Epictetus on sexuality

[VeritasLuxMea]

As you might know, I enjoy reading the Stoics. Well, I was just reading the volume titled “The Art of Living” by Epictetus and came across this entry:

Abstain from casual sex and particularly avoid sexual intercourse before you get married. This may sound prudish or old-fashioned, but it is a time-tested way by which we demonstrate respect for ourselves and others. Sex is not a game. It gives rise to very real enduring emotional and practical consequences. To ignore this is to debase yourself, and to disregard the significance of human relationships.

If, however, you know someone who has had casual sex, don’t self-righteously try to win them over to your own views.

An active sex life within a framework of personal commitment augments the integrity of the people involved and is part of a flourishing life.

I found it quite interesting that his views mirrored those of Christianity (he wasn’t a Christian, and likely didn’t live long enough to hear about Christianity.) So it goes to show you that a lot of Christian ideals were shared by many peoples. Though Christianity is in many ways unique, other cultures and philosophers have reached similar conclusions about life.

What I found the funniest was the line where Epictetus says, “This may sound prudish or old-fashioned.” Just bear in mind that he was born around 55 AD or so. So, people were already accusing monogamy/chastity of being “old fashioned” back then, lol…

[Side note: reminds me of the way people in Socrates’ day would insult the younger generation, accusing it of being decadent or some such thing in the same ways they do now.]

Oh, and if you check out the rest of “The Art of Living”, half of the titles of the passages read like a Catholic Answers forum thread—sections include, “Avoid Most Popular Entertainment,” “Never Surpress a Generous Impulse,” and “Be Careful about the Company you Keep.”

 

[Kensho]

That was a charming quote. You have intrigued me. I now want to read this author.

It’s true, strict sexual morality certainly was not new with Christianity and the current crop of young Decadents (if you’ll pardon me for using that term) are wrong when they moan about Christians coming along and ruining everyone’s easygoing pagan fun.

Thanks for posting this! Give us more!

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

That was a charming quote. You have intrigued me. I now want to read this author.

It’s true, strict sexual morality certainly was not new with Christianity and the current crop of young Decadents (if you’ll pardon me for using that term) are wrong when they moan about Christians coming along and ruining everyone’s easygoing pagan fun.

Thanks for posting this! Give us more!

Thank you. Well, I always find them very interesting myself. Stoicism has many similarities to Christianity, but also several differences. At times, they sound remarkably Christian. At other times, there are some similarities to Buddhism or other ideas. They were probably the main rival of Platonism. I enjoy some of their ideas, helps me to look at things from a different perspective.

Apart from their founder, Zeno, the 3 most well-known Stoics are probably Epictetus, Seneca the Younger and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Each of those men had written works of their own.

Here are some other Epictetus quotes I enjoy:

“If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, “He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.”

^^^ I like this one: funny, clever and humble

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

^^^^ This quote was on my wedding program, as a way to express how my wife and I felt/feel about each other.

I like this one from Seneca the Younger to calm me down at times, since I’m a worrier:

There are more things to alarm us than to harm us, and we suffer more often in apprehension than reality.

 

[Kensho]

I like that quote about faults!

I was an English major (no snide remarks, please, anyone) and remember reading some essays by Seneca in one of my classes.

Regarding the “conservative values” of the first post, I’m remembering how my college roommate used to read aloud to me from her books of ancient Roman history and how we laughed that the cultural wars at the time were so similar to our own.

You said elsewhere that you are a teacher – is philosophy your subject?

 

[cceerpp]

That’s an interesting quote there. Thanks for sharing.