Today, I would like to introduce the slave philosopher Epictetus “Life Lessons”.
The author is Professor Hiroyuki Ogino, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Letters, Sophia University.
The theme of this book is, of course, “How to live in a world that is difficult to live in?”
“First of all, I would like to sort out what kind of problems I would like to talk about this time.”
●I want to live freely, but I don’t have the financial power or influence to do so
●Because of other people’s evaluations and gazes, you can’t act like yourself
●Difficulty overcoming one’s desires and desires
●You lose sight of yourself when you are in a difficult situation
These are the four.
“What do you think?” I’m just curious about all of them.
“But what everyone is most curious about right now is “Who is the slave philosopher Epictetus?”… I think it’s here.
“He may not be very familiar in Japan, but he’s not just an old man.”
A legendary philosopher representing ancient Rome who has been respected by eminent figures such as Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, Nietzsche, Alain, and Natsume Soseki…that’s Professor Epictetus.
Today, I would like to share the words of Professor Epictetus with his magnificent life drama. Let’s go.
background knowledge
First of all, I can’t talk about this great professor Epictetus, so I would like to introduce him.
The era in which he lived is ancient Rome from the latter half of the 1st century BC to the first half of the 2nd century BC.
Speaking of this era, the Roman Empire at that time reached its largest territory and boasted unprecedented prosperity during the era of the Five Good Emperors.
By the way, the five wise emperors refer to the five wise emperors who ruled during that era.
Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius…these five.
And the period in which Epictetus lived corresponds to the era of the first to third emperors, Nerva the 1st, Trajan the 2nd, and Hadrian the 3rd, among the Five Good Emperors.
However, it was the nameless slaves who supported this era of peace and prosperity behind the scenes, and Epictetus was one of them.
When he was finally freed from slavery, he is said to have spent the rest of his life teaching philosophy.
“Of course, the hardships he has gone through are indescribable.”
Because his parents were slaves, for some reason he was also a slave himself.
In addition, as his portrait shows, his legs are disabled and he cannot move freely.
Once he was freed from slavery, he was deported and lived in extreme poverty from there… stepping and kicking.
Meanwhile, the Roman Empire enjoyed unprecedented prosperity, and the people lived in peace and prosperity.
This is no longer the level of being “envious” or “desired” by seeing someone’s post on SNS.
“Wait a minute. It’s my life!” Anyone can do that, and it’s normal to have a mental breakdown.
“Just look at this image.”
This indescribable frustrated expression of Professor Epictetus.
“He has a face that doesn’t hurt or itch.” He even has his chin on his chin and is relaxed.
That’s right. Even in the face of such an unreasonable reality, Professor Epictetus did not despair, lose heart, or despair.
This is because his mind was tightly coated with the spiritual armor of philosophy.
Of course, when it comes to philosophy, there are various schools and types, but Professor Epictetus is a representative figure of the school called the Stoic school among them.
The Stoic school is one of the schools of thought created by the philosopher Zeno in ancient Greece, and is characterized by practical asceticism.
By the way, the English word stoic comes from this Stoic school.
“Of course, this store is not a shop store.” At that time, in the square in the center of Athens, there was a portico with rows of columns, and it was called a store.
Then, in front of the portico store, Mr. Zenon gave a lecture on philosophy, so it came to be called the Stoic school.
The words of Dr. Epictetus, a representative of the Stoic school, are extremely valuable, as only the actual sayings left by his disciples remain.
And the story is that this book introduces his words in a modern and easy-to-understand manner with illustrations.
In the next theme, I would like to take a look at the four problems that modern people face, based on what we have talked about so far.
For those who feel depressed compared to others
I would like to hear Professor Epictetus’ thoughts on this matter.
“When you see a famous person, an influential person, a rich person, you don’t think, ‘What a happy person,’ or ‘I want to be as happy as that person.’ I have a question for you. Suppose you have two lives. One is a life where you can be captivated by something, and the other is a life where you live freely without being bound by anything. Here, you. I would like you to answer which life do you think is happier. You think that `Yes, a life where you live freely without being bound by anything is a happy life. If we cannot obtain these things, we will become dissatisfied, and if we do, we will fear being deprived or reduced. That’s what life is all about: living in captivity: If you really want to be free, look down on things that aren’t up to us.”
