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    Epictetus and the Stoics endorsed desire-modification as ... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→It might be possible to make death not bad for us by suitably preparing ourselves.

    Epictetus and the Stoics endorsed desire-modification as liberation from fear of death, yet even within that tradition Seneca acknowledged that what is extinguished by death—the rational agent itself—cannot be treated as merely one contingent interest among others.

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    Key Terms

    Desire-modification(as the method Stoics used for achieving peace of mind)
    The practice of training yourself to change what you want—for example, learning not to desperately want things you can't control, so you won't suffer when you don't get them.
    Epictetus(as a Stoic philosopher referenced in the statement)
    An ancient Roman philosopher (around 50-135 AD) who taught that freedom comes from controlling what you can control (your thoughts and choices) and accepting what you cannot (external events).
    Rational agent(as used in epistemology and philosophy of mind)
    A person or being that makes decisions by thinking logically and consistently, rather than acting on emotion or instinct.
    Seneca(as a Stoic thinker mentioned as offering a more nuanced view)
    A Roman Stoic philosopher (4 BC - 65 AD) who wrote extensively about how to live a good life; he's known for acknowledging difficulties within Stoic philosophy that even other Stoics overlooked.

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    Stoics
    The Stoics were ancient Greek and Roman philosophers who believed that living a good life meant accepting what you cannot control and focusing your effort on what you can—mainly your own thoughts, choices, and character. They taught that virtue (being a good person) is the highest good, and that emotional distress comes from wanting things to be different than they are. Famous Stoics like Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus influenced Western thinking about resilience, ethics, and inner peace for over 2,000 years.
    contingent(De Interpretatione 12–13)
    Equated with 'possible'; on the two-sided interpretation, contingency excludes necessity (possibility implies non-necessity).
    knowledge(Distinguished from mere true belief, which may be the product of indoctrination and need not exercise deliberative capacities.)
    Justified true belief — true belief that has been arrived at through the exercise of deliberative capacities, including comparison of and deliberation among alternatives.

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