Episode Details

Epictetus was born into slavery in the Roman Empire and became one of the most influential Stoic philosophers in history. He never wrote a word. Everything we know of his teachings comes from notes taken by his student Arrian. Yet his ideas about freedom, control, and endurance shaped Marcus Aurelius and still resonate today.

This episode examines how a man with no legal rights developed a philosophy of radical inner freedom, and why his Discourses remain one of the most practical guides to living ever produced.

• How slavery shaped his distinction between what we can and cannot control
• The influence of his teacher Musonius Rufus
• Why Marcus Aurelius kept his teachings close at hand
• How modern cognitive behavioral therapy echoes Stoic practice