Epictetus' Discourses, III.3, with Claude Analysis
EPICTETUS' Discourses, III.3, with Claude Analysis
What is the subject-matter with which the good man has to deal; and what should be the chief object of our training?
Discourses, III.3.1--4
The subject-matter with which the good and excellent man has to deal is his own governing principle, that of a physician and the masseur is the body, of a farmer is his farm; but the function of the good and excellent man is to deal with his impressions in accordance with nature. Now just as it is the nature of every soul to assent to the true, dissent from the false, and to withhold judgement in a matter of uncertainty, so it is its nature to be moved with desire toward the good, with aversion toward the evil, and feel neutral toward what is neither evil nor good. For just as neither the banker nor the greengrocer may legally refuse the coinage of Caesar, but if you present it, whether he will or no, he must turn over to you what you are purchasing with it, so it is also with the soul. The instant the good appears it attracts the soul to itself, while the evil repels the soul from itself. A soul will never refuse a clear sense-impression of good, any more than a man will refuse the coinage of Caesar, On this concept of the good hangs every impulse to act both of man and of God.
1. Main idea: The primary concern of a good person is their own governing principle (mind/soul).
Supporting points:
- This is compared to how a physician deals with the body and a farmer with their farm.
- The function of a good person is to deal with their impressions in accordance with nature.
2. Main idea: The soul has inherent tendencies in relation to truth, falsehood, and uncertainty.
Supporting points:
- The soul naturally assents to what is true.
- It dissents from what is false.
- It withholds judgment in matters of uncertainty.
3. Main idea: The soul has natural inclinations towards good and evil.
Supporting points:
- The soul is naturally moved with desire toward the good.
- It has aversion toward evil.
- It feels neutral toward what is neither good nor evil.
4. Main idea: The soul's response to good and evil is involuntary, like a financial transaction.
Supporting points:
- This is compared to how a banker or greengrocer must accept valid currency.
- The soul is automatically attracted to what appears good.
- It is repelled by what appears evil.
- A clear impression of good will always be accepted by the soul, just as valid currency must be accepted in a transaction.
5. Main idea: The concept of good is fundamental to all action.
Supporting point:
- Every impulse to act, both for humans and for God, is based on this concept of the good.
The text emphasizes the Stoic view that our primary focus should be on our own mind and how we process impressions. It also highlights the idea that our responses to good and evil are as natural and automatic as economic transactions, suggesting that virtue is aligned with our innate tendencies when we perceive things clearly.
Discourses, III.3.5--10
When, therefore, different persons have different pieces of coinage, a man offers the coin and gets what is bought by it. A thief has come to the province as Proconsul. What coinage does he use? Silver. Offer it and carry away what you wish. An adulterer has come. What coinage does he use? Frail wenches. "Take," says one, "the coin and sell me the little baggage." Give, and buy. Another is interested in boys. Give him the coin and take what you wish. Another is fond of hunting. Give him a fine horse or dog; with sighs and groans he will sell for it what you wish; for Another constrains him from within, the one who has established this currency.[1]
This text continues the Stoic philosophical discussion, using the metaphor of currency to illustrate how people operate based on their values and desires. Here are the main ideas and their supporting points:
1. Main idea: Different people value different things, which act as their "currency" in life.
Supporting points:
- The text uses the analogy of different pieces of coinage to represent different values.
- It suggests that people can "buy" what they want by offering what others value.
2. Main idea: Corrupt or immoral people have their own forms of "currency" based on their vices.
Supporting points:
- A thief who becomes a Proconsul values silver (material wealth).
- An adulterer values "frail wenches" (sexual partners).
- Someone interested in boys values young male companions.
- A person fond of hunting values fine horses or dogs.
3. Main idea: People will trade what they have for what they desire, even if it causes them distress.
Supporting point:
- The text mentions that some will sell "with sighs and groans," suggesting they may feel conflicted about their choices.
4. Main idea: There is an internal force that compels people to act on their desires.
Supporting points:
- The text refers to "Another" that "constrains him from within."
