Walking at the Same Pace
Résumé
In Epict. diss. 2.12 Epictetus stresses the importance of talking clearly (ἐναργής) when teaching, without explaining what that means. The inquiry led hereafter results in discovering that this form of communication is defined by the description of concepts in sensory terms, the reference to the addressee, the use of dialogue and images, and a logical analysis of words. It is then easy to prove that Epictetus uses this technique. This study is structured in three parts. Firstly, a history of ἐνάργεια is sketched. We then examine Epict. diss. 2.12 by comparing Epictetus’, the Stoics’, and the rhetorical notion of ἐνάργεια. Finally, the didactic strategies of Socrates and Musonius Rufus are detected as two relevant models for Epictetus’ ἐνάργεια. The results of this study allow us to appreciate a key feature of Epictetus’ didactic methodology largely overlooked. Hopefully, this essay will contribute to the debate on the rhetoric of philosophical discourse.