About this title: What makes the writings of a former slave so powerful today? Epictetus observed that although everyday life is fraught with difficulty, a life of virtue is within reach. He dedicated his life to outlining the simple way to happiness, fulfillment, and tranquility. By putting into practice the 93 witty, wise, and razor sharp instructions .
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Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HarperOne
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780062513465ISBN:006251346X
Description: Good. Books have varying amounts of wear and highlighting. Usually ships within 24 hours in quality packaging. Satisfaction guaranteed. read more
Edition: 9th Printing
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Harper San Francisco, New York, New York, U.S.A.
Date Published: 1995
ISBN-13:9780062513465ISBN:006251346X
Description: Nr Fine. Trade Paperback 006251346x Clean and Solid Copy A couple pencilled lines on text. read more
Description: New. Brand new! LEATHER BOUND accented with 22kt gold. Our Promise to You: ALL OUR DUST JACKETS COME WITH CLEAR BRODART PROTECTIVE COVERS. (Please read listing to determine if this book comes with a dust jacket. ) Your order will be CAREFULLY PACKAGED IN A BOX for safe transition. We strive for 100% customer satisfaction! ; . read more
"This is the first time I have read Epictetus, or any work of stoic philosophy for that matter, so if you are looking for an expert opinion you might want to look elsewhere. If, however, you are interested in reading Epictetus for the first time yourself then my little review might be of some use.
I was impressed by the degree to which the thoughts expressed in this book could be applied in modern daily life. Epictetus believed that for philosophy to have any real value it had to be put into action to create a more noble life for its practitioner. His unrelenting insistence on the practical application of philosophy should be refreshing to contemporary readers who have come to regard philosophy as more of a way of understanding the world than a way of living in it. I came to the book with the notion that Stoicism meant acceptance of the world, and while Epictetus does preach acceptance of those things over which we have no control, he also emphasises the importance of doing the best we can in those areas in which we do have control. It is a very practical book, particularly for people like me who will stew for hours about the moron who cut me off in traffic.
I do have a few reservations. One the one hand Epictetus cautions against us attaching values to actions or events, but would have us understand that these thing are simply what they are. We should not say they are either good nor evil. Yet he also believes that "things happen for a reason" and that reason seems to be part of the plan of a universal force - in other words events do have a moral component. This seems to be a contradiction of his earlier "events have no meaning outside of themselves" ascertation. It also smacks uncomfortably of "all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds."
I also found the translation by Sharon Lebell jarring at times. While I appreciate the difficulty in making an 1800 year old text accessible to modern readers, I got the distinct impression that I was reading a "Good News Bible" version of Epictetus. Did she really need to put the words "don't be the class clown" in his mouth? The inclusion of many modern phrases was intrusive.
Still, as an introduction to both Epictetus and stoic philosophy, I believe this book is a great place to start."
"The interesting thing about stoic philosophy is that two of the greatest proponents of it were an emperor and a slave. Two very different points of view and yet their ideas are strikingly similar. I think it helps the notion that stoicism is accessible to all mankind."
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