- This internal force is described as the one who has "established this currency," suggesting it's the source of a person's values and desires.
5. Main idea: Understanding what others value allows for transactions or manipulations.
Supporting points:
- The text implies that if you know what someone values, you can offer it to get what you want from them.
- This concept is applied to various scenarios, from government corruption to personal vices.
The text uses this extended metaphor of currency and transactions to illustrate how people's values and desires drive their actions. It suggests that understanding what motivates others can be used to influence or manipulate them. However, it also hints at the Stoic idea that these external desires and transactions are ultimately controlled by an internal force - possibly referring to one's character or governing principle. This ties back to earlier Stoic themes about the importance of cultivating virtue and controlling one's own mind rather than being driven by external desires.
Discourses, III.3.14--16
It is chiefiy with this principle in mind that a man must exercise himself. Go out of the house at early dawn, and no matter whom you see or whom you hear, examine him and then answer as you would to a question. What did you see? A handsome man or a handsome woman? Apply your rule. Is it outside the province of the moral purpose, or inside? Outside. Away with it. What did you see? A man in grief over the death of his child? Apply your rule. Death lies outside the province of the moral purpose. Out of the way with it. Did a Consul meet you? Apply your rule. What sort of thing is a consulship? Outside the province of the moral purpose, or inside? Outside. Away with it, too, it does not meet the test; throw it away, it does not concern you. If we had kept doing this and had exercised ourselves from dawn till dark with this principle in mind,—by the gods, something would have been achieved!
But as it is, we are caught gaping straightway at every external impression that comes along, and we wake up a little only during the lecture, if indeed we do so even then. After that is over we go out, and if we see a man in grief, we say, "It is all over with him"; if we see a Consul, we say, "Happy man"; if we see an exile, "Poor fellow"; or a poverty-stricken person, "Wretched man, he has nothing with which to get a bite to eat." These, then, are the vicious judgements which we ought to eradicate; this is the subject upon which we to concentrate our efforts. Why, what is weeping and sighing? A judgement. What is misfortune? A judgement. What are strife, disagreement, fault-finding, accusing, impiety, foolishness? They are all judgements, and that, too, judgements about things that lie outside the province of moral purpose, assumed to be good or evil. Let a man but transfer his judgements to matters that lie within the province of the moral purpose, and I guarantee that he will be steadfast, whatever be the state of things about him.
This text appears to be discussing Stoic philosophy and its views on human judgments and emotions. Here are the main ideas and supporting points:
1. Main idea: People are too easily influenced by external impressions and events.
Supporting points:
- We react strongly to every external impression we encounter.
- We only become slightly more attentive during lectures, if at all.
- After lectures, we quickly fall back into making superficial judgments about others based on their circumstances.
2. Main idea: Our judgments about external circumstances are flawed and need to be corrected.
Supporting points:
- We make hasty judgments about people based on their apparent situations (e.g., calling a grieving person "finished," a consul "happy," an exile "poor fellow").
- These judgments are described as "vicious" and should be "eradicated."
3. Main idea: Many negative emotions and behaviors are actually just judgments.
Supporting points:
- Weeping, sighing, misfortune, strife, disagreement, fault-finding, accusing, impiety, and foolishness are all described as judgments.
- These judgments are specifically about things outside our control, which we assume to be good or evil.
4. Main idea: We should focus on our own moral choices rather than external circumstances.
Supporting points:
- The author suggests transferring our judgments to matters within "the province of the moral purpose."
- By doing so, one can achieve steadfastness regardless of external circumstances.
The text emphasizes the Stoic principle of focusing on what is within our control (our judgments and moral choices) rather than external events or circumstances, which are beyond our control. It argues that by shifting our focus in this way, we can achieve a more stable and virtuous state of mind.
