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# prohairesis

προαίρεσις

## **Pronunciation**

proh-AIR-uh-suhss or proh-EER-uh-siss

## **Definition**

Prohairesis or proairesis (προαίρεσις) is our rational faculty of choice and can be translated as "will," "volition," "intention," or "moral choice." Some think of this as our sphere of choice (i.e., what is up to us).

## *Prohairesis* vs *Hêgemonikon*

To understand *prohairesis*, we must first understand *hêgemonikon.*

*Diogenes Laertius*<sup>*1*</sup>*&#x20;described the soul as having* eight parts:

1. The five senses (i.e., sight, taste, touch, hearing, and smell)
2. The faculty of speech (i.e., communication)
3. The generative faculty (i.e., sexual reproduction)
4. The thinking part or rational faculty (h*êgemonikon)*

*The **hêgemonikon*** is the ruling faculty of the soul; it is the *integrative center* of all psychological activity and is responsible for cognition, judgment, assent, impulse, and reason. It controls our body and emotional responses. The hêgemonikon has four functions:

* Receives and processes impressions
* Houses rational structure in which interpretation and judgment occur
* Issues assent
* Generates impulses

**Impression** *(phantasia)*: This is a cognitively structured representation in the mind in the form of a proposition that can be true or false (i.e., "this is dangerous," or "that is beneficial").

**Reason** *(logos)*: In the context of the hêgemonikon, the use of reason is about whether an impression accurately represents reality. This usually occurs through interpretative judgment *(hypolepsis) and* evaluation *(krisis).* For example, is this impression true or false? Helpful or harmful? Appropriate or inappropriate? Good or bad?

**Assent** *(synkathesis)*: This is an active cognitive commitment or endorsement of the content of an impression. It converts an impression into belief. Assent is the seat of moral choice (of *prohairesis*).

**Impulse** *(hormê)*: This is a psychological or motivational force towards or away from an object (i.e., impression). In an animal sense, an animal sees food and gets an impulse towards it. In rational beings, it is the natural result of an assent.

#### References:

1. Diogenes Laertius, *Lives of Eminent Philosophers, 7.110*

\_\_\_\_\_

## Prohairesis

*Prohairesis* is a core part of the *hêgemonikon* and contains all its elements except the receipt of impressions. Impressions are not part of *prohairesis* because they are not *up to us*. We cannot choose how an impression arrives. However, we can choose to reflect on that impression; assent that the impression is true; and move toward the impression if we judge it to be good or away from it if we judge it to be evil. It becomes our deliberate choice and moral commitment. The prohairesis:

* determines what is “up to us” (eph’ hēmin),
* selects and endorses value judgments, and
* anchors moral responsibility

The core function of the prohairesis is assent, and because of this, Epictetus believed prohairesis was the true self. "You aren’t flesh or hair: you are \<prohairesis>. You’re beautiful only if your \<prohairesis> is in a beautiful condition" (Epictetus, Disc. 3.1.40, trnsl. Waterfield).

For animals, it is natural to go from impression directly to impulse. For humans, when we learn to reflect, we sometimes give up what seems good or natural so someone else will benefit. If we don't reflect, we risk acting like animals. Additionally, if an impression is incorrect, we may form the wrong impulse to act. And, since reflection, assent, and impulse are up to us, *prohairesis* is where we live our lives — through our choices.\[1]

When we choose virtuous actions, we improve the capacity of our faculty of choice. This is called building a good character. When we act viciously, we reinforce bad habits, degrade our faculty of choice, lessen our capacity to choose well, and become more enslaved to our base impulses. This is why it feels good to build discipline. Discipline leads to choosing better.

## **Quotations**

> “The essence of the good is a certain disposition of our <**prohairesis**>, and that of the bad likewise. What are externals, then? Materials for our <**prohairesis**>, which attains its own good or ill through the way in which it deals with them.” — *Discourses* 1.29.1, trnsl. Robin Hard

> “You yourself are neither flesh nor hair, but <**prohairesis**>, and if you render that beautiful, then you yourself will be beautiful.” — *Discourses* 3.1.40, trnsl. Robin Hard

> “Some things are up to us and some are not. Up to us are **judgment, inclination, desire, aversion**—in short, whatever is our own doing.” — *Enchiridion* 1, trnsl. Waterfield

## **Thoughts of Others**

***According to the Daily Stoic:** "*&#x54;he term is used sixty-nine times in the *Discourses* (1.4. 18–22, 1.18. 21–23, 1.22.10, 1.29. 1–4a, 2.1. 12–13, 2.5. 4–5, 2.6.25, 2.10.1, 2.16. 1–2a, 2.22. 19–20, 3.1. 39b–40a, 3.3. 18–19, 3.7.5, 3.10.18, 3.19. 2–3, 3.21. 1–3, 3.22.13, 4.4.23, 4.5. 34–37) and six times in the *Enchiridion* (13). Marcus uses it five times in the negative (ἀπροαίρετα), or outside of our choice, and three times in the positive sense of deliberate choice (3.6, 6.41, 8.56, 12.3, 12.33). Where this is the focal point of Epictetus’s system, Marcus leans heavily to *hêgemonikon*.\[2]"

## Citations

1. Ontiveros, C. & Tremblay, M. (Hosts). (2023, March 3). Stoic Psychology: Epictetus on Why What You Think is Up to You (Episode 23) \[Audio podcast episode]. In *Stoa Conversations: Stoicism Applied* [*https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoic-psychology-why-what-you-think-is-up-to-you/*](https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoic-psychology-why-what-you-think-is-up-to-you/)
2. Holiday, R. & Hanselman, S. (2016). *A Model of Late Stoic Practice and Glossary of Key Terms and Passages*. Daily Stoic. Retrieved January 3, 2026. <https://dailystoic.com/glossary/>


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