Epictetus (Epiktetos)

Epictetus; Epiktetos, OK. 50 - OK. 138 years. n. e., Greek philosopher. Born a slave in Gieropole in Phrygia. Later he lived in Rome among the slaves Epafrodita, Secretary of Nero. Ok. 80 g. listened to lectures famous stoic Musonius Rufus. Exempt ca. 90 g., he began to teach. Being banished from Rome by the Emperor Domitian, the donkey in Nikopol in Greece, and there established his own school of philosophy. E. not leave a single work, but his pupil Arrian wrote down the teachings of his master. Also, we find the sentences E. in the anthology Stobeya. The lectures E. can be restored based on the writings of Arrian. E. understood the philosophy of the Stoics in the spirit of love and desire for virtue, . he, . however, . perceived not as practical skills, life in accordance with nature ", . but as knowledge "of things divine and human", . as the correct way of thinking, ,
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However, the same theory must necessarily be supported by practice, ie. purpose, namely, to free and happy life, as science, studied for its own sake, becomes the source of many troubles. E. not consistently adhered to the Stoic division of philosophy into physics, ethics and logic. Physicists he hardly has a significant place he took the logic, and his favorite area was the ethics. Strong influence on the teaching of E. has primarily Socrates and his teachings in the form in which it presented in his writings, Plato and Xenophon. This found expression in the Body ethical intellectualism (virtue is knowledge) and belief in the ruling the world of Providence dictates that you want to obey without resistance. Traces of the influence of the teachings of Socrates can be seen also in the discretion of the problem of philosophy in raising good and happy people. E. enjoyed the hands-free reputation among his contemporaries, and many famous figures visited him in his school, so he had a great influence on the higher circles of society.