Short Works · Chapter
Chapter XIV explained
Epictetus argues that desiring control over others—such as wishing for loved ones to live forever or for a slave to be faultless—is foolish, as it seeks power over what is not ours.
What happens
Epictetus argues that desiring control over others—such as wishing for loved ones to live forever or for a slave to be faultless—is foolish, as it seeks power over what is not ours. True freedom comes from wishing only for what is within our own power and avoiding dependence on the will of others.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This moment is the emotional and philosophical peak where Epictetus forces the reader into a crisis of choice,…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Dichotomy of Control
Central argument: Distinguishing sharply between what is in our power (our desires and aversions) and what is not (the lives and actions of others).
- Inner Freedom and Slavery
Defines freedom as independence from the wills of others; to wish for or avoid what depends on others is to become a slave.
Characters to notice
- Epictetus
The narrator delivering the core argument on desire, control, and slavery.
Key passages
“If you would have your children and your wife and your friends to live forever, you are silly; for you would have the things which are not in your power to be in your power...”
It is irrational to desire immortality for loved ones, as that is beyond your control.
Illustrates the folly of desiring the impossible.
“So if you would have your slave to be free from faults, you are a fool; for you would have badness not to be badness, but something else.”
Wishing for a slave to be perfect is foolish, as it denies the nature of fallibility.
Extends the principle to wanting others to be something they are not.
“He is the master of every man who has the power over the things, which another person wishes or does not wish... Whoever then wishes to be free, let him neither wish for anything nor avoid anything which depends on others...”
True mastery and freedom come from ensuring your desires and aversions are entirely independent of others.
Defines the path to freedom and the condition of slavery.
