The philosopher most closely related to REBT would be

The philosopher most closely related to REBT would be

• A. Aristotle
• B. Epictetus
• C. Plato
• D. Descartes

Answer: (B)

REBT centers on how beliefs drive emotions, arguing that emotional distress comes from irrational beliefs about events, not from the events themselves. This lines up with Epictetus’s Stoic idea that external things are neutral and we’re disturbed by our judgments about them. In REBT you identify irrational beliefs, dispute them, and replace them with more rational ones, which changes how you feel and respond. The other philosophers don’t map as directly to this cognitive approach: Aristotle emphasizes virtuous character and habit, Plato focuses on forms and rationalism, and Descartes concentrates on doubt and the nature of knowledge rather than a therapy-oriented method to alter emotional responses through belief change. Epictetus is the closest match because his core teaching about the power of interpretation mirrors REBT’s emphasis on changing beliefs to change emotions.

REBT centers on how beliefs drive emotions, arguing that emotional distress comes from irrational beliefs about events, not from the events themselves. This lines up with Epictetus’s Stoic idea that external things are neutral and we’re disturbed by our judgments about them. In REBT you identify irrational beliefs, dispute them, and replace them with more rational ones, which changes how you feel and respond. The other philosophers don’t map as directly to this cognitive approach: Aristotle emphasizes virtuous character and habit, Plato focuses on forms and rationalism, and Descartes concentrates on doubt and the nature of knowledge rather than a therapy-oriented method to alter emotional responses through belief change. Epictetus is the closest match because his core teaching about the power of interpretation mirrors REBT’s emphasis on changing beliefs to change emotions.