What then is the fruit of these judgements? A fruit which must needs be most noble and most becoming to those who are truly being educated—a mind tranquil and fearless and free. For on these matters you must not trust the multitude, who say, “Only the free may be educated”, but rather the philosophers who say, “Only the educated are free.”
“What do you mean by that?”
I mean this. What else is freedom but power to pass our life as we will?
“True.”
Tell me, fellow men, do you wish to live doing wrong?
“We do not.”
Is no one free who does wrong?
“No one.”
Do you wish to live in fear, in pain, in distress of mind?
“By no means.”
Well, no man who suffers fear or pain or distress of mind is free, but whoever is quit of fears and pains and distresses is by the self-same road quit of slavery. How then shall we go on believing you, dearest lawgivers?
Do we allow none but the free to get education?
Nay! philosophers say that we do not allow any to be free except those whose education is complete: that is, God does not allow it.
“What do you mean by that?”
I mean this. What else is freedom but power to pass our life as we will?
“True.”
Tell me, fellow men, do you wish to live doing wrong?
“We do not.”
Is no one free who does wrong?
“No one.”
Do you wish to live in fear, in pain, in distress of mind?
“By no means.”
Well, no man who suffers fear or pain or distress of mind is free, but whoever is quit of fears and pains and distresses is by the self-same road quit of slavery. How then shall we go on believing you, dearest lawgivers?
Do we allow none but the free to get education?
Nay! philosophers say that we do not allow any to be free except those whose education is complete: that is, God does not allow it.
—from Epictetus, Discourses 2.1
For any of this passage to make sense, I need to rid myself of the commonly accepted definitions of what it means both to be free and to be educated. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, because for so many years I have been taught that freedom is about a liberty from external restrictions, and learning is about acquiring the skills necessary to make more money.
That’s all nice and well if I wish to confine myself to being a creature ruled by impressions, but if I consider my nature more closely, I find that I am made to be so much more. True freedom is in a self-mastery over the mind and the will, and genuine learning is in forming the discipline of self-awareness.
Once I become free, any circumstance, however much it may hinder the body, is an occasion for tranquility within the soul. Once I become educated, getting rich no longer means what it used to mean.
For as long as we can remember, an education has usually been the privilege of those who already possess power and influence; even when we attempt to introduce some equality of opportunity, the best is reserved for the ones who have the luxury of paying.
Hence, we are caught in a trap where only the gentleman of leisure receives the fine schooling, while the man bound to labor in the gentleman’s factory must settle for the scraps.
For the Romans, of course, the formula also assumed that a slave, who was no more than a piece of property, didn’t deserve to learn to like the free man who owned him. The specifics are different, though the assumptions are much the same.
The Stoic, however, in reassessing the priorities of life, flips the cause and the consequence. No, a man does not gain an education because he is free, rather a man gains freedom because he is educated.
If I recall how Stoicism rightly understands the concepts of liberty and learning, as a peace of mind and the means to obtain it, then I will cease to measure myself by the adornments on the outside.
Change the thinking, and you change the whole order of living.
For any of this passage to make sense, I need to rid myself of the commonly accepted definitions of what it means both to be free and to be educated. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, because for so many years I have been taught that freedom is about a liberty from external restrictions, and learning is about acquiring the skills necessary to make more money.
That’s all nice and well if I wish to confine myself to being a creature ruled by impressions, but if I consider my nature more closely, I find that I am made to be so much more. True freedom is in a self-mastery over the mind and the will, and genuine learning is in forming the discipline of self-awareness.
Once I become free, any circumstance, however much it may hinder the body, is an occasion for tranquility within the soul. Once I become educated, getting rich no longer means what it used to mean.
For as long as we can remember, an education has usually been the privilege of those who already possess power and influence; even when we attempt to introduce some equality of opportunity, the best is reserved for the ones who have the luxury of paying.
Hence, we are caught in a trap where only the gentleman of leisure receives the fine schooling, while the man bound to labor in the gentleman’s factory must settle for the scraps.
For the Romans, of course, the formula also assumed that a slave, who was no more than a piece of property, didn’t deserve to learn to like the free man who owned him. The specifics are different, though the assumptions are much the same.
The Stoic, however, in reassessing the priorities of life, flips the cause and the consequence. No, a man does not gain an education because he is free, rather a man gains freedom because he is educated.
If I recall how Stoicism rightly understands the concepts of liberty and learning, as a peace of mind and the means to obtain it, then I will cease to measure myself by the adornments on the outside.
Change the thinking, and you change the whole order of living.
—Reflection written in 5/2001
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