A Notion of a Person in Epictetus
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23183165 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Frede (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2007 |
| Pages | 153-168 |
| Publication date | 2007-10-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | The Philosophy of Epictetus (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199233076.003.0011 |
| OpenAlex | W2492893912 |
| ISBN | 9780199233076 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
This chapter explores the way in which Epictetus' philosophy contributed to the development of the concept of a person, a process by which the term ‘person’ (prosōpon/persona) progressed from meaning a dramatic part to its modern sense of a rational being, which it attained in late antiquity. The term first acquired the sense of a role one plays in life, for example, that of father, senator, philosopher; then the Middle Stoic Panaetius gave the concept a philosophical twist by introducing the role of a human being as such, a rational agent, and also that of the distinctive individual we are. Finally, Epictetus in Discourse I.2 combines the various roles recognized by Panaetius into the single notion of ‘the person one is’, a combination of the various roles we play in life, with that of a human being taking precedence. From here it is a short step to the modern notion of a person as a rational being.
Epistemology · Human being · Human life · Humanities · Humanity · Meaning (existential) · Persona · Term (time) · Theology · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classical Philosophy and Thought · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 0.3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2016 - 2022 (7) |
| Highly cited | No |