Q0026

“The beginning of philosophy is a consciousness of one's own weakness and…” — Epictetus (Discourses II.11)

Verified English quotation. Primary source: Discourses II.11. Theme: humility.

English

The beginning of philosophy is a consciousness of one's own weakness and inability concerning necessary things.
Thinker Epictetus
School Stoicism
Source Discourses II.11
Theme Humility
Another quotation More from this thinker

Source and attribution

The archive attributes this English wording to Discourses II.11 and files it under Stoicism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

About Epictetus

Epictetus (c. 50–c.

How to read this passage

Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Confucius and Kwame Anthony Appiah), humility is framed through Stoicism and Confucianism. Some passages define humility; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through humility, awakening.

Concepts in this quote

Humility
Humility appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat humility as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
Awakening
Awakening appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat awakening as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.

How to cite this quotation

APA: Epictetus. (n.d.). The beginning of philosophy is a consciousness of one's own weakness and inability concerning necessary things. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0026

MLA: Epictetus. “The beginning of philosophy is a consciousness of….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0026.

Chicago: Epictetus. “The beginning of philosophy is a consciousness of….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the source of the quotation “The beginning of philosophy is a consciousness of…”?

The passage is attributed to Epictetus, Discourses II.11. The archive attributes this English wording to Discourses II.11 and files it under Stoicism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.

What does Epictetus mean by humility?

Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Confucius and Kwame Anthony Appiah), humility is framed through Stoicism and Confucianism. Some passages define humility; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through humility, awakening.

Same thinker

More from Epictetus

  1. Of things, some are in our power, and some are not.
  2. It is not things that disturb people, but their judgments about things.
  3. With whatever delights you, remind yourself of its nature — then if it is lost, you will not be disturbed.
  4. Remember that you are an actor in a play, of such a kind as the playwright may choose.
  5. Do not seek for things to happen as you wish, but wish for things to happen as they do, and you will flow well.

All quotations by Epictetus

Same theme

More on humility

  1. It is through wonder that people both now begin and first began to philosophize.
  2. A person's character is their destiny.
  3. What is opposed brings together; from what differs comes the finest harmony.
  4. Death is nothing to us: for what has been dissolved has no sensation, and what has no sensation is nothing to us.
  5. Pleasure is the beginning and end of the happy life — not the pleasures of profligates, but freedom from pain in the body and from disturbance in the soul.

Browse the humility theme