Professor Epictetus says that everything that happens to him can be divided into two.
“The first is something you can do on your own.”
“The other is something you can’t do anything about on your own.”
When you have something painful or sad, when you get angry or envious, when you find yourself in such an unpleasant and disgusting situation, the first thing you should do is decide whether it’s up to you or not. It’s about sorting it out.
For example, what about wealth, reputation, appearance, or a boss in a bad mood?
“I can’t control it right now, just like my own hands and feet, at my own discretion.”
One way of thinking is that “it will work out somehow” depending on our efforts, but more or less, since there is room for uncertainties such as luck of the moment and someone’s intentions, it is not up to us.
Despite this, many people fall into the illusion that all the misfortunes of the world are pouring down on them unless they can obtain it and improve it.
That’s why Epictetus doesn’t have to take things that aren’t up to us seriously as important to life. Such things should be taken lightly.
Instead, they are told to focus on what they can control.
For example, “I don’t look at my smartphone in the morning”, “I don’t look at or delete SNS that makes me feel envious”, “I always read 30 minutes before going to bed”. I will do what I can depending on the situation.
Concentrate the energy of your desires there.
“So that’s the secret to living a free and happy life.”
When people think of Stoic philosophy, the images of stoicism, asceticism, and patience often come first, but I’m not saying that you should put a lid on all your desires, endure them, and live like a saint.
Limiting the objects of one’s desires to those within one’s own discretion, and controlling one’s desires, is what they mean by abstinence, and that is what separates human happiness from unhappiness. That’s what you’re saying.
For those who are concerned about other people’s evaluations and gazes
“But what do you think?”
But even so, this time, “I’m worried about other people’s evaluations and someone’s gaze, so I can’t move and I can’t act.”
“I think there are cases where you have other problems like this.”
In response, Professor Epictetus said,
“The only way to live freely is to live within your own will. Even if your opinion differs from everyone else’s, if you think you’re right, you should stick to it, and you don’t need to be afraid of people who make a fuss about it. No, because your actions, thoughts, and decisions are all yours and your property. Think about it, this will alone is something that no one, not even God, can take away from us. However, living according to the judgment of someone who fears others means giving that will to someone other than yourself. For man who means, there is nothing better than the will.”
What do you think.
“The persuasive power that resides in your words is incredible.”
The will that is spoken here refers to what you want to do, what you prioritize, what you think you should do, and the conclusion you reach as a result.
“Human beings are subject to various restrictions as long as they are alive.”
“Money, illness, family, social and social rules… there are many.”
Professor Epictetus has been experiencing the extreme conditions of that constraint for many years.
And then she realized, “The only free will is the unencumbered will.”
That’s why he said, “It’s unbelievable for such a person to suppress his own precious will.
How about that. The complexion of others It makes you realize how useless it is to live while being frightened by the gaze of others.
For those who cannot overcome their desires and desires
Now let’s look at the third problem.
“I can’t easily overcome my own desires and desires.”
“Earlier, there was talk of controlling the object of desire, but it certainly seems difficult.”
“Let’s take a look at Professor Epictetus’ story.”
“If you are succumbing to desire or pleasure, think of two times. It’s time. I want you to think carefully and calmly about which time would make you want to praise yourself. The only worries we have are feelings such as pain and fear. The desires and pleasures that we love also become the seeds of suffering and suffering. Eat all you want, sleep all you want, play all you want. Continuing to indulge in such pleasures, If you really want to enjoy your life from the bottom of your heart, then now is the time to turn a blind eye to the great pain you will endure. I want you to have the courage to choose the small pain in front of you. In addition, everyone has a need for approval, such as wanting to be loved, liked, and liked by others. This need for approval is an essential need for human beings, but the problem arises when this need becomes too strong. , The stronger the feeling, the closer a person becomes to a slave. This means that one’s actions are controlled by someone other than oneself. In other words, how others see you Worrying about how you are evaluated is the same as abandoning your own free way of life.”
What do you think.
It said, It's important to choose the small pain in front of you,'' but what it means here is,The time will come when no one will be able to endure the pain they’re living. Whether or not you can avoid it is the accumulation of small daily pains.” That’s what he says.
“The story of the desire for post-approval is also quite startling.”