That is why the good is preferred above every form of kinship. My father is nothing to me, but only the good. "Are you so hard-hearted?" Yes, that is my nature. This is the coinage which God has given me. For that reason, if the good is something different from the noble and the just, then father and brother and country and all relationships simply disappear. But shall I neglect my good, so that you may have it, and shall I make way for you? What for? "I am your father." But not a good. "I am your brother." But not a good. If, however, we define the good as consisting in a right moral purpose, then the mere preservation of the relationships of life becomes a good; and furthermore, he who gives up some of the externals achieves the good. "My father is taking away my money," But he is doing you no harm, "My brother is going to get the larger part of the farm," Let him have all he wants. That does not help him at all to get a part of your modesty, does it, or of your fidelity, or of your brotherly love? Why, from a possession of this kind who can eject you? Not even Zeus. Nay, nor did He even wish to, but this matter He put under my control, and He gave it to me even as He had it Himself, free from hindrance, compulsion, restraint.
This text continues to discuss Stoic philosophy, focusing on the concept of the good and its relationship to personal ethics and familial ties. Here are the main ideas and their supporting points:
1. Main idea: The good is superior to all relationships, including family ties.
Supporting points:
- The speaker states that their father is nothing to them, only the good matters.
- This prioritization is described as a natural inclination, given by God.
2. Main idea: If the good is different from what is noble and just, then all relationships become irrelevant.
Supporting point:
- The text suggests that if the good were separate from moral virtues, then concepts like father, brother, and country would lose their significance.
3. Main idea: If the good is defined as having the right moral purpose, then preserving relationships becomes a good in itself.
Supporting points:
- This implies that maintaining family ties can be virtuous if done with the right intentions.
- Giving up external things (like material possessions) to preserve relationships can be considered achieving the good.
4. Main idea: True goods (virtues) cannot be taken away by others.
Supporting points:
- Even if a father takes away money or a brother gets a larger share of property, they cannot take away one's modesty, fidelity, or brotherly love.
- These virtues are described as being under one's own control, free from external hindrance, compulsion, or restraint.
5. Main idea: God (Zeus) has given individuals control over their own virtue and moral choices.
Supporting points:
- The text states that Zeus cannot eject someone from their virtues.
- It's suggested that Zeus intentionally gave humans control over their moral choices, in the same way He has control over His own.
The text emphasizes the Stoic principle that true good lies in one's moral choices and virtues, rather than in external possessions or relationships. It argues for prioritizing ethical behavior and personal virtue over family ties or material concerns, while also suggesting that maintaining relationships can be virtuous if done with the right moral purpose. The overall message reinforces the Stoic belief in personal responsibility for one's moral character and the idea that true virtue is invulnerable to external circumstances.
Discourses, III.3.11--13
This text continues to discuss Stoic philosophy, focusing on the concept of the good and its relationship to personal ethics and familial ties. Here are the main ideas and their supporting points:
1. Main idea: The good is superior to all relationships, including family ties.
Supporting points:
- The speaker states that their father is nothing to them, only the good matters.
- This prioritization is described as a natural inclination, given by God.
2. Main idea: If the good is different from what is noble and just, then all relationships become irrelevant.
Supporting point:
- The text suggests that if the good were separate from moral virtues, then concepts like father, brother, and country would lose their significance.
3. Main idea: If the good is defined as having the right moral purpose, then preserving relationships becomes a good in itself.
Supporting points:
- This implies that maintaining family ties can be virtuous if done with the right intentions.
- Giving up external things (like material possessions) to preserve relationships can be considered achieving the good.
4. Main idea: True goods (virtues) cannot be taken away by others.
Supporting points:
- Even if a father takes away money or a brother gets a larger share of property, they cannot take away one's modesty, fidelity, or brotherly love.
- These virtues are described as being under one's own control, free from external hindrance, compulsion, or restraint.
5. Main idea: God (Zeus) has given individuals control over their own virtue and moral choices.
Supporting points:
- The text states that Zeus cannot eject someone from their virtues.
- It's suggested that Zeus intentionally gave humans control over their moral choices, in the same way He has control over His own.
The text emphasizes the Stoic principle that true good lies in one's moral choices and virtues, rather than in external possessions or relationships. It argues for prioritizing ethical behavior and personal virtue over family ties or material concerns, while also suggesting that maintaining relationships can be virtuous if done with the right moral purpose. The overall message reinforces the Stoic belief in personal responsibility for one's moral character and the idea that true virtue is invulnerable to external circumstances.
