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    The Enchiridion
    The Enchiridion
    The Enchiridion
    Ebook97 pages1 hour

    The Enchiridion

    By Epictetus

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    The Ultimate Manual about Stoicism

    “The condition and characteristic of an uninstructed person is this: he never expects from himself profit (advantage) nor harm, but from externals. The condition and characteristic of a philosopher is this: he expects all advantage and all harm from himself.” - Epictetus, Enchiridion

    Know how to live without using your emotions, guided only by the mind. Learn how to see the mundane, how to approach situations that may or may not be in your direct control. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and most importantly, don’t be afraid to change. This is what stoicism is all about.
    This Xist Classics edition has been professionally formatted for e-readers with a linked table of contents. This eBook also contains a bonus book club leadership guide and discussion questions. We hope you’ll share this book with your friends, neighbors and colleagues and can’t wait to hear what you have to say about it.

    Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes

      LanguageEnglish
      PublisherXist Publishing
      Release dateAug 16, 2015
      ISBN9781681950556
      Author

      Epictetus

      Epictetus (circa 55-135 ce) taught in Rome until the year 94 ce, when Emperor Domitian banished philosophers from the city. In exile, he established a school of philosophy where his distinguished students included Marcus Aurelius, author of Meditations. Some 1,863 years after Epictetus's death, Tom Wolfe revived his philosophy in the bestselling novel A Man in Full.

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      Reviews for The Enchiridion

      4/5

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      • 5/5
        Incredible philosophy.
      • 3/5
        Author succeeds in translating this old Greek philosopher and his teachings into modern times. Short chapters for mediation among hustle and bustle of today's hectic life
      • 4/5
        A little something to read on Thanksgiving. Maybe after this, I'll leaf through Seneca, then watch Charlie Brown or something.

        One of the big three stoics, with the authors being Marcus Aurelius and Seneca. Epictetus recieved no formal schooling, and was a slave for most of his life. No self-pity. Instead, independence, fearlessness, and acceptance of death and suffering. Self-rule and self-improvement. Forgiveness, acceptance, and understanding.

        Almost resembles some forms of Buddhism. In many ways, both are fatalistic, but this is not necessarily pessimism. Instead, there is peace.

        I typically find most 'self-help' books to be injurious, maybe even dangerous in their mindless positivity. If it is not too imperious, I would recommend the Stoics and their friends instead, for their mindful tranquility.
      • 5/5
        Enchiridion reads like the Proverbs and the Hadith. I am finding much in Stoicism that aligns with many of my own ideas. I am not sure whether this is from aspects of training and education that were implicitly Stoic or not. Indeed, I cannot recall any explicitly Stoic teachings in my formal education. Long's translations are interesting and draw upon previous translations. The notes are helpful, especially where all translators are unable to comprehend the precise meaning of certain of Epictetus's [reading Stephen King converted me to the s's rather than the s' plural] "fragments". This is a quick read, and worth further reflection.
      • 5/5
        Marvelous translation. Utterly relevant, and a good companion book to stow into the backpack, briefcase or laptop bag for an occasional dip or deep dive as time permits.
      • 5/5
        I'm so glad I found this book. (10/10)
      • 2/5
        I have three bones to pick with Sharon Lebell's "new interpretation" of Epictetus' Enchiridion. (1) It's over-elaborate; the original is pithy, directness and leanness are not only stylistically distinctive, but underscore the "stoical" message. (2) It's unnecessarily idiomatic: expressions like "death is no big deal," and "don't kid yourself" tend to further trivialize sentiments that, to a modern audience, already might appear simplistic (deceptively so, though, in my opinion.) (3) It's wrong. Here's a contrast between Lebell's version and the translation by George Long, available on Project Gutenberg. Lebell: "Do your best to reign in your desire. For if you desire something that isn't within your own control, disappointment will surely follow; meanwhile, you will be neglecting the very things that are within your control that are worthy of desire. Of course, there are times when for practical reasons you must go after one thing or shun another, but do so with grace, finesse, and flexibility." Long: "For if you desire anything which is not in our power, you must be unfortunate; but of the things in our power, and which it would be good to desire, nothing yet is before you. But employ only the power of moving towards an object and retiring from it; and these powers indeed only slightly and with exceptions and with remission." Different, wouldn't you say?
      • 3/5
        Stoics are weird. And I'm kinda surprised so many people reviewed this book as some amazing bit of timeless philosophy.The Handbook is just that, a handbook. An ancient Roman self-help book from the Stoic perspective. Some of the the advice still holds true, things like:- don't doddle and miss your boat, a literal boat, not a figurative one- know that there are things in your power and things beyond your power, don't confuse them- do be disciplined in your undertakings and don't procrastinateGood stuff right? Unfortunately that is pretty much all of the advice he gives that still holds true. The rest doesn't make sense unless you live in ancient Rome and the world is innately perfect and harmonious and magical even when shitty things happen. This seems to be the gaping hole in Stoic philosophy, the conviction that the universe was perfect and harmonious despite evidence to the contrary. When shitty things happen to you, according to the Stoics, they aren't really shitty, they just seem shitty because you have let yourself become out of sync with the universe. Your wife and child died? Well of course they did! That's the nature of the universe, you should have expected it and accepted it. You're a slave? Well that's just how it is, you can't very well expect to be free can you? Just try to get used to it.This is the backbone of Epictetus' advice, lowering your expectations so that they coincide with the course your life is probably going to take anyway. No one ever rocked the boat or overcame great odds based on Stoic philosophy. Throw in some quick advice about how to respond to omens and when you should and shouldn't see a fortune teller and that's about it. Well, that and advising you to be as boring as possible, not hanging out with non philosophers, not talking at all if you can help it, not swearing but frowning to show your disapproval when others do and certainly not having sex if you can avoid it. Stoics sure tried their darnedest to live boring, unremarkable lives. But ol' Epictetus wasn't a complete twat wet blanket. He understood that there are somethings you just can't live without."Take what has to do with the body to the point of bare need, such as food, drink, clothing, house, household slaves, and cut out everything that is for reputation and luxury."Timeless, no?Ultimately this is a quick, fairly amusing read, but I certainly wouldn't take it too seriously.
      • 5/5
        An excellent introduction to this Stoic philosopher. While none of the text is anything he said in life, each subject discussed comes from what teachings we have of him and what he would likely have said. It's amazing how timeless these words can become, speaking to some of the eternal aspects of the human condition.Philosophy should not be something highbrow and removed from understanding by the general populace. Epictetus can bring it back down to earth.
      • 5/5
        My first exposure to the stoic idea of philosophy and it was very enjoyable. Clear and rational rules for a way to a more accomplished life. Learning to accept your feelings and taking responsibility for them can diminish the impact others have on you and your ability to be happy was a huge idea.

