the art of living stoically

8/12/2019 The Art of Living Stoically

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Gallatin School Spring2014

Ethics for Dissenters

Grace Chen Response 6: The Art of Living Stoicallygc1019@nyue!u

Seneca "holly re#ects the i!ea that anger can coe$ist "ith %irtue an!

!econstructs the e&otion 'y e$a&ining false #u!g&ents that cause in!i%i!uals to

'eco&e inappropriately angry (e states that "hile anger &ay originate fro&

in%oluntary reactions) there &ust 'e consent of the "ill for the e&otion to gro"

an! run riot *herefore) conscious thoughts are essential to the e$perience of

anger an! an area of agency though "hich anger can 'e suppresse! or

&agnifie! +n angry person &ay ha%e thoughts that interpret the actions of

others negati%ely) "rongly !istorting the intentions of another +s one cannot

truly ,no" the thoughts of another) the angry person therefore "rongly turns an

innocent person in an ene&y Seneca as,s us to ha%e a -fran,ness an!

generosity in interpreting things. /n +nger) through self3reflection an! the

process of uni%ersaliing e$perience 5e oursel%es "oul! 'e less offen!e! if "e

recognie! that "e co&&itte! the %ery sa&e offenses urther&ore) &ost people

are not perfect: -*hin, of e%erything) e$pect e%erything7 e%en in goo! characters

so&e une%enness "ill appear. /n +nger) *o 'e angry is to ha%e unrealistic

an! hypocritical e$pectations for another) !e&an!ing perfection "hen there is

little to 'e foun! in oursel%es (e as,s us to consi!er other points of %ie" an!

reflect on "hether -"e oursel%es shoul! 'enefit if all &en "ere ine$ora'le. /n

+nger) Seneca offers a nuance! an! generous %ie" of hu&an 'eings)

!e&an!ing self3reflection 'efore criticis&

+!!itionally) he argues against any i!ea of righteous in!ignation 'ecause

the -natural property of %irtue is to re#oice an! 'e gla!. /n +nger) f "ise

people "ere to feel angry or sa! at all the "rongs in society) they "oul!

persistently e$perience these !e&o'iliing an! !etri&ental e&otions *rue

"is!o& in%ol%es fully grasping the con!itions of hu&an life an! realiing that -no

sensi'le &an 'eco&es angry "ith nature /n +nger) +s nature is an

uncontrolla'le force that operates accor!ing to its o"n rules) one8s inner

con!ition can 'e seen as reflecti%e of uncontrolla'le ills *herefore) one shoul!

%ie" "rong!oers in a ,in!ly "ay) as a physician %ie"s the sic, 'ecause theiractions &ay not fully 'e in their control nterestingly) Seneca places greater

!e&an!s of responsi'ility an! self3control on the rea!er rather than the

perpetrator of "rong erhaps he is e%o,ing the greater "is!o& that his rea!ers

shoul! aspire to"ar!s) that societal 'etter&ent 'egins "ith changing the self an!

relating to others Self3,no"le!ge is a po"erful pre%entati%e &easure: -you ought

to ,no" "hat your "ea, spot is in or!er that you &ay especially protect it. /n
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+nger) +nger is not arouse! 'y a single perpetrator of "rong) 'ut rather)

in%ol%es t"o people 5ithout an antagonist an! a "illful ,in!ling of ire) anger

"oul! not escalate an! cause !a&age to 'oth parties +long the sa&e line of

thin,ing) anger cannot possi'ly ser%e a greater goo! 'ecause once it is acte!

upon) it 'eco&es ungo%erna'le nli,e +ristotle) "ho argues that anger is

necessary in 'attle) Seneca asserts that anger !oes not su'&it to reason an!

easily su'%erts the &ental an! physical training one has un!ergone

5hile Seneca reflects on an! integrates the philosophy of lato an!

+ristotle) there are significant !ifferences in his approach Seneca ac,no"le!ges

the realistic circu&stances of life "hile trying to stri%e for the a'solute goo!

through %irtue an! reason (e en%isions the o'#ecti%e of philosophy to 'e the

pro&otion of har&ony in hu&an relationships an! en%isions hu&an life to 'e

-foun!e! on ,in!ness an! concor!) an! is 'oun! into an alliance for co&&on

help) not 'y terror) 'ut 'y &utual lo%es. /Epistles) E%en so) he also

ac,no"le!ges that there are hu&an failings e%en a&ong the "isestphilosophers nli,e lato) he !oesn8t 'elie%e that there are rare in!i%i!uals "ho

percei%e the larger reality of the uni%erse an! !eser%e to rule Rather) he

'elie%es that the see! of hu&an e$cellence e$ists in all hu&an 'eings 'ecause

each has 'een grante! "ith reason E%en the lo"liest sla%es can ha%e inner

"orth in!epen!ent of their positions in society E%en though he hol!s up the

latonic i!eal of conte&plating the uni%erse) he 'elie%es that all &en can achie%e

this state un!er certain con!itions: -the &in! is free fro& !istur'ance "hen it is

fully free to conte&plate the uni%erse) an! nothing !istracts it fro& the

conte&plation of nature. /Epistles) ;C *he greatest goo! is achie%e! "hen

the spirit of in!i%i!uals are "holly in!epen!ent of e$ternal factors an! centere!on reason alone (e conte$tualies the goo! life as part of e%ery!ay interactions

an! ha'its rather than specifying political roles that people shoul! ha%e Rather

than 'eing co&&itte! to the city) -the Stoic also can carry his goo!s uni&paire!

through cities that ha%e 'een 'urne! to ashes7 for he is self3sufficient. /Epistles)

; 5hile this particular passage e$presses ho" Stoics ha%e no nee! for

property since they carry their inner "orth) it also e$presses the i!eal of

in!epen!ence fro& the -cro"!. Seneca fro"ns upon &any popular 'eliefs an!

fosters gro"th an! contri'ution through frien!ships instea!: -5ith!ra" into

yourself) as far as you can +ssociate "ith those "ho "ill &a,e a 'etter &an of

you 5elco&e those "ho& you yourself can i&pro%e *he process is &utual7 for

&en learn "hile they teach. /Epistles)


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+ristotle !e%elops his i!eas 'y e$pan!ing upon categories of characteristics)

Seneca ele%ates the !ays in "hich ->ustice "as un,no"n to the&) un,no"n

pru!ence) un,no"n also self3control an! 'ra%ery7 'ut their ru!e life possesse!

certain ?ualities a,in to all these %irtues. /;C Seneca ?uestions the sa&e

%irtues that +ristotle triu&phs) 'elie%ing that a general con!ition of societal goo!

"oul! 'e self3e%i!ent an! natural) "ithout nee! for categoriation (e also

recognies) ho"e%er) that this natural har&ony is fragile) as -


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slightest possi'le &o&ent of ti&e %irtue co&pletes an eternity of goo!. /Epistles)

;C *he &o&ent e$ten!s 'eyon! the present to represent the totality of ones

life t is a "or, of art that can 'e sculpte! &o&ent to &o&ent + final ?uote that

particularly appeale! to &e "as -Aou "ill co&e to your o"n "hen you shall

un!erstan! that those "ho& the "orl! calls fortunate are really the &ost

unfortunate of all. /Epistles) C;;

the art of living stoically

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