Illustration: Anne Geßner
What is in our control?
Power is not only an expression of aggression or evil, but also of law, power and authority. According to Epictetus there are two types of power. The inner and outer form. The first means an ability of the human being to shape his life independently of other factors. This ability could today be called the own will. In contrast, external power is everything exoteric, i.e. things that people cannot control through their will. People can suppress their instincts, positively influence their opinions and attitudes. These human actions, as the German word "Handlung" indicates, show us that they are in our hands or in our power. However, other human products or developments are not in our power, such as a house, a reputation or even our own body. For example, the house is expropriated by the state, the doctor completely loses his reputation due to a mistake during surgery and a virus makes the person sick. All these events occur outside of one's own will and therefore Epictetus describes them as something external.
Human existence and divine order
Epictetus' doctrine adopts the Platonic dualism that says that reality consists of spirit and matter. While the soul of the human being belongs to the world of ideas, the body is a part of the material world and is therefore transitory by nature. Because of this differentiation, many statements of Epictetus can be understood. For example, if the body is material by nature, it will follow, regardless of whether you want to live forever.
It is also assumed that Epictetus took over the teaching of the original forms from Plato. The ideas are the essence of the world and the material things are only reflections. The flow of life (the world of ideas) cannot be influenced. Nevertheless, one can recognise this universal order through reason (the soul of a human being) and consequently live in harmony with nature.
Suffering and Opinion
People suffer because of their wrong ideas about the world. As long as they do not understand the difference of the Platonic world, they are not moved by reason but by anger, fear and despair. Suffering is partly caused by the senses and human passions. But also by the lack of true knowledge through reason. The author therefore invites us to reflect on the Platonic difference. That is, to think about what is in our power and what escapes our will. This fundamental difference follows the dictates of the universal Logos and is therefore the only way to true happiness. As long as people do not understand this difference between inner and outer power, they will continue to harm themselves and others and therefore be unhappy and unsatisfied with their lives.