Sunday, July 29, 2012

Epictetus - a pondering...



Epictetus –Handbook, 5.
2 “Ench”, 1.5.1.1

"Circumstances* do not trouble* men; but [their] conclusions* concerning circumstances do."
         Tara¿ssei tou\ß aÓnqrw¿pouß ouj ta» pra¿gmata, aÓlla» 2 ta» peri« tw◊n pragma¿twn do/gmata.
    
NOTA BENE:

FlexLex (Flexibility lexicon):
* Things/circumstances = facts; deeds; events; circumstances
*trouble = disturb; disquiet; stir up; confound; alarm; frighten; throw into disorder; agitate; distract
*conclusions = decree to be true; judgments; decisions; dogma

PROBLEMS concerning possible word choices: (1) “opinions” has Platonic history; (2) “judgments” has Kantian history

Emphatic formula = Tara¿ssei (verb=disturb)+ do/gmata (subject=opinions)

Several possible translations:
  • “What upsets people is not things themselves but their judgments about the things.”
  • Not disturbing to men are things, but rather opinions (cf. Plato) about those things.
  •  Circumstances do not frighten people; but their judgments about those circumstances sure do.
  • Things do not trouble* men; but [their] conclusions* concerning things do.

Commentary: Any limitation we have is the creations of our own minds, which means that our destiny is, truly, in our own hands.

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