Chapter 11: What is the beginning of philosophy.
The beginning of philosophy with those who approach it in the right way and by the door is a consciousness of one's own weakness and want of power in regard to necessary things.
For we come into the world with no innate conception of a right-angled triangle, or of a quarter-tone or of a semi-tone, but we are taught what each of these means by systematic instruction; and therefore those who are ignorant of these things do not think that they know them.
On the other hand, everyone has come into the world with an innate conception as to good and bad, noble and shameful, becoming and unbecoming, happiness and unhappiness, fitting and inappropriate, what is right to do and what is wrong.
Therefore, we all use these terms and try to fit our preconceived notions to particular facts.
“He did nobly”, “dutifully”, “un-dutifully”; “he was unfortunate”, “he was fortunate”; “he is unjust”, “he is just.”
Which of us refrains from these phrases? Which of us puts off using them until he is taught them, just as men who have no knowledge of lines or sounds refrain from talking of them?
The reason is that on the subject in question we come into the world with a certain amount of teaching, so to say, already given us by nature; to this basis of knowledge we have added our own fancies.
—from Epictetus, Discourses 2.11
If I were to present this passage to my esteemed colleagues, they would immediately begin debating about a possible relationship between Epictetus and the innate ideas of Platonism, and whether there might be some trail of textual breadcrumbs connecting the Stoics with the Academy. I can even picture one fellow working it into the footnotes for his next scholarly article.
While I am also interested in such technical questions, since I will never deny that I am a philosophy geek, this letter inspires me for very different reasons. I recognize how often my thinking jumps far ahead of what is justified, and why my immediate opinions, however comfortable they might feel, do not necessarily reflect the way things are. I attend to this letter because it reminds me that philosophy is indispensable as a guide for daily living.
On the scholarly side of things, I will only suggest that Epictetus is speaking of an intrinsic disposition to understanding, more like a Peripatetic potency, or what Chrysippus called a “seed”, rather than any content of knowledge that precedes experience. By our very nature, we are inclined to seeking out meaning and purpose.
On the personal side of things, that can also get us in quite a bit of trouble. It is our nature to understand, to distinguish the true from the false and the good from the bad, but we instinctively turn to concepts like duty, fortune, and justice, without first arriving at a clear definition of these terms.
I cannot be expected to work through a mathematical proof, or to compose a piece of music, without the discipline of training, so why do I assume I can make life-altering decisions about right and wrong before I have clarified my first principles? As much as I make my demands about being happy, have I grasped anything about what it actually means to live with excellence?
My natural impulses have pointed me in a vague direction, and now my deliberate judgments must focus in on the details of the map. Otherwise, I will find myself making sweeping claims about politics, economics, and all sorts of social schemes, while never having established what it even means to be human. If I am speaking of benefit or harm in my day-to-day business, I would be well advised to lay out some of the ground rules.
My hunches give me a certain confidence, like a child who believes he already knows how to play baseball by watching a game on the television. No, an inspiration is just the beginning, not to be confused with the completion of the task. Philosophy, as the practical foundation for all of our estimation, is the necessary condition for anything worthwhile I will ever achieve in this life.
Hasty conceits and flights of fancy are no substitute for a fixed measure.
If I were to present this passage to my esteemed colleagues, they would immediately begin debating about a possible relationship between Epictetus and the innate ideas of Platonism, and whether there might be some trail of textual breadcrumbs connecting the Stoics with the Academy. I can even picture one fellow working it into the footnotes for his next scholarly article.
While I am also interested in such technical questions, since I will never deny that I am a philosophy geek, this letter inspires me for very different reasons. I recognize how often my thinking jumps far ahead of what is justified, and why my immediate opinions, however comfortable they might feel, do not necessarily reflect the way things are. I attend to this letter because it reminds me that philosophy is indispensable as a guide for daily living.
On the scholarly side of things, I will only suggest that Epictetus is speaking of an intrinsic disposition to understanding, more like a Peripatetic potency, or what Chrysippus called a “seed”, rather than any content of knowledge that precedes experience. By our very nature, we are inclined to seeking out meaning and purpose.
On the personal side of things, that can also get us in quite a bit of trouble. It is our nature to understand, to distinguish the true from the false and the good from the bad, but we instinctively turn to concepts like duty, fortune, and justice, without first arriving at a clear definition of these terms.
I cannot be expected to work through a mathematical proof, or to compose a piece of music, without the discipline of training, so why do I assume I can make life-altering decisions about right and wrong before I have clarified my first principles? As much as I make my demands about being happy, have I grasped anything about what it actually means to live with excellence?
My natural impulses have pointed me in a vague direction, and now my deliberate judgments must focus in on the details of the map. Otherwise, I will find myself making sweeping claims about politics, economics, and all sorts of social schemes, while never having established what it even means to be human. If I am speaking of benefit or harm in my day-to-day business, I would be well advised to lay out some of the ground rules.
My hunches give me a certain confidence, like a child who believes he already knows how to play baseball by watching a game on the television. No, an inspiration is just the beginning, not to be confused with the completion of the task. Philosophy, as the practical foundation for all of our estimation, is the necessary condition for anything worthwhile I will ever achieve in this life.
Hasty conceits and flights of fancy are no substitute for a fixed measure.
—Reflection written in 8/2001
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