Discourses, III.3.11--13
When, therefore, different persons have different pieces of coinage, a man offers the coin and gets what is bought by it. A thief has come to the province as Proconsul. What coinage does he use? Silver. Offer it and carry away what you wish. An adulterer has come. What coinage does he use? Frail wenches. "Take," says one, "the coin and sell me the little baggage." Give, and buy. Another is interested in boys. Give him the coin and take what you wish. Another is fond of hunting. Give him a fine horse or dog; with sighs and groans he will sell for it what you wish; for Another constrains him from within, the one who has established this currency.[1]
This text continues the Stoic philosophical discussion, using the metaphor of currency to illustrate how people operate based on their values and desires. Here are the main ideas and their supporting points:
1. Main idea: Different people value different things, which act as their "currency" in life.
Supporting points:
- The text uses the analogy of different pieces of coinage to represent different values.
- It suggests that people can "buy" what they want by offering what others value.
2. Main idea: Corrupt or immoral people have their own forms of "currency" based on their vices.
Supporting points:
- A thief who becomes a Proconsul values silver (material wealth).
- An adulterer values "frail wenches" (sexual partners).
- Someone interested in boys values young male companions.
- A person fond of hunting values fine horses or dogs.
3. Main idea: People will trade what they have for what they desire, even if it causes them distress.
Supporting point:
- The text mentions that some will sell "with sighs and groans," suggesting they may feel conflicted about their choices.
4. Main idea: There is an internal force that compels people to act on their desires.
Supporting points:
- The text refers to "Another" that "constrains him from within."
- This internal force is described as the one who has "established this currency," suggesting it's the source of a person's values and desires.
5. Main idea: Understanding what others value allows for transactions or manipulations.
Supporting points:
- The text implies that if you know what someone values, you can offer it to get what you want from them.
- This concept is applied to various scenarios, from government corruption to personal vices.
The text uses this extended metaphor of currency and transactions to illustrate how people's values and desires drive their actions. It suggests that understanding what motivates others can be used to influence or manipulate them. However, it also hints at the Stoic idea that these external desires and transactions are ultimately controlled by an internal force - possibly referring to one's character or governing principle. This ties back to earlier Stoic themes about the importance of cultivating virtue and controlling one's own mind rather than being driven by external desires.
Discourses, III.3.14--16
It is chiefiy with this principle in mind that a man must exercise himself. Go out of the house at early dawn, and no matter whom you see or whom you hear, examine him and then answer as you would to a question. What did you see? A handsome man or a handsome woman? Apply your rule. Is it outside the province of the moral purpose, or inside? Outside. Away with it. What did you see? A man in grief over the death of his child? Apply your rule. Death lies outside the province of the moral purpose. Out of the way with it. Did a Consul meet you? Apply your rule. What sort of thing is a consulship? Outside the province of the moral purpose, or inside? Outside. Away with it, too, it does not meet the test; throw it away, it does not concern you. If we had kept doing this and had exercised ourselves from dawn till dark with this principle in mind,—by the gods, something would have been achieved!
This text appears to be a continuation of the Stoic philosophical discussion from the previous excerpts. Let's break down the main ideas and their supporting elements:
1. Main Idea: One should continually exercise their judgment according to Stoic principles.
Supporting ideas:
- The text advises practicing this from early dawn.
- It suggests examining everyone you see or hear.
- It recommends applying a "rule" to all observations.
2. Main Idea: The key distinction is between what is within our control (moral purpose) and what is not.
Supporting ideas:
- The "rule" involves determining if something is "inside" or "outside" the province of moral purpose.
- Things outside moral purpose should be disregarded ("Away with it").
3. Main Idea: Common emotional responses and value judgments are often misguided.
Supporting ideas:
- Examples given: admiring beauty, grieving death, valuing social status, pitying misfortune.
- These are labeled as "vicious judgements" that should be eradicated.
