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Given our busy life schedules, we are limited in our time to read the very best books. The Discourses of Epictetus is one of those must-read books. Epictetus is second to no one, probably due to his teacher Musonius, who is a philosopher of the highest caliber. Make sure you buy this exact edition by the Harvard Univ Press (Loeb Classical Library), and also complete the Discourses with Books 3-4.
A book that deserves to be read every morning.
Liked Seneca and Marcus Aurelius more. Still has some great pieces of wisdom.
I did not know what to make of Epictetus at first.. At first I was like what is the Ancient Hack blabbering about ?..but the more my life unfolds the more I find this man to be Spectacular...His teachings go beyond intellectual jabbering, and are applicable to real life...The dice Metaphor..I don't control the dice..I can only do something with what has turned up..make the best of it....What is within the will what is up to me...the dice are "indifferent"..beyond my control.. The Olympic Metapho...
The best of the stoics. This is the sort of stuff most people probably think of when they think of philosophy. Advice on how to live your life.
convinced me Barthe was the only human who was able to actually live
Wisdom persists. Some sections felt painfully outdated (aided in that endeavour by Oldfather's somewhat anachronistic translation), but perhaps only noticeably so for the fact that much of Epictetus’ Stoic philosophy translates so well in a modern context. Undeniably repetitive; however, I think that was rather the point. I find the relationship between Stoic thought (which itself persisted in popularity through much of the heyday of Rome and throughout its decline) and contemporary cognitive be...
What can I say? I really get a kick out of reading ancient philosophy. I wish I had the well-honed mind of a philosopher.
I find it near to impossible to rate a work of antiquity as I might try to rank a contemporary work. How does one choose subtraction over addition in ranking an artifact of historical interest? The Discourses of Epictetus possess such a special status and have greater merit at the start than contemporary works. By various measures, I commend the Discourses. One measure, mentioned above, is the historical measure. Reading the Discourses is time travel. How rare and privileged is it to see the wor...
The kindness and compassion at the heart of this work is indescribable. No better guide in life than Epictetus. I've returned to it often. Translation is overall excellent, but the Greek is not that difficult. Great to have it there on occasion.
"You mean, then, that when you approach me you will not pay attention to me?""No, I pay attention only to myself. But if you wish me to say that I pay attention to you too, I tell you that I do so, but only as I pay attention to my pot." Sassy Epictetus is sassy.
I really like this translation. There is just something about it. It feels original. It's not really for a beginner. There are easier ones to read.
Sure, it would be almost impossible to live as a stoic all the time, but there is a comfort here that I really appreciate. I like the idea that we should accept death like one who has borrowed and appreciated something he never fully possessed. It reminds me of what I like about Thoreau--without the meandering treatises on beans.
This was really hard to get through. If I were doing it again I'd try the Enchiridion or try a different translation (maybe one that isn't 80 years old).
The ideals of Stoicism are not very popular today. Only the military truly appreciates what they have to offer, and for some that alone is enough to turn them away. Yet, there is no wisdom the world needs more than what Epictetus offers. His insights are so startlingly right, his presentation so witty, his life so exemplary that we would be fools to ignore him. He teaches us, not just to be Men (as the military interprets stoicism), but to be fully Human in the best sense. Here is just a taste:H...
A life changing book.
A follower of Zeno and Chrysippus (as evidence by the numerous references), Epictetus expounds the lessons of Stoicism. On a superficial level, it’s kind of like Western Buddhism. Detachment from worldly desire being a core concept in both. Whereas Buddhism seeks to train the mind in the ways of sila (ethical behavior) to cut the chain of endless rebirth, Epictetus teaches how virtue helps you pass through the purpose of this existence. Men act like a traveller on the way to his own country who
Lessons in Stoicism from a master, a freed slave writing for a Roman audience. One of the sources from antiquity on Stoicism.
Monumentally influential on moral thought, particularly with regard to Christianity, these short essays - presented as notes of his conversations with students - have a certain charm but there's only so much Graeco-Roman "Braveheart" philosophy I can take in a single sitting. There is another volume containing two more books of his discourses. I am in no hurry to continue with it.
