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I’ve come across the following passage reading a book, The Daily Stoics by Ryan Holiday.

This comes from Epictetus DISCOURSES, 1.20.8; 11

I can’t understand the meaning of “an entire art where the tester uses many means to discover the worth” in it. What is the writer trying to say here? Could you please explain it to me?

“When it comes to money, where we feel our clear interest, we have an entire art where the tester uses many means to discover the worth … just as we give great attention to judging things that might steer us badly. But when it comes to our own ruling principle, we yawn and doze off, accepting any appearance that flashes by without counting the cost.”

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  • Thank you so much for giving me such a helpful explanation. Now I have a clear understanding. I appreciate you sparing me your time.
    – Account A
    Commented May 6, 2022 at 17:20
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    – David
    Commented May 6, 2022 at 17:59
  • I understand what you are saying. I didn't know that. Thank you for telling me. I will be careful next time.
    – Account A
    Commented May 6, 2022 at 18:25

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Art, in this context, means the collective use of techniques, methods, sciences...

I interpret this sentence "we have an entire art where the tester uses many means to discover the worth" to mean "we have many methods (such as: assaying precious metals, measuring the weight of the grain produced, or the quantity of wine produced) to figure out how much any given thing (money) is worth"

So the whole passage to me means "When it comes to money we use many methods determine the worth of goods, just as we would consider things that may be bad for us. However, when it comes to the principles that guide our own life, we simply disregard any rigorous measurement and accept any appearance that may be self beneficial rather than objective"

Hope this helps.

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  • Yes, I think this is it. I am not familiar with the original Greek. He opens his 'Discourses' explaining that he is going to talk about the difference between things that are "εφ' ημων (in our power)" and "μη εφ' ημων (not in our power)". So in this passage there is the irony which you point out.
    – Tuffy
    Commented May 6, 2022 at 19:12
  • I'm unsure whether it refers specifically measures for assaying coinage to see if it's genuine (the ancient Greeks had a range of coins), or more generally to appraising other valuable objects. Maybe it's clearer in the original Greek, but it's not terribly important to his meaning.
    – Stuart F
    Commented May 7, 2022 at 10:12

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