Epictetus on Keeping Prohairesis in Accordance With Nature

Transcript of Gregory Sadler's invited presentation to Stoicon-X Brisbane, posted at Practical Rationality.

"I took as the title and subject for this talk one really key idea — and practice — of Epictetus that’s at the core of Stoic philosophy, that is, keeping one’s prohairesis in accordance with nature, and I’m going to talk about a few different things in this: A bit of history; what exactly is this thing, prohairesis, that we’re mentioning; what does 'in accordance with nature' mean. I’m going to give you a few examples from common life, and that Epictetus himself brings up, and then talk about what it what it really means to keep our prohairesis in accordance with nature, by using our Faculty of prohairesis — the faculty of choice — to work on itself."

See Epictetus, Enchiridon, in Gateway to the Great Books (10 Vol., 1963) volume 10; Discourses, in Great Books of the Western World (first edition, 52 Vol., 1952) volume 12, (second edition, 60 Vol., 1990) volume 11.