Compare And Contrast Mill And Epictetus

Both philosophers’ views on the wise man’s relationship with others are similar in that the one achieves maximum pleasure and minimum pain, and that some sort of training or education enables the wise men to attain pleasure and happiness. Epictetus believed that a wise men should practice knowledge and incorporate it into one’s judgment. This is observed when he said, “Exercise, therefore, what is in your control” (Marino, 2010, p. 92). Similarly, Mill noted that through education, happiness can be attained for oneself and even for society. The philosophers, however, differ in what constitute happiness and the attainment of happiness. Happiness to Epictetus is freedom, and his form of happiness is more self-serving than Mill. Happiness to Mill is the total amount of happiness, which promotes happiness benefiting society.
Epictetus’ philosophy of happiness is acquired by recognizing that some things are in our control and others are not. The things that are within our control are anything that is our own actions and the things that are outside of our control are anything that is not our own actions. One does not only acquire knowledge, but also practice into …show more content…
He argues that a person who performs a pleasure that benefits the society increases the total happiness of the people. Epictetus, on the other hand, is concerned with self and what one can control or should react to. Mill would argue that Epictetus’ form of happiness is not achieving the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. He would argue that Epictetus’ happiness does not exhibit advancement in society. Sacrificing one’s happiness for the happiness of others is better than having happiness for oneself. Epictetus would argue that happiness is what one can control, one cannot control what would make others happy. The best way for others to be happy is to react only to things related to