“A person’s master is someone who has power over what he wants or does not want, either to obtain it or take it away. Whoever wants to be free, therefore, let him not want or avoid anything that is up to others. Otherwise he will necessarily be a slave.” (Epictetus; Classics, 306)
2007-03-16 15:53:27 · 5 answers · asked by Lauren 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Really, this is simple. Every person has power over their own life. It is up to us, and to us only, to control our own lives. Take for example the quote "he who angers you controls you". If someone has angered you, then they have controlled your thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
2007-03-16 16:03:43 · answer #1 · answered by ragincajun1957 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I disagree with that statement, but only because I define "master" differently.
Epictetus obviously defined "master" as someone who has the power to influence a person through persuasion. If someone controls what I want, and can either enable me to get it or prevent me from getting it, they certainly are in a position of power over me, but I would not go so far as to call such a person my master. If this were the case, then we could rightly say that we all have many masters (mine would include my professors who give me grades, my boss who pays my salary, the employees at my grocery store who sell me food, etc.).
I would rather say that a master is someone who is in such a commanding position of power in every area of my life, not just one, that in every decision I make or action I choose, my choice must be informed by what they would have me do, rather than what I will for myself. Also, such a person would have to have some kind of forced stronghold on me, such that I did not have the option of forsaking them and seeking out some other way of living in which they did not have any power over me.
2007-03-16 16:32:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Self-sufficiency works for part of the time. It is good not to be too dependent upon others. However, I believe that one will suffer from lonliness if one attempts to be 100% independent. Partially accepting the prison that other people impart is a neccessary part of maturity in my opinion. I follow the adage from "The Prisoner" ( a great TV show from the 60's). You are free to have your own thoughts, but you are also trapped in the throes of society. The prisoner was held behind bars at the end of every episode as part of the credits. To extricate oneself from the ensnarement of politics is a goal, but one that will probably never come to true frition. One is only completely free in one's mind. There will always be social contacts to be dealt with. The journey from enslavement to freedom is a perpetual journey, one that must be faced again and again. The quote: "if you are thinking, life is a comedy---if you are not, life is a a tragedy" is applicable. Freedom comes from within one's own mind, one's own signature presence. Accepting a certain amount of imprisonment is a good thing, and will allow one to pursue desires, carnal or otherwise.
If one were simply a pure, detached intellect, I suppose one could be free from masters. However, I believe there would be a longing for bestial desires after a while. Rumi comments on the "friend of no one" that is part of every human being. The devil that lies inside is hard to resist, and cannot be easily placated with sunshine and well wishing. One must be as a Moses to "bury the serpent" in the snow and thereby avoid all subsequent encounters with one's dark nature. I don't know if this is possible, but it certainly is an ideal.
If one is able to tap into the matrix of energy that is part of reality one can bring desires to him/herself by way of happy coincidence. The power lies in the focused intention that is impressed upon a blank slate. True power resides there.
There are always possibilities for independence that lie between the mundane flow pf politics. Finding a real solution bestows an incredible amount of power. The answer requires thinking, (as per usual), an adventurous enthusiasm, and bravery. Answers can be found in the fringe. There are always there, and always will be, they cannot be shut out by the drones and masses. They come in at odd angles. One is still dependent upon one's own energy in this circumstance, and one's own perception. That cannot be avoided. Realizing that one's own perception is the key to reality is part of fundamental progress.
2007-03-16 16:27:05 · answer #3 · answered by sassychickensuckerboy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The passage says someone, not someone else, although it could be someone else. That someone can be myself. With proper knowledge man becomes his own master.
It sounds like good advice in any age. Also, makes it sound like anyone working for an employer could be a slave.
2007-03-16 16:49:28 · answer #4 · answered by stedyedy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Someone who has power over you dominates your every move. And maybe the best way to avoid this is by achieving on your own?
2007-03-16 16:16:00 · answer #5 · answered by Da Mick 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