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Man is disturbed not by things, but by the views he takes of them.

Epictetus, Enchiridion 5

Philosophy

The story behind the card

This is chapter 5 of the Enchiridion, a short handbook of Epictetus's teaching compiled by his student Arrian. Death, Epictetus says there, is not terrible in itself; what is terrible is our belief that it is. The book opens with the distinction behind this: some things are up to us, such as our judgements and choices, and some are not, such as our body, our reputation or what others do. Epictetus (c. AD 50–135) was born enslaved in Hierapolis, at today's Pamukkale in Turkey, and taught in Rome, then Nicopolis.

Türkçe oku
İnsanı huzursuz eden şeylerin kendisi değil, onlar hakkındaki görüşleridir.
Epiktetos, Enchiridion 5

Söz, Epiktetos'un öğrencisi Arrianos'un hocasının derslerinden derlediği kısa el kitabı Enchiridion'un 5. bölümündendir. Epiktetos orada ölümün kendi başına korkunç olmadığını, korkunç olanın onun korkunç olduğuna dair yargımız olduğunu söyler. Kitap, bu düşüncenin dayandığı ayrımla açılır: Yargılarımız ve seçimlerimiz gibi bazı şeyler elimizdedir; bedenimiz, itibarımız ya da başkalarının yaptıkları gibi bazıları değildir. Epiktetos (yak. MS 50–135), bugünkü Pamukkale'deki antik Hierapolis kentinde köle olarak doğdu; sonra Roma'da ve Yunanistan'daki Nikopolis'te ders verdi.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Epictetus
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