Epictetus's Discourse on Choice

Epictetus' most important contribution to the history of stoicism is his conception of choice. He uses the greek word pro hyrasis, which means deliberately choosing or preferring something. It's a word that had already been used by aristotle in his account of voluntary action. The Stoics rejected certain things as valueless because of their vulnerability. But virtue and knowledge are stable and invulnerable once achieved. These things are within our power to pursue and attain.