The Guideline

EpictetusProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.1

Word count: 65K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Ojennusnuora by EpictetusAuthor: Epictetus, 55-135,Language: Finnish, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Aug 29, 2005

Editor's review

Ojennusnuora is a Finnish translation of works by the ancient Stoic philosopher Epictetus, released by Project Gutenberg as a free eBook. Epictetus's writing is known for its conversational instruction, centered on how people can distinguish what is within their control from what is not, and how to preserve inner freedom in adversity. This eBook is short, making it suitable as an introduction to Stoic philosophy and for repeated browsing in spare moments. There is no need to finish it in one sitting; treat it as a workbook-like text: after each passage, compare it with your own circumstances and identify which judgments come from outside and which from your own choices. As a free electronic text, it is easy to search and well suited to excerpting and note-taking. If you are unfamiliar with the philosophical background, first learn the basic tenets of Stoicism, then move on to the specific chapters.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Stoic philosophy who want to start with short teachings
Learners with basic Finnish reading ability who want to practice reading philosophical texts
Readers who need a method for self-reflection amid everyday stress and prefer aphoristic writing
Readers working on philosophy popularization or comparative research who need a free electronic text

Not a good fit for

Readers who know no Finnish at all and have no parallel translation to assist them
Academic readers expecting systematic philosophical argument or lengthy theoretical construction
Readers seeking modern psychological action plans who have little tolerance for classical instructional style

Reading tips

Read one short section each day, then write one or two sentences about a judgment exercise you can practice that day.
Prepare an English or Chinese translation for comparison and check different renderings when key terms appear.
First read introductory material on the Stoic distinction between what is and is not within our control, then go to the main text.
On a second reading, mark only the passages most relevant to your own circumstances to create a personal excerpt.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background in philosophy?

It can serve as introductory material, but it is advisable to spend a little time first learning the basic tenets of Stoicism, such as distinguishing what is within our control from what is not. Epictetus's writing is instructional in tone, so readers with no background will find it easier to enter with a brief introduction to the context.

Why is this book in Finnish?

This eBook was released by Project Gutenberg and contains a Finnish translation of Epictetus's works. Project Gutenberg offers public-domain eBooks in many languages, and this version is intended for Finnish readers or readers doing language comparison.

Do I need to read this book in order from beginning to end?

No. Epictetus's instructional text is suitable for reading in sections, whether by theme or at random. A more effective approach is to read a short section each time and combine it with judgment exercises based on your own circumstances, rather than trying to finish it in one sitting.

Comments

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About the author

Epictetus Author · Greek

Epictetus (c. 55–c. 135) was a Greek Stoic philosopher, born in Hierapolis in Phrygia (in present-day Turkey) and died in Nicopolis, Greece. He was enslaved in his youth; after being freed he taught in Rome until the emperor Domitian expelled him in 90 CE, after which he continued teaching at Nicopolis. His teachings were compiled by his pupil Arrian into the Discourses and the Enchiridion, which survive today. Five of his works are held in this collection, including the Enchiridion, The Golden Sayings of Epictetus, and a selection from the Discourses. His writing consists mainly of short maxims and dialogue-style exposition, in plain, direct language that stresses virtue and inner freedom, and it has had a lasting influence on the transmission of Stoicism.