Epictetus Stoic Philosophy Analysis

743 Words3 Pages

In order for me to understand the concepts behind Epictetus stoic philosophies, a brief description of his handbook would be the guidance to answer accordingly to these questions. Conversely, According to Epictetus, things that are in our power give us the authority to judge right from wrong without overwhelming our character. Therefore, some things are up to us to decide while others are not. For example, we have the power over our minds, but not the power over our reputations because this is usually decided by what people may think of us. We do not hold the power over our possessions because this could be under the power of an intentional thief. In any event, we do not have the power to whatever it is not our own doings.
The limits of human freedom rely in our mind, that is, everything that we think, our intentions, and our values. Consequently, we have the power to determine authority over ourselves-what actions to take in any given situation, our capacity to adapt, what values/judgments we form, and act accordingly to what we might think it is right from wrong. For instance, by controlling our emotions no matter what the aggravation might be, we are being stoical. …show more content…

Meaning, that we must be careful when expressing our thoughts that are based merely in our judgments without testing them with a fair and noble mind. With this in mind, no individual has the power to make another upset, sad, or feel any other emotion, as we have the power over our mind to allow it or not to allow it. However, some of us are quick to lead our opinions with our hearts or external factors, instead of seeing the bigger picture. Therefore, our quick judgments/reasoning can have an ugly impact in our world. But, what are truly the limits of human freedom? In my opinion, the limits of human freedom begin with the things that are out of our