The Stoic lifestyle described in Epictetus' Enchiridion (135 ACE) is characterized by freedom from anxiety and a heightened awareness of humanity's limitations. The Enchiridion is a list of 52 principles that, by following them, would allow you to become as great as the philosopher Socrates. The deconstruction of the Enchiridion in this essay will show that the Stoic lifestyle supports the practice of civil disobedience used by Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1963),” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. defines and defends civil disobedience against the white clergy of Birmingham, Alabama. According to King, civil disobedience is committed when “[he] breaks a law which his conscience tells him is unjust, and willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment to awaken the conscience of the community to its injustice” (King, 7). Acts of civil disobedience that King took part in and organized during the civil rights movement include bus boycotts, lunch counter sit-ins, and violations of Jim Crow laws. He also led mass marches, televised, and gave speeches that reached thousands of Americans. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay At first glance, King's actions may seem contradictory to the Stoic lifestyle, but most of Epictetus' principles had to be followed for civil disobedience to be effective, namely control, reputation, and patience. A recurring theme in The Enchiridion is control. Epictetus begins the manual by saying which things are under our control and which are not. Things that are under control include “opinion, seeking, desire, aversion, and… our own actions.” (Epictetus, 1). Things that are not include “our body, property, reputation, leadership, and… anything other than our actions.” (Epictetus, 1). Understanding that you cannot control or predict the actions and thoughts of others would be helpful in practicing civil disobedience. In his letter, Martin Luther King Jr. refers to seminars on nonviolence (King, 2.). These seminars were part of a self-purification process to teach those participating in sit-ins, boycotts, and protests how not to fight back. By understanding what is within their control and what is not, people are better able to come to terms with the fact that other people may try to harm them, verbally and physically. However, by practicing stoicism, protesters would be better at controlling their responses. , since our actions are things we control. The example Epictetus uses is that of someone in the bathroom. Before going to take a bath, one must remind oneself what happens in the bath and "if any obstacle arises in taking a bath" one must think: "It was not just taking a bath that I wanted, but keeping my mind in a compliant state to nature". ; and I will not keep it if I worry about the things that happen" (Epictetus, 4). Before a protest or sit-in, you need to remind yourself of the nature of your actions, that is, the purpose and possible outcomes of those actions. By strengthening oneself mentally, one would be able to bear any ailment. This is key to King's nonviolent approach to civil disobedience. According to Epictetus, if you prepare for the worst you will never be able to say: "It wasn't worth that much" (Epictetus, 33). All outcomes become favorable outcomes, and when you're risking your freedom, your livelihood, and your life – King sacrificed all three – for a cause like equality for blacks, you really have tobelieve that everything that has to be sacrificed is worth it. .Another main theme of Enchiridion is not to worry about what others think of you, especially since reputation is out of our control. Martin Luther King Jr. talks about the different types of people he comes into contact with and their opinions of his actions and those of people involved in the civil rights movement. These types of people are: complacent blacks, who “are so deprived of self-respect… that they have adapted to segregation,” middle-class blacks who “have become numb to the problems of the masses,” black nationalists who “have lost faith” (King, 8) and “advocate violence,” white allies who have “grasped the meaning [of] the Social Revolution,” white racists who support the “disease of segregation,” and white moderates who “ he is more dedicated to order than justice.” (Kings, 6). Each of these groups has a different opinion on the reputation of King and other supporters, but that doesn't stop the Civil Rights Movement from plodding along. Epictetus believes that anyone who judges another person badly, harms someone, or speaks badly of someone is only deceiving themselves (Epictetus, 42). So middle-class black people deceive themselves by not fighting for their rights and feeling comfortable in a system built on inequality. White moderates deceive themselves into thinking they are doing the right thing by telling blacks to wait and, as King writes, “paternalistically [believing] they can set the timetable for another man's freedom” (King, 6). King claims that blacks had waited for over 340 years and that the word wait, which “rings in every Negro's ear with piercing familiarity” actually means “Never.” (King, 6). Knowing when postponement is useless is another important component of the Enchiridion that is also part of civil disobedience. Some may look at Rule 15 of the Enchiridion and try to dispute the claim that Stoicism advocates direct, nonviolent action, but I disagree. This passage reads: “Has anything been brought to you? Stretch out your hand and take your portion in moderation. Does it pass? Don't stop him. Hasn't he arrived yet? Do not force your desire towards it, but wait until it reaches you.” (Epictetus, 15) Epictetus essentially says to wait, which the King no longer wants to do. However, when Epictetus says this, he is only referring to materialistic things such as a spouse, public office, or riches. Throughout the Enchiridion he rejects the usefulness and importance of material things, preferring to achieve spiritual wealth. Equality and being free from persecution based on skin color is not materialistic, it is a human right and although Epictetus writes to "wait until it catches up with you" regarding some things, he also writes "not wanting to be a general, nor senator, nor consul, but to be free” (Epictetus, 19). King and other civil rights advocates are pushing for freedom. Epictetus encourages the Stoics to, in each matter, “consider what precedes and follows, and then undertake it” .(Epictetus, 29) King makes this clear when he describes the wait for Albert Bottwell's election and the negotiations over signs denoting segregated affairs. He then considers the extent of racism in the South as he writes of ferocious mobs, lynchings, cop outs of hatred, murder, and the “twenty millions of Negro brothers suffocating in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society” (King , 6.) Consider what must be done and what the result might be, good or bad. Epictetus writes: “When you have considered all this, if your inclination is still valid, then go to war.” (Epictetus, 29) Civil disobedience during the civil rights movement is that war. Keep in mind: this is