Epictetus

 on  General  Principles  (Prolēpseis)  

The  Stoic  philosopher  Epictetus  makes  reference  to  conceptions  human  beings  possess  
called  prolēpseis  in  Greek  (translated  as  “general  principles”  or  preconceptions”).    The  
Stoics  also  employed  another  term  for  these,  ennoiai,  “general  ideas.”  
 
These  are  very  basic  and  general  conceptions  that  all  human  beings,  according  to  Stoic  
doctrine,  possess  by  being  human.    They  are  employed  in  reasoning,  inference,  and  choice.  
Or  in  other  words,  they  are  applied  to  particular  cases,  experiences,  and  objects.  
 
Some  general  principles  Epictetus  specifically  mentions  and  discusses  are  what  we  can  call  
moral  conceptions.    Some  of  the  examples  are  basic  moral  categories:  
 
• the  Good  and  the  Bad    
• the  Useful  and  the  Harmful  
• the  Just  and  the  Unjust  (or  the  Right  and  the  Wrong)  
• the  Beautiful  and  the  Ugly  (or  the  Fair  and  the  Foul,  Noble  and  Ignoble)  
• the  Holy  and  the  Unholy  
• the  Needed  and  the  Unnecessary  
• the  Appropriate  and  the  Inappropriate  (or  Duty  and  against  Duty)  
• What  is  In  Our  Control,  and  What  is  Not  In  Our  Control  
 
Others  are  implications  or  features  of  these  conceptions  
 
• that  the  Good  is  to  be  chosen  and  pursued  
• what  is  needed  and  noble  ought  to  be  done  
• that  the  Just  is  morally  beautiful  and  becoming  
• that  the  Holy  is  to  be  preferred  to  everything  else  
 
Epictetus  holds  that  all  people  possess  these  general  conceptions,  and  that  moreover  in  
themselves,  these  general  ideas  systematically  interconnect  with  each  other,  so  that  they  
do  not  enter  into  any  sort  of  contradiction  with  each  other.  
 
When  these  general  conceptions  are  applied  in  particular  or  specific  cases,  however,  then  
people  are  liable  to  run  into  all  sorts  of  difficulties,  mistakes,  and  even  conflicts.    The  
conflict  between  Agamemnon  and  Achilles  narrated  in  the  Illiad  provides  an  example:    
 
  AGAMEMNON   ACHILLES  
     
    SHARED   C OMMON   G ENERAL   P RINCIPLES    
    the  Noble  ought  to  be  done    
    the   Needed   o ught  to  b e  d one    
     
     
  Particular   A
  pplication   Particular   A  pplication  
  I  should  not  b   e  compelled   CONFLICT!   You  should  b  e  compelled  
  to   give   B riseis  
  back   to  give  Briseis  
  back  
   
   
Copyright  2015  Gregory  B.  Sadler,  Ph.D     ReasonIO:  philosophy  into  practice  
 Epictetus  on  General  Principles  (Prolēpseis)  

 
When  we  are  dealing  with  particular  cases,  because  of  their  different  standpoints  and  their  
different  understandings  of  these  general  principles,  people  tend  to  apply  them  –  or  
misapply  them  –  at  variance  to  each  other.      
 
This  brings  them  into  conflict  –  a  situation  in  which  both  parties  think  themselves  to  be  
acting  rationally  and  in  accordance  with  the  general  principles,  and  the  other  not  to  be.  
 
It  is  also  possible  for  a  person  to  fall  into  error  in  their  own  use  of  their  general  
conceptions.    Epictetus  uses  the  classical  example  of  Medea,  who  killed  her  own  children  in  
order  to  revenge  herself  upon  her  husband,  Jason,  for  his  infidelity  and  divorce  of  her.  
 
 
 
PARTICULAR  CIRCUMSTANCES  
 
 
  GENERAL  CONCEPTIONS   ACTION  
 
APPLICATION  
 
What   it  means  for  a  person’s   Kill  our  
  revenge!  
I  should  take  
  desires  not  to  be  realized   children!  
 
 
Medea  has  been  wronged  and  
 
insulted  by  her  husband  Jason  
 
 
In  order  for  us  to  be  able  to  apply  these  general  conceptions  properly,  it  is  not  enough  to  
possess  general  conceptions  –  nor  is  it  enough  to  grasp  the  particulars  properly.      
 
What  is  missing  in  the  case  of  most  people  is  clearly  understanding  the  general  principles  
in  themselves  and  understanding  how  to  properly  apply  them,  and  this  requires  discipline  
and  training  (generally  supplied  by  the  theory  and  practice  involved  in  Philosophy).  
 
Epictetus  argues  that  what  is  required  is  taking  the  general  conceptions  that  we  possess  
and  fitting  them  into  a  complete  system  of  ideas  in  which  it  becomes  clear  what  the  general  
conceptions  are,  how  they  fit  together,  and  how  they  properly  apply  to  particular  cases.    
 
 
PARTICULAR  CIRCUMSTANCES  
SYSTEM  of  GENERAL  CONCEPTIONS  
 
  Particular  A   pplication  
GENERAL       GENERAL    
CONCEPTION   (correct)  
 
  CONCEPTION  
     
 
GENERAL      
CONCEPTION     New  PARTICULAR  CIRCUMSTANCES  
     
All  are  clearly  and  distinctly  understood   New  Particular  
  Application  
and  do  not  contradict  each  other   (correct)  
 
   

Copyright  2015  Gregory  B.  Sadler,  Ph.D     ReasonIO:  philosophy  into  practice