Socrates Café at OBA - Philosopher's Quotes

In this format, the moderator picks a quote from a known philosopher. A summary is provided below. Please take the time to read.

The moderator gives a short introduction, then we have an open discussion, and a final round when everyone gives their conclusions.

Quote of this Session:

Epictetus
"Only the educated are free."

About the author:

Epictetus (c. 50-135 CE) was a Greek Stoic philosopher who was born into slavery, later gained his freedom, and devoted his life to teaching philosophy. His central idea was that human suffering comes not from events themselves but from our judgments about them, and that true freedom comes from focusing only on what is within our control - our thoughts, choices, and actions.

Epictetus is important because he transformed Stoicism into a practical philosophy for everyday life, influencing thinkers from Marcus Aurelius to modern psychologists. Many ideas in contemporary Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), especially the principle that thoughts shape emotions, can be traced directly to his teachings.

RULES
Please be on time! If you arrive late, please join quietly. If you are a first timer, make sure you take extra time for finding the location. If something unexpected happens, please cancel as soon as possible. There are people on the waiting list. If you repeatedly sign up and don’t show up, you can expect to be moved to the waitlist next time. You may disagree with others, but please do so respectfully without personal attacks. Please keep your attendance to one event per week to ensure everyone has an opportunity to attend. This is a Philosophy event to discuss Philosophy and this event's PRIMARY function is NOT focused on Self Help, Psychology or Theology. Though those topics can be a point of discussion from time to time. Please take that into consideration when signing up!