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Single Idea 21394

[from 'The Discourses' by Epictetus, in 1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 3. Philosophy Defined ]

Full Idea

[Philosophical speculation] consists in knowing the elements of 'logos', what each of them is like, how they fit together, and what follows from them.

Gist of Idea

Philosophy is knowing each logos, how they fit together, and what follows from them

Source

Epictetus (The Discourses [c.56], 4.08.14), quoted by A.A. Long - Hellenistic Philosophy 4.1

Book Reference

Long,A.A.: 'Hellenistic Philosophy' [Duckworth 1986], p.111


A Reaction

[Said to echo Zeno] If you substitute understanding for 'logos' (plausibly), I think this is exactly the view of philosophy I would subscribe to. We want to understand each aspect of life, and we want those understandings to cohere with one another.

Related Idea

Idea 21403 The later Stoics identified the logos with an air-fire compound, called 'pneuma' [Chrysippus, by Long]