He pointed out, “Don’t you think it’s a very strange thing to say that you want to be recognized and loved by many people and satisfy your desire for approval while sincerely wishing to live freely? It’s a contradiction.” is.
“It’s a tsukkomi that makes you laugh, but considering that this has been said for about 2,000 years, it’s not that funny.”
For those who lose themselves in difficult situations
“Now let’s look at the last problem.”
“It’s true that if you’re in a terrible predicament, you’ll stop thinking, be overwhelmed by negative emotions, and eventually lose sight of yourself.”
“Now, I would like to hear from Professor Epictetus about this.”
“As long as you are alive, many things will happen. There will be wonderful things, painful things, and painful things. You have to look back often and remember yourself at that time. This is important. And at that time, I want you to keep asking yourself, “What outstanding abilities do you have?” The power that is given to you will definitely come in handy when you are faced with a really difficult situation.”
What do you think. In short, I’m saying, “Let’s get into the habit of knowing ourselves on a regular basis.”
For example, train yourself to look at your emotions objectively by keeping a diary like a third party. By doing so, you can find new strengths in yourself, refine your strengths more than ever before, and reflect on them.
By doing so, he says that no matter what difficulties a person faces, they can overcome them and turn them into opportunities for growth.
Epictetus, who was born as a slave and has been in dire straits over and over again, has reached this state of mind after introspection over and over again. How about using it as a reference?
“We have finished talking about the four concerns.”
“Lastly, I would like to conclude by talking about the world after Professor Epictetus left.”
After the death of Epictetus
After being freed from his slavery, he opened a private school at a place called Nicopolis, Greece, where he worked as a philosophy teacher, ending his life quietly in 135 AD.
In the Roman Empire at that time, Hadrian, the third emperor of the Five Good Emperors, gradually began to put the brakes on the overgrown nation, and with the country stabilized, the next fourth emperor. It’s time to think about passing the baton.
“Therefore, the country is still peaceful and prosperous.”
Meanwhile, in a wealthy and prestigious family in Rome, there was a boy who was very enthusiastic about studying. He was interested in various fields of study and studied hard every day, but he was particularly interested in philosophy.
The name of the person who led this boy into the world of philosophy was Rustix. He was a Stoic philosopher.
The boy listened to Rustics with his eyes always shining, and his desire to learn more about philosophy grew stronger.
One day… Rustix took out a book from his collection and handed it to the boy.
“How many times has it been? Epictetus? It’s a name that has never worked.”
However, as soon as the clever boy opens the book, he has a hunch that this person is undeniably a true philosopher and that he needs him. And he examined Epictetus’s words one by one, fleshed them out, and absorbed them as his own philosophy.
And then, 161 AD. 26 years after the death of Epictetus.
The boy grows up to be a fine adult and becomes emperor of his homeland, Rome.
“His name is Marcus Aurelius.”
He was the emperor who graced the crown of the Five Good Emperors when the Roman Empire was at its most prosperous.
“He loved philosophy from the bottom of his heart.” He goes on as a philosopher and dies as a philosopher. That was his wish and his dream.
However, fate chose Aurelius as emperor of a great empire.
A dream of becoming a philosopher… However, the reality is that he must live as an emperor.
Sandwiched between these two, he struggled and suffered.
However, even in such a predicament, Aurelius did not stop.
On days when he led his own army and devoted himself to battle, and on days when he was busy with official duties, he looked inside himself and wrote down words of admonishment to himself.
That is the famous philosophical book called “Self-reflection”, and it is a book that serves as solid proof that he practiced philosophy and protected himself.
And what is most surprising is that Epictetus’ name and his words are quoted everywhere in this self-reflection.
In the end, this tells us that Emperor Marcus Aurelius was saved and supported by the teachings of Epictetus, and overcame all the hardships and conflicts he could endure.
The nameless former slave Epictetus.
Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
These two people with diametrically opposed social identities form an implicit teacher-student relationship through philosophy, and their positions are reversed.
Indeed, Epictetus was born as a nameless slave, accepted his unfortunate fate, and quietly ended his life as a philosophical teacher. However, even after his death, the powerful words of his will continue to live on forever in the hearts of those who are struggling to survive.
So that’s the life lesson of the slave philosopher Epictetus.
I would appreciate it if you could help me with your life.
Thank you for watching until the end.
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