Epictetus and Laypeople: A Stoic Stance toward Non-Stoics

Erlend D. MacGillivray’s Epictetus and Laypeople: A Stoic Stance toward the Rest of Humanity explores the understanding that ancient philosophers had towards the vast majority of people at the time, those who had no philosophical knowledge or adherence—laypeople. After exploring how philosophical identity was established in antiquity, this book examines the Stoic philosopher Epictetus, who reflected upon laypeople with remarkable frequency. MacGillivray shows that Epictetus maintained his stance that a small and distinguishable group of philosophically aware individuals existed, alongside his conviction that most of humanity can be inclined to act in accordance with virtuous principles by their dependence upon preconceptions, civic law, popular religion, exempla, and the adoption of primitive conditions, among other means. This book also highlights other Stoics and their commentators to show that the means of lay reform that MacGillivray explores were not just implicitly understood in antiquity, but reveal a well-developed system of thought in the school which has, until now, evaded the notice of modern scholars.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter One: Establishing a Philosophical Identity in Antiquity Chapter Two: Limitations on Moral Advancement Chapter Three: The Selective Engagement of Laypeople Chapter Four: Non-Scholastic Instruction and Primitive Humanity Chapter Five: Preconceptions Chapter Six: Civic Religion and Law Chapter Seven: Exempla Conclusion References About the Author

About the Author :
Erlend D. MacGillivray received his PhD from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, in 2018.

Review :
MacGillivray (independent scholar) explores these two questions in Epictetus. What distinguishes the philosopher from the non-philosopher? How can the non-philosopher illuminate the philosopher's views? The first part of the book treats the first question. Philosophers are people who can articulate their school's ideas and who live in accord with the philosophy's ethical demands. Laypeople, on the other hand, are subject to vices. Philosophers should, in general, avoid public engagement with laypeople. These conclusions set up the rest of the book, which investigates the second question. Here the layperson takes a more positive role, whether as virtuous early humans or as moderns supported by moral preconceptions, law, popular religion, and exempla. This book helps illuminate Epictetus's distinctive interest in discussing ordinary people, instead of hypothetical descriptions of the perfect, and impossible, Stoic sage. It likewise contributes to a greater understanding of Stoic philosophy's disinterest in venerating their founders and their willingness to find instruction in ideas and activities of those outside their school. . . the book is accessible to non-specialist audiences, as translations accompany Latin and Greek. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. Epictetus is an excellent choice for studying an ancient philosopher’s attitudes toward non-philosophers. In this learned, wide-ranging, and well-conceived monograph, MacGillivray provides a probing account of this Stoic’s frustrations with laypersons, his advice to students to be cautious around them, his various pedagogical appeals to paragons, and his hopes for ethical progress despite the ineradicable flaws we all share. This work fills a real gap in scholarship on Epictetus. MacGillivray captures Epictetus’s double-mindedness about non-philosophers with scholarly discipline and principled clarity. This book is rich with detail and is a useful lesson in how philosophers must manage the broader non-(and even anti-) philosophical culture in which they must live. This new study on Epictetus is a must read for anyone intrigued by the influential practical philosophy of this ancient Roman sage. In the end, this book, whose prose is smooth and a pleasure to read, and which does not demand previous in-depth knowledge of Stoic philosophy or of Epictetus’ thinking, allows for a good approach to a fascinating subject that is not much studied.