      Book preview

      The Enchiridion - Epictetus

      The Enchiridion

      By

      EPICTETUS

      Xist Publishing

      TUSTIN, CA

      ISBN: 978-1-68195-055-6

      This edition published in 2015 by Xist Publishing

      PO Box 61593

      Irvine, CA 92602

      www.xist publishing.com

      Ordering Information:

      Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the Special Sales Department at the address above.

      The Enchiridion/ Epictetus

      ISBN 978-1-68195-055-6

      Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes.

      Sign up for the Xist Publishing Newsletter here.

      Find more great titles on our websitewww.XistPublishing.com

      NOTE ON THE TEXT

      The text of the second edition is a reprint of the first edition except for a few minor corrections in style, punctuation, and spelling, which have been revised to conform to current American usage.

      The editorial staff of the publishers has added a few explanatory notes which are set in brackets and marked Ed.

      O.P.

      INTRODUCTION

      The little book by Epictetus called Enchiridion or manual has played a disproportionately large role in the rise of modern attitudes and modern philosophy. As soon as it had been translated into the vernacular languages, it became a bestseller among independent intellectuals, among anti-Christian thinkers, and among philosophers of a subjective cast. Montaigne had a copy of the Enchiridion among his books. Pascal violently rejected the megalomaniac pride of the Stoic philosopher. Frederick the Great carried the book with him on all campaigns. It was a source of inspiration and encouragement to Anthony, Earl of Shaftesbury, in the serious illness which ended only in his death; many pages of his diaries contain passages copied from the Enchiridion. It has been studied and widely quoted by Scottish philosophers like Francis Hutcheson, Adam Smith, and Adam Ferguson who valued Stoic moral philosophy for its reconciliation of social dependency and personal independence.

      That there was a rebirth of Stoicism in the centuries of rebirth which marked the emergence of the modern age was not mere chance. Philosophical, moral, and social conditions of the time united to cause it. Roman Stoicism had been developed in times of despotism as a philosophy of lonely and courageous souls who had recognized the redeeming power of philosophical reason in all the moral and social purposes of life. Philosophy as a way of life makes men free. It is the last ditch stand of liberty in a world of servitude. Many elements in the new age led to thought which had structural affinity with Roman Stoicism. Modern times had created the independent thinker, the free intellectual in a secular civilization. Modern times had destroyed medieval liberties and had established the new despotism of the absolute state supported by ecclesiastical authority. Modern philosophies continued the basic trend in Stoicism in making the subjective consciousness the foundation of philosophy. The Stoic emphasis on moral problems was also appealing in an era of rapid transition when all the values which had previously been taken for granted were questioned and reconsidered.

      While it is interesting to observe how varied were the effects produced by this small volume, this epitome of the Stoic system of moral philosophy, these effects seem still more remarkable when we consider that it was not intended to be a philosophical treatise on Stoicism for students. It was, rather, to be a guide for the advanced student of Stoicism to show him the best roads toward the goal of becoming a true philosopher. Thus Epictetus and his Enchiridion have a unique position in Roman Stoicism. Seneca and Marcus Aurelius had selected Stoic philosophy as the most adequate system for expressing their existential problems of independence, solitude, and history. In this enterprise, Seneca made tremendous strides toward the insights of social psychology as a by-product of his consciousness of decadence (in this he was close to Nietzsche), but he was not primarily concerned with the unity of the Stoic system. Marcus Aurelius changed the philosophical doctrine into the regimen of the lonesome ruler. In contrast to both, Epictetus was teaching Stoic philosophy as a doctrine and as a way of life. The Enchiridion is a summary of theoretical and applied Stoicism.

      Epictetus was the son of a woman slave, born between

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