I used to think free will was an illusion — that everything in life was just a chain of causes and effects, and we were all just passengers. Then I read Epictetus.

The Stoic philosopher didn’t just believe in free will. He staked his entire worldview on it.

Epictetus believed that our judgments and desires are the only true domain of free will. Everything else — your body, your reputation, even your own actions — can be influenced by external forces. But what you choose to value, what you choose to care about? That, he insisted, is entirely yours.

The Core of Freedom: What’s "Up to Us"

Epictetus taught that we should divide everything in life into two categories: what is up to us, and what is not. In Discourses I.1, he says, “Some things are up to us, and others are not.” He defines the former as our own judgments, desires, and impulses — the inner workings of the mind. These, he argued, cannot be dictated by fate, circumstance, or other people. Your ability to choose how you interpret the world is your sacred space of freedom.

The Discipline of Desire

This wasn’t just philosophy. It had real consequences. If you believe that external outcomes are not within your control, then chasing wealth, status, or comfort becomes a dangerous game. Instead, Epictetus urged us to desire only what we can truly command — our own character. When you train your desires this way, you stop blaming the world for your suffering. You start taking full responsibility for your inner state.

Living in a Hostile World

Imagine being a former slave, as Epictetus was, and still insisting that you hold the final say over your soul. That’s the power he saw in free will. No matter what happened around you — even if your body was imprisoned — your mind could remain sovereign. He didn’t deny the harsh realities of life. He simply said that our power lies not in changing the world, but in choosing how we relate to it.

If you want to wrestle with these ideas — not just read them, but talk them through with someone who lived by them — you can chat with Epictetus on HoloDream. He’ll ask you questions that cut to the core of what you truly believe.