The Discourses of Epictetus, episode 3

We continue our series featuring an in-depth look at the Discourses of Epictetus, a book that has literally changed my life and that I think is one of the most important of the entire Western philosophical canon, if not of philosophy worldwide.

The idea is to slowly and deliberately make our way through all four extant books of the Discourses, taking our time to discuss what Epictetus says, why he says it, and whether it may be helpful to us denizens of the 21st century. This may take a long time and a good number of meetings, so pace yourselves!

I recommend the Robin Waterfield translation of Epictetus, published in 2024 by the University of Chicago Press. It is, I think, by far the best modern translaton available.

This meeting will begin by tackling Discourses 1.3, "How one may proceed from the fact that God is the father of humankind to its consequences" and continue as far as we can get to in two hours, probably including 1.4, "On progress." It would be helpful if you could read the text ahead!

Please note that the zoom link will be shared with registered atteendess on this page on the morning of the event, so make sure to check it before attempting to log in. Also, for security reasons (i.e., reducing the chances of "zoom bombing"), please do not share the link outside our group! Thanks!