Customer Reviews

The Discourses of Epictetus - The Handbook - Fragments (Everyman's Library)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Many of us are prone to think of ourselves as somewhat "pitiful" in comparison to others: we drive a Chevrolet; they drive a BMW: we have 1900 sq. ft. in our home; they have 3200: we make $35,000 a year; they have a yacht on the Caribbean. Suppose you were lame; a freed slave; and subject to arrest by "the leader of the free world" if he didn't like your teaching. Such was Epictetus who, along with other philosophers, was expelled from Rome by the emperor some 19 centuries ago. Epictetus was not the founder of Stoicism, but he was--apparently--its greater teacher because it is his discussions which have survived in the most nearly complete form for us. This volume contains not only the four "books" of discourses, but also the distillation called the "handbook" or "enchiridion", and various fragments preserved in other writings. These teachings were written down by Arrian, a student of Epictetus and author of a biography of Alexander the Great. Here we hear, as it were, the voice of Epictetus teaching: often within the text we have the questions of a student to whom Epictetus is replying; we are able to catch the teacher's irony and wit. It is as if we are sitting in his presence, just a little farther away than we might wish. Epictetus's "program" is simple: to teach us how to live without fear or grief or unsatisfied desire; to teach how to "worry" ourselves only over those things which we can control, which--to put it simply, as Epictetus always does--are our own reactions and responses. I cannot control my wife; I can control how I respond to her. I cannot control the Senators; I can control how I respond to them. I cannot control whether I have cancer or not; I can control how I react to that situation. Much like the Buddha's insistence that we can attain nirvana by controlling our desires, Epictetus's teaching leads, if applied, to a calmer, more "centered" and peaceful life. And who doesn't need that? [If you want Epictetus's work in a more permanent form than this paperback, buy the Loeb Classical Library hardcovers, listed as Discourses Books 1 and 2, and Discourses Books 3 and 4. The second volume also contains the Enchiridion and the Fragments.

I discovered Epictetus following a library checkout of a book on tape by Tom Wolfe titled "A Man in Full" (1998)- a story about two men who met by chance in Atlanta and whose lives changed drastically and positively as one (an escaped convict) reluctantly taught the other (who was in his own personal crisis) the power of what he learned in prison from the teachings of Epictetus. I could see how the ideas Wolfe found in Epictetus might change people even as dramatically as happened in the novel so I read A. A. Long's, "Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life" (2002, also rated five stars). Long wrote that the best translation was by Robin Hard (this edition). Epictetus wrote nothing (all we have are his student Adrian's lecture notes). He was a former slave recognized for his talent and educated in Nero's Court, later freed, and then exiled. He set up a school in Nicopolis, Greece, taught young men from well-to-do families about stoic philosphy and his reputation grew, resulting in requests for consultations - apparently even from Emperor Hadrian. What I learned from this book is why happiness is an attainable state of mind instead of an occurance and a rational, pragmatic approach. In my field, Epictetus has been described as a pioneer of rational-emotive and cognitive-behavioral therapy (especially the former) and I would support this view. He is an amazing teacher.

Having developed an interest in Epictetus, I bought a translation of his works, and was sorely disappointed. The wording was awkward, and phrasing often confusing or difficult to understand.
This particular book was the third version of the Discourses I purchased, and I was delighted to find it understandable and enjoyable reading. You also get the complete works of Epictetus (The Discourses, Enchiridion, and Fragments), a nice bonus. I have not looked at every translation available, but I can recommend this one as well done.

As for the review complaining about many typo's, I'm not sure that he is talking about this particular book. Two other translations that I bought were absolutely mangled and virtually unreadable. The "Everyman" edition is much better, understandable, and if there are a lot of typo's, I have not seen them.

I have wanted to own a copy of the Discourses for several years. I finally decided to buy one. I picked this one because it was the cheapest. Big mistake. It is absolutely riddled with typos and misspellings. It is very difficult to read. Only the wisdom of Epictetus keeps me from tossing this copy in the trash. I couldn't even find an editor or a translator listed for the copy. "NuVision" publishing seems to be a pretty sorry operation. Just try buying the Discourses from one of the reputable publishers further down the list.