4. Main Idea: Most human suffering comes from incorrect judgments about external things.
Supporting ideas:
- Weeping, sighing, misfortune, strife, disagreement, fault-finding, accusing, impiety, and foolishness are all described as judgments.
- These judgments mistakenly assume things outside our control to be good or evil.
5. Main Idea: True steadfastness comes from focusing only on what is within our control.
Supporting idea:
- The text claims that if a person transfers their judgments to matters within the province of moral purpose, they will be steadfast regardless of external circumstances.
6. Main Idea: Regular practice of these principles is necessary for improvement.
Supporting ideas:
- The text suggests that consistent practice from dawn till dark would yield results.
- It criticizes the tendency to be distracted by external impressions and only briefly attentive during philosophical lectures.
This passage emphasizes core Stoic teachings about focusing on what is within our control, avoiding emotional reactions to external events, and the importance of constant practice in applying these principles. It aims to show how many common human reactions and values are misguided from a Stoic perspective, and how adopting the Stoic outlook can lead to steadfastness and tranquility.
Discourses, III.3.17--19
1. Main Idea: One should continually exercise their judgment according to Stoic principles.
Supporting ideas:
- The text advises practicing this from early dawn.
- It suggests examining everyone you see or hear.
- It recommends applying a "rule" to all observations.
2. Main Idea: The key distinction is between what is within our control (moral purpose) and what is not.
Supporting ideas:
- The "rule" involves determining if something is "inside" or "outside" the province of moral purpose.
- Things outside moral purpose should be disregarded ("Away with it").
3. Main Idea: Common emotional responses and value judgments are often misguided.
Supporting ideas:
- Examples given: admiring beauty, grieving death, valuing social status, pitying misfortune.
- These are labeled as "vicious judgements" that should be eradicated.
4. Main Idea: Most human suffering comes from incorrect judgments about external things.
Supporting ideas:
- Weeping, sighing, misfortune, strife, disagreement, fault-finding, accusing, impiety, and foolishness are all described as judgments.
- These judgments mistakenly assume things outside our control to be good or evil.
5. Main Idea: True steadfastness comes from focusing only on what is within our control.
Supporting idea:
- The text claims that if a person transfers their judgments to matters within the province of moral purpose, they will be steadfast regardless of external circumstances.
6. Main Idea: Regular practice of these principles is necessary for improvement.
Supporting ideas:
- The text suggests that consistent practice from dawn till dark would yield results.
- It criticizes the tendency to be distracted by external impressions and only briefly attentive during philosophical lectures.
This passage emphasizes core Stoic teachings about focusing on what is within our control, avoiding emotional reactions to external events, and the importance of constant practice in applying these principles. It aims to show how many common human reactions and values are misguided from a Stoic perspective, and how adopting the Stoic outlook can lead to steadfastness and tranquility.
Discourses, III.3.17--19
But as it is, we are caught gaping straightway at every external impression that comes along, and we wake up a little only during the lecture, if indeed we do so even then. After that is over we go out, and if we see a man in grief, we say, "It is all over with him"; if we see a Consul, we say, "Happy man"; if we see an exile, "Poor fellow"; or a poverty-stricken person, "Wretched man, he has nothing with which to get a bite to eat." These, then, are the vicious judgements which we ought to eradicate; this is the subject upon which we to concentrate our efforts. Why, what is weeping and sighing? A judgement. What is misfortune? A judgement. What are strife, disagreement, fault-finding, accusing, impiety, foolishness? They are all judgements, and that, too, judgements about things that lie outside the province of moral purpose, assumed to be good or evil. Let a man but transfer his judgements to matters that lie within the province of the moral purpose, and I guarantee that he will be steadfast, whatever be the state of things about him.
This text appears to be discussing Stoic philosophy and its views on human judgments and emotions. Here are the main ideas and supporting points:
1. Main idea: People are too easily influenced by external impressions and events.
Supporting points:
- We react strongly to every external impression we encounter.
- We only become slightly more attentive during lectures, if at all.
- After lectures, we quickly fall back into making superficial judgments about others based on their circumstances.
