epictetus essay final draft

7/30/2019 Epictetus Essay Final Draft

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Karen Romine #33651288

Epictetus Short Essay

Throughout his teachings, Epictetus presents god as both immanent, in that

part of him is in all humans, but also transcendent and omnipotent, arranging

events to happen as is best. By believing in Epictetus' vision of god, his followers

can trust that whatever happens is for the best, and thus, be happy with

everything that occurs in their lives.

Epictetus portrays god as immanent when he claims that god is present in

all human beings. He teaches his followers that [they] are a fragment[s] of god;

[they] contain a part of [god] in [themselves], (Disc., p. 10). He also claims that

the true nature of god is [K] the true nature of good, and the true nature of

good is Intelligence. Knowledge. Right reason, (Disc., p. 9). If humans contain a

fragment of god, and god is reason personified, then it follows that the fragment

presents itself as humans' ability to reason. This ability is what makes humans

superior to other illogical animals. In addition, Epictetus suggests that god has

assigned to each man [K] his own personal daemon, and committed him to his

guardianship, (Disc., p. 9). The fragment of reason that each human contains is

now personified as a daemon, guarding each human against false reasoning. God

is within humans as a separate consciousness that quietly watches over them

and gives them the ability to understand. By believing in Epictetus' concept of

god as immanent, yet still conscious, and benevolent, humans have no reason to

hesitate to live a full life because they know that god's daemon is watching over

them.

Not only is god immanent, Epictetus also suggests that god is omnipotent


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and transcendent. He claims everything that happens is god's will, and humans

are, to some extent, god's servants. He urges followers to remember that you

are an actor in a play, which is as the playwright wants it to be... If he wants you

to play a beggar, play even this part skillfully, (The Handbook, p. 16).

Metaphorically, god is the playwright, controlling the course of events, and

humans are the actors, intended to follow god's will. This metaphor, describing

god as a playwright, implies that god is an outside influence on events,

predetermining them, rather than internally causing things to happen with his

imminent presence. Because of this state of god and the universe, Epictetus

urges humans to accept their lots in life, as chosen by god, and do their best,

regardless of what their roles are. One such role is humans' responsibility to

make good use of their ability to reason. Epictetus claims that god has

introduced man into the world as a spectator of himself and of his works, (Disc.,

p. 7). Humans are tasked with observing and understanding the purpose of other

creatures, such as cows, whose purpose is to produce milk and cheese. The

animals' purposes benefit humans, and by obeying god, humans will understand

and make good use of god's other creations. Epictetus' observations support his

view that god created a logical world in which each ability has a specific purpose.

Combined with the belief that what is good is intelligent and reasonable, god's

creation of a logical world implies that he created a world that is good, proving

god's benevolence.

So, obeying god's orders is no hardship because god is good and

everything he wills is for the best. With this understanding, Epictetus tells


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followers that the gods are beings that arrange the universe well and justly,

and followers must, set [themselves] to obey them and acquiesce in everything

that happens and to follow it willingly, as something brought to completion by the

best judgment, (Handbook, p. 21). Although Epictetus refers to gods plural

instead of a singular god, he does not believe in polytheistic gods. Rather, he is

appealing to a broader audience by being vague about which god his is referring

to. In addition to a singular god, plural gods, and the Christian God, Epictetus also

mentions Zeus in some of his teachings. These multiple inconsistencies indicate

that he does not believe in any one specifically but is tailoring his speeches to fit

different audiences of varying beliefs. Regardless of preexisting beliefs, by

believing in the goodness of god, Epictetus' followers can reconcile themselves

with anything that happens in their lives and know that ultimately, it is for the

best. These beliefs are meant to help followers to accept the Stoic doctrine of

wanting what happens to happen in order to lead a happy life.

epictetus essay final draft

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