Epictetus on the Epistemology of the Art of Living

Abstract

AbstractThis paper explores what Epictetus thinks we need to learn in order to acquire the art of living, and, in doing so, illuminates the central tenets of Epictetus’ epistemology. It argues that we need to have cognition of preconceptions – innate, self-evident, general, ethical truths – and we need to know how to apply them. We acquire this “know-how” through habituation and, with it, are able to have cognition of correct applications.