2. Main idea: Our judgments about external circumstances are flawed and need to be corrected.
Supporting points:
- We make hasty judgments about people based on their apparent situations (e.g., calling a grieving person "finished," a consul "happy," an exile "poor fellow").
- These judgments are described as "vicious" and should be "eradicated."
3. Main idea: Many negative emotions and behaviors are actually just judgments.
Supporting points:
- Weeping, sighing, misfortune, strife, disagreement, fault-finding, accusing, impiety, and foolishness are all described as judgments.
- These judgments are specifically about things outside our control, which we assume to be good or evil.
4. Main idea: We should focus on our own moral choices rather than external circumstances.
Supporting points:
- The author suggests transferring our judgments to matters within "the province of the moral purpose."
- By doing so, one can achieve steadfastness regardless of external circumstances.
The text emphasizes the Stoic principle of focusing on what is within our control (our judgments and moral choices) rather than external events or circumstances, which are beyond our control. It argues that by shifting our focus in this way, we can achieve a more stable and virtuous state of mind.
Discourses, III.3.20--22
The soul is something like a bowl of water, and the external impressions something like the ray of light that falls upon the water. Now when the water is disturbed, it looks as though the ray of light is disturbed too, but it is not disturbed. And so, therefore, when a man has an attack of vertigo, it is not the arts and the virtues that are thrown into confusion, but the spirit in which they exist; and when this grows steady again, so do they too.
This text presents an analogy to explain a key Stoic concept about the relationship between external events and our internal state. Let's break down the main ideas and their supporting points:
1. Main Idea: The soul is separate from external impressions.
Supporting points:
- The soul is compared to a bowl of water.
- External impressions are likened to a ray of light falling on the water.
2. Main Idea: Disturbances in our mental state can create the illusion that our core virtues and knowledge are affected.
Supporting points:
- When water is disturbed, it appears as if the light ray is also disturbed.
- However, the text emphasizes that the light itself is not actually disturbed.
3. Main Idea: Temporary mental disturbances do not fundamentally alter our true nature or knowledge.
Supporting points:
- The text uses vertigo as an example of a temporary disturbance.
- It states that during vertigo, arts and virtues are not actually thrown into⁹ confusion.
- Instead, it's the "spirit in which they exist" (likely referring to our mental state) that is disturbed.
4. Main Idea: Mental equilibrium naturally restores itself, along with our access to virtues and knowledge.
Supporting point:
- The text states that when the spirit "grows steady again," the arts and virtues also stabilize.
This passage illustrates the Stoic principle that our core self - our knowledge, virtues, and true nature - remains constant even when we're emotionally or mentally disturbed. It encourages the reader to recognize that temporary states of confusion or distress don't fundamentally change who we are or what we know. This understanding can help maintain tranquility in the face of life's ups and downs, a key goal in Stoic philosophy.
1. Main Idea: The soul is separate from external impressions.
Supporting points:
- The soul is compared to a bowl of water.
- External impressions are likened to a ray of light falling on the water.
2. Main Idea: Disturbances in our mental state can create the illusion that our core virtues and knowledge are affected.
Supporting points:
- When water is disturbed, it appears as if the light ray is also disturbed.
- However, the text emphasizes that the light itself is not actually disturbed.
3. Main Idea: Temporary mental disturbances do not fundamentally alter our true nature or knowledge.
Supporting points:
- The text uses vertigo as an example of a temporary disturbance.
- It states that during vertigo, arts and virtues are not actually thrown into⁹ confusion.
- Instead, it's the "spirit in which they exist" (likely referring to our mental state) that is disturbed.
4. Main Idea: Mental equilibrium naturally restores itself, along with our access to virtues and knowledge.
Supporting point:
- The text states that when the spirit "grows steady again," the arts and virtues also stabilize.
This passage illustrates the Stoic principle that our core self - our knowledge, virtues, and true nature - remains constant even when we're emotionally or mentally disturbed. It encourages the reader to recognize that temporary states of confusion or distress don't fundamentally change who we are or what we know. This understanding can help maintain tranquility in the face of life's ups and downs, a key goal in Stoic philosophy.
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