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Thy Will be Done

"An uneducated person accuses others when he is doing badly; a partly educated person accuses himself, an educated person accuses neither someone nor himself."   Epictetus

Book:  White, Nicholas P. Handbook of Epictetus. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. (1983).

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"Before exploring the lessons in Epictetus' handbook, let's talk about the man. What do we know about his history?" Dr. Soren asked. Margaret raised her hand, and Dr. Soren motioned for her to speak.

"According to the introduction, Epictetus was born somewhere around fifty AD. He lived in Rome for about forty years and was then banished to Greece. During the early part of his life, he lived as a slave. He was freed at some point and became a teacher."

"Yes, that's it in a nutshell. What about the Stoic school of thought?" Dr. Soren asked.

"Stoicism asserts that people should align their desires and mental states with life as it is. To live a rational, reasonable life in accordance with nature was considered a right life," she answered.

"Good. What were the other two branches of philosophy and the significant ideologies of each?"

Before Margaret could respond, Derrick jumped in.

"The other two schools of thought during that time were Epicureanism and Skepticism."

"Yes, Derrick. Continue."

Derrick cleared his throat and said, "Well, Epicureanism was founded in by Epicurus, sometime around three hundred B.C.   Their philosophy maintained that living pleasurably was the highest good. Epicurus wrote that it is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely, honorably and justly. That said, it is impossible to live wisely, honorably and justly without living pleasantly. In writing that, he asserts that living with honor leads to a pleasant life and a pleasant life is an honorable life. It wasn't so much about just doing what feels good in the moment, especially if what feels good hurts or disrespects another. Epicurus stated that not all pleasures are worth pursuing and not all pains should be avoided. One should figure out what is in one's long-term self-interest, and forgo what will bring pleasure in the short-term if doing so will ultimately lead to greater pleasure in the long-term. Epicurus' overall message is that one should use prudence. That is, one should decide if actions will lead to long-term pleasure. While most people associate Epicureanism with hedonism, the truth is, Epicurus mostly advocated paring desires down to a minimum so that they can be easily satisfied."

So much for any notions I had about jocks not being smart. This kid knew his Philosophy. Dr. Soren nodded and urged Derrick on.

Derrick continued, "Skeptics, as their name has come to signify in language, questioned everything. They were interested in finding the best way to live but did not believe in formulas or 'truths' that dictated what it meant to lead a good life. In fact, they were somewhat opposed to living according to doctrines or beliefs of any sort.  Some skeptics questioned whether we can really know anything. An important component of their belief system was to 'suspend judgment.'  That is, to avoid calling anything good or bad without careful inquiry into all possible causes, reasons, and outcomes of something. Their dogma was anti-dogma. That is, accept no beliefs or truths, question everything, and believe in no one thing. One of their favorite targets for argument were the Stoic ideals and instructions for living a right life." Derrick stopped and looked up at our professor, perhaps waiting for acknowledgement.

Dr. Soren nodded and asked if Derrick wanted to add anything else. He did.

"Stoics believed in the divine order of nature. That is, they thought people could find peace if they would accept life and events as they are rather than trying to shape and change life to fit desires, wants, and perceived needs. According to the Stoics, and Epictetus, living according to nature meant two things. One, approach life with intelligence and reason. This included delivering on one's duties as a moral and responsible citizen. Two, accept one's fate as divine natural order and live peacefully within one's life."