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March   1st

WHERE   PHILOSOPHY  BEGINS

“An important   place   to  begin   in  philosophy  is  this:   a   clear   perception  of  one’s   own ruling

principle.”

—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 1.26.15

hilosophy is intimidating. Where does one start? With books? With lectures? With the sale of your
worldly possessions?
None of these things. Epictetus is saying that one becomes a philosopher when they begin to exercise
their guiding reason and start to question the emotions and beliefs and even language that others take for
granted. It is thought that an animal has self-awareness when it is able to fully recognize itself in a mirror.
Perhaps we could say that we begin our journey into philosophy when we become aware of the ability to
analyze our own minds.
Can you start with that step today? When you do, you’ll find that from it we really come alive, that we
live lives—to paraphrase Socrates—that are actually worth living.