What would be the worst set of circumstances a person could be forced to suffer? Perhaps someone whose life is marred by constant pain and disease. Or, maybe worse than this would be the life of someone enslaved and abused who is subjected to all manner of undignified treatment. Nobody would choose to live either of these lives. But, suppose we did find ourselves in such circumstances. Could we still live a good life? Or would the very possibility of living well be precluded?

These are the kinds of questions that motivate the work of Epictetus. Epictetus was a Greek philosopher born in the year 50 AD, and he is one of the primary proponents of the Stoic philosophy. Stoicism holds that living well requires focusing on what is within our power, controlling our emotions, and detaching ourselves from concern for external goods.

Epictetus himself had a unique perspective on these topics from spending the early portion of his life in slavery. Being born a slave, it could seem that Epictetus is a perfect example of someone destined to live poorly – a perfect example of how human flourishing is not possible for everyone. Yet, what we get from Epictetus’ writings is an approach to life which makes human flourishing possible no matter our circumstances. No matter what disadvantages we are dealt, or misfortunes we are forced to suffer, once we recognize what it truly means to live well, we will also realize that no external circumstance can hinder our flourishing.

In this video, we will explore these ideas by looking at some passages from Epictetus’ most well-known writing – the Enchiridion (which is also known as the “Handbook of Epictetus”). Here Epictetus spells out the Stoic approach to living well, achieving freedom, and facing death.

0:00 – Introduction
2:33 – What is within our power?
18:46 – Stoic Indifference toward External Goods
35:54 – The Stoic Conception of Harm
42:31 – The Stoic Confrontation with Death

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For the pdf document used in this video see: https://drive.google.com/file/d/11KJ3KtQPvKpTzWOvX2aJhfNcT8hYsEDV/view?usp=sharing

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Below are the supplemental videos for this lecture:

Stoic Freedom and the Desire for External Goods (Part One): https://youtu.be/_gdDk6FtxCQ
Stoic Freedom and the Desire for External Goods (Part Two): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC8Op6p_14k
Desire, Aversion, and Stoic Self-Control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMx4ktgZW7A
Stoic Practice and Living Well: https://youtu.be/sDHWrP6_M48