Abstract

BRAICOVICH, Rodrigo Sebastián. Epictetus' Reception of the Doctrine of Preferred Indifferents. Nova tellus [online]. 2012, vol.30, n.1, pp.105-132. ISSN 0185-3058.

This paper analyzes Epictetus' position on the Stoic doctrine of indifferents and in particular on the distinction between preferred and dispreferred indifferents. I suggest that in order to understand the author's position it is necessary to turn to the distinction between that which depends on us and that which doesn't, as the passages presented here support the idea that Epictetus firmly rejected the distinction between preferred and dispreferred indifferents. I will further suggest that certain passages which might at first glance seem to contradict this conclusion can be perfectly explained without assuming necessarily that the author granted any value whatsoever to indifferents.

Keywords : Epictetus; stoicism; preferred indifferents; dispreferred indifferents.