia (‘happiness’ or ‘flourishing’). This meant living virtuously, in accordance with reason and in accordance with the ‘nature of things’.

In the last chapter in Enchiridion he concludes his ethics with four maxims meant to help during everyday life:

"Lead thou me on, O Zeus, and Destiny,
To that goal long ago to me assigned.
I'll follow and not falter; if my will
Prove weak and craven, still I'll follow on.


"Whoever has complied well with necessity
Is counted wise by us, and understands divine affairs. (From Euripides, Frag. 965)


"O Crito, if it thus pleases the gods, thus let it be." (From Plato's Crito)

"Anytus and Meletus can kill me, but they can't harm me." (From Plato's Apology)

Answer 2

My significant purpose in my life is to get each and every thing financially sturdy adequate to have the skill to stay the life me and my kinfolk have constantly dreamed of living. not the 'on a daily basis' typical/elementary life, yet a life full of excitement and adventure. traveling, etc. not the life maximum folk fall into. (artwork, pay expenses, consume, sleep, & repeat.) this is gonna stake difficult artwork to get there, and that i'm finished with extreme college so nows the time to rather think of concerning to the destiny and the stairs this is gonna take to end all my targets. So i might say i'm at consistent with danger a million% yet i'm going to get there finally lol.

Answer 3

I didn't read all of Johnslat's answer but I scanned it so I believe it looks right. From my understanding of Epicurus he held the belief that all judgments we make are based on our feeling of pleasure of pain (Hedonism). But this is not simple sensuality - for Epicureans held that intellectual enjoyment was a pleasure worth seeking.

Answer 4

My favorite quote of his is "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."

Answer 5

Look up any decent encyclopedia