Everything else is out of our control (De Lacy 3). The man cannot make that liquor store disappear, or abolish alcohol forever. He can only control how we treats the appearances that he’s taking in. Because everything outside of how we analyze appearances is out of our control, it’s irrelevant to our moral conduct. Therefore Epictetus concludes that the correct use of appearances is what makes up the whole of ethics (De Lacy 3). According to Epictetus, the rational use of appearances is of the highest good. Irrational use of appearances is the only evil (De Lacy 3). What is good and what is wrong can only be determined on the basis of what we have control over, as things outside of our control do not pertain to our ethical conduct. The struggle between determining what is rational and irrational is what makes up the biggest conflict in ethics because according to Epictetus, rationality differs from person to person (De Lacy 3). The solution to the problem of rational thoughts not being the same for everyone, is educating people. The goal of education, is to shape people to perceive appearances in a rational way and live harmoniously (De Lacy
Everything else is out of our control (De Lacy 3). The man cannot make that liquor store disappear, or abolish alcohol forever. He can only control how we treats the appearances that he’s taking in. Because everything outside of how we analyze appearances is out of our control, it’s irrelevant to our moral conduct. Therefore Epictetus concludes that the correct use of appearances is what makes up the whole of ethics (De Lacy 3). According to Epictetus, the rational use of appearances is of the highest good. Irrational use of appearances is the only evil (De Lacy 3). What is good and what is wrong can only be determined on the basis of what we have control over, as things outside of our control do not pertain to our ethical conduct. The struggle between determining what is rational and irrational is what makes up the biggest conflict in ethics because according to Epictetus, rationality differs from person to person (De Lacy 3). The solution to the problem of rational thoughts not being the same for everyone, is educating people. The goal of education, is to shape people to perceive appearances in a rational way and live harmoniously (De Lacy