Epictetus' "Making Correct Use of Impressions": The Foundation of Stoic Philosophy

Perplexity:

# Epictetus' "Making Correct Use of Impressions": The Foundation of Stoic Philosophy

The "correct use of impressions" (proper use of *phantasiai*) stands as the central pillar of Epictetus' philosophical system. According to his own words, this practice represents the fundamental purpose of human reason and the key to achieving philosophical wisdom.

## What Epictetus Says About Impressions

In the *Discourses* 1.20, Epictetus declares: **"For what purpose have we received reason from nature? For the proper use of external impressions."** He emphasizes that reason itself is **"something composed out of a certain kind of external impressions"** and therefore naturally capable of examining itself[1].

Epictetus identifies the core philosophical task: **"Therefore, the first and greatest task of the philosopher is to test the impressions and discriminate between them, and to apply none that has not been tested"**[1]. He compares this process to testing coinage, where an expert examiner uses sight, touch, smell, and hearing to verify authenticity, noting that **"where we feel that it makes a good deal of difference to us whether we go wrong or do not go wrong, there we apply any amount of attention to discriminating between things that are capable of making us go wrong"**[1].

The philosopher also states that according to Zeno, **"the essence of good consists in the proper use of external impressions"**[1]. This makes clear that for the Stoics, virtue and happiness depend entirely on how we handle our impressions.

## Why This Is the Most Important Practice

Epictetus explains in the *Enchiridion* that **"men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of things"**[2]. This fundamental insight reveals why mastering impressions is crucial - our suffering comes not from external events but from our judgments about them.

He instructs us: **"Seek at once, therefore, to be able to say to every unpleasing semblance, 'You are but a semblance and by no means the real thing.' And then examine it by those rules which you have; and first and chiefly by this: whether it concerns the things which are within our own power or those which are not; and if it concerns anything beyond our power, be prepared to say that it is nothing to you"**[2].

## The Three Disciplines Framework

In *Discourses* 3.2, Epictetus outlines three areas (*topoi*) of philosophical training:

**First:** Desires and aversions - **"that a man may not fail to get what he desires, and that he may not fall into that which he does not desire"**[3][4]. This discipline teaches us to desire only what is truly good (virtue) and avoid only what is truly evil (vice).

**Second:** Impulses and actions - **"the movements toward and the movements from an object, and generally in doing what a man ought to do, that he may act according to order, to reason, and not carelessly"**[3][4]. This concerns our duties and appropriate behavior in relationships.

**Third:** Assent and judgment - **"freedom from deception and rashness in judgment, and generally it concerns the assents"**[3][4]. This is the discipline of making correct use of impressions.

Epictetus emphasizes that **"the chief and the most urgent is that which relates to the affects; for an affect is produced in no other way than by a failing to obtain that which a man desires or a falling into that which a man would wish to avoid"**[3][4]. However, the third discipline provides the foundation for the other two.

## How to Practice Making Correct Use of Impressions

The *Enchiridion* provides specific techniques:

**1. Pause and Examine:** When faced with any impression, **"remember to turn toward yourself and inquire what faculty you have for its use"**[2]. Don't immediately assent to first appearances.

**2. Test for Control:** Apply the fundamental question: Is this something within my control or outside it? As Epictetus writes: **"examine it by those rules which you have; and first and chiefly by this: whether it concerns the things which are within our own power or those which are not"**[2].

**3. Respond Appropriately:** If external, practice indifference. Epictetus teaches: **"when a raven happens to croak unluckily, be not overcome by appearances, but discriminate and say, 'Nothing is portended to me, either to my paltry body, or property, or reputation, or children, or wife. But to me all portents are lucky if I will. For whatsoever happens, it belongs to me to derive advantage therefrom'"**[2].

**4. Maintain Perspective:** **"When you see anyone weeping for grief... take care not to be overcome by the apparent evil, but discriminate and be ready to say, 'What hurts this man is not this occurrence itself—for another man might not be hurt by it—but the view he chooses to take of it'"**[2].

## The Ultimate Goal

The third discipline, concerning assent, **"belongs only to those who are already making progress; it has to do with the element of certainty in the matters which have just been mentioned, so that even in dreams, or drunkenness, or a state of melancholy-madness, a man may not be taken unawares by the appearance of an untested sense-impression"**[3][5].

This represents the highest level of Stoic practice - where correct use of impressions becomes so ingrained that one maintains philosophical composure even in altered states of consciousness. Through consistent practice of examining and testing our impressions, we develop the ability to live according to nature, maintaining tranquility and acting virtuously regardless of external circumstances.

The correct use of impressions thus serves as both the foundation and pinnacle of Stoic philosophy - the basic skill every philosopher must develop and the advanced practice that marks true wisdom.