Chapter 4: 30-41
Page 30
Epictetus
Epictetus (Greek: Ἐπίκτητος; ca. 55–ca. 135) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He focused more on ethics than the early Stoics had. Repeatedly attributing his ideas to Socrates, he held that our aim was to be masters of our own lives. The role of the Stoic teacher, according to Epictetus, was to encourage his students to learn, first of all, the true nature of things, which is invariable, inviolable and valid for all human beings without exceptions. The ‘nature of things’ is their partition into two categories; those things that are subject to our exclusive power (prohairetic things) and those things that are not subject to our exclusive power (aprohairetic things). The first category of things includes judgment, impulse, desire, aversion, etc. The second category of things, which can also be called adiaphora, includes health, material wealth, fame, etc. Epictetus then introduced his students to two cardinal concepts: the concept of Prohairesis and the concept of Dihairesis. Prohairesis is what distinguishes humans from all other creatures. It is the faculty that makes us desire or avert, feel impelled or repel something, assent to or dissent about something, according to our own judgments. Epictetus repeatedly says that "we are our prohairesis". Dihairesis is the judgement that is performed by our Prohairesis, and that enables us to distinguish what is subject to our exclusive power from what is not subject to our exclusive power. Finally, Epictetus taught his students that good and evil exist only in our Prohairesis and never in external or aprohairetic things. The good student who had thoroughly grasped these concepts and employed them in everyday life was prepared to live the philosophic life, whose objective was eudaimonia (happiness or flourishing). This meant living virtuously, in accordance with reason and in accordance with the "nature of things".
The essence of Epictetus's psychology is revealed by two of his most frequently quoted statements:
"We are disturbed not by events, but by the views which we take of them."
"I must die. Must I then die lamenting? I must be put in chains. Must I then also lament? I must go into exile. Does any man then hinder me from going with smiles and cheerfulness and contentment?"
This last quotation may have particular relevance for Pynchon's reference to the ancient philosopher.
Powder-monkey
A boy employed on warships to carry gunpowder from the magazine to the guns.
Phiz
A slang term for the face.
Page 33
Rutabageous Anemia
Can't squeeze blood from a turnip.
Page 36
Wicks
(1st appearance within story?)
Ranging the land
Cf. "ranges' in part 1 of Against the Day.
Unchleigh
Lunch in pig-latin.
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qui vive
Who goes there? [French, (long) live who? (a sentry's challenge to determine a person's political sympathies) : qui, who + vive, third person sing. present subjunctive of vivre, to live.]
téton dernier
Fr. "latest nipple". Newest Sailor; Newest Suckling.
- Exact (probably non-colloquial) translation of the rural American metaphor hind tit (or teat). The place of lowest status.
