Williamson 1 Betsalel Williamson PHL 101-AC02 Dr.

Cristina Bucur Tuesday, February 12, 2013

What does it mean to practice freedom? Does this view of freedom enrich our understanding of ethics?
In The Enchiridion, Epictetus focused on how a man should conduct himself and interpret the situations that life and circumstance has thrust upon him. Practicing freedom meant being able to exercise the rights and responsibilities of a free man in those situations. Those rights and responsibilities as discussed are those things in this world that man has true control over. Through man trying to control things that are outside of man control he will thus live an enslaved life. Ironically, Epictetus, a slave, spoke well about the essence of freedom and was himself a true free man. While freedom is in the domain of the personal (i.e. practiced internally and individually), ethics is centered around society (i.e. how man relates to others). Thus, man can be enslaved by himself without the input or influence from others and conversely, a man whether alone or in a group can through his mind choose to be free. On the other hand, ethics cannot be practiced without another person to be ethical towards. Ethics, in a certain sense, is about practicing freedom in both allowing others to be free or by allowing them the opportunity to learn about what it means for themselves to be free. Additionally, the traits of being moral or principled to others or to ones self are traits only achievable by free men. For if a mans will is enslaved he is not in control of himself. Strive as he may, those qualities that even those found to be desirable are in reality borrowed from the person he is enslaved to. Therefore, how can one pretend to be ethical, but not practice the tenants of freedom? Only by first learning of freedom as is it relates to our personal journey can we proceed to help others. To answer the title question, not only does The Enchiridion enrich our understanding of ethics, but allows us to explore the root of what it means to be ethical.