The only thing this edition of Epictetus' four Discourses is it's price, and if you buy it for the price, as another both I and another reviewer did, you may be exceedingly disappointed! The translation is fair, and matches well with the Loeb Classical Library edition by W. A. Oldfather, but it is missing absolutely everything which makes the book useful as a reference for ancient study. Like my copies of Plato, Aristotle, Homer, the Greek playwrights, and the historians, I rarely read them from start to finish. Virtually all my use is to look up references to Epictetus' writings cited in works on the Bible and commmentaries on other ancient Greek and Roman works. There is no introduction, no footnotes, no index, and worst of all, no numbering of the sections and lines within the sections. The Loeb Classical Library edition, unless you can get it on the cheap, may cost you four times as much, but it will be ten times more useful. I'm giving my copy away to a library!

Stoicism is the Philosophy of Choice. It emphasizes emotional responsibility, physical and intellectual temperance, and spiritual connection to a world beyond thoughts and words. The basics tenets of all Stoics are as follows:

- I always have a choice. My impulses, whether emotionally or physically based, can be controlled by my Will. I can choose to react to them or to ignore them.

- The choices of others only effect me in so far as I allow them to effect me. I Will myself into the role of victim or victor. These are choices. No one can harm me.

- I choose to engage life rather than disengage from life. For a Will is best when it is tempered in action.

The texts included in this book, written by Arrian, cover a myriad examples of these principles applied in life, as well as a large set of refutations of what the author construes as contrary philosophies. (The schools of Cynicism and the Epicurean are the main adversaries here.) Of the current English editions available, the Everyman Library's version is by far the most comprehensive collection.

Why one of the reviewers below felt compelled to outline (rather clumsily) the differences between Epictetus and Jesus is beyond my field of study, but I can say that I find the two "philosophies" (for, in truth, Jesus offers not just a philosophy but a faith) quite complimentary. Gandhi thought so too, and his philosophy of satyagraha was a rare combination of both. As any student of Stoicism will find, the one tenet missing from the Stoic lexicon is the following:

- I cannot say that he/she/it/they always has/have a choice.

Adding this statement to the lot makes for a healthier dose of compassion in the Stoic system, and decreases the risk of the Stoic becoming apathetic or wooden. (Both characteristics condemned by Epictetus.)

Readers who enjoy this work might also like Heraclitus's "Fragments" (although not a Stoic, he is oft quoted by Stoics as an antecedent "member" of the Stoic school), "Gandhi On Non-Violence", and Thich Nhat Hahn's "Living Buddha, Living Christ." They make interesting complimentary works.

Those looking for a list of Stoic literature should keep in mind that the genuine article is fairly spartan. Most were written by Romans or Roman subjects well after the deaths of the more imminent exemplars. Marcus Aurelius is a notable exception, as are Cicero and Seneca (although one might argue that these latter two were more apologists for Stoicism rather than actual Stoics.) As such, one often finds true Stoicism in daubs and subtle hues rather than in strong, available works. Look at Seneca's "On the Shortness of Life" or "Letters From a Stoic" to see what I mean.

My sense is that the many negative reviews pertaining to this title pertain to a different "public domain" edition. The current Everyman edition of Epictetus is based on Elizabeth Carter's eighteenth-century translation, and contains a relatively up-to-date introduction and end-notes. Oldfather's dual-language Loeb edition costs at least four times as much and has been consulted in the revision of the present edition. For those who are curious about Stoic ethics, the philosophy of Epictetus, as presented here, is a great introduction.

There's bad editing and then there's simply no editing. After about the 5th page there are typos and further problems within this text which make it virtually unreadable.

Utterly outrageous... I originally purchased this for a friend for Christmas, but now will need to return it and be without a gift!!

The publishers have obviously no interest whatsoever in providing quality content.

This isn't just lazy - it's downright disrespectful.

A must for anyone interested in Stoicism after having read Marcus Aurelius' meditations. The Everyman edition is a clear translation. Highly recommended

I read this edition of the DISCOURSES and gained much from Epictetus's timeless wisdom, but it was not easy. The material is difficult enough to follow for the novice reader without the multitude of typographical errors littered throughout the work. I kept hoping it would get better, but it didn't. By all means buy this book if you want to learn the philosophy of Epictetus, but be prepared for a messy read.