The lectures of a former slave who became the most influential Stoic teacher of his age. Epictetus teaches that the only things within our control are our judgements and desires — everything else must be accepted.
Start ReadingThe fundamentals of Stoic practice. What is in our power and what is not. The distinction between impression and judgement. Epictetus begins from where his students live — confused, anxious, and enslaved by opinion.
Social roles and moral progress. How to be a son, a brother, a citizen, and a philosopher. The Stoic handles grief, anger, and desire not by suppressing them but by seeing them clearly.
The Stoic in society. How to handle illness, exile, and death. How to argue without becoming argumentative. The philosopher's duty to live what he teaches.
Freedom, courage, and the approach of death. Epictetus at his most urgent: stop reading about philosophy and start practising it. The last thing you need is another book.