Stoicism

Stoicism: A Philosophy Applied to Daily Life

Stoicism is a type of ethics that holds that practicing virtue is both required and sufficient for happiness. The Stoics also recognized the possibility of “indifference” that might yet be desired or dispreferred, because they had planning value in terms of the capacity to exercise virtue. Stoicism was a philosophy that applied to our daily lives, therefore our way of life was focused on ethics. It was informed by what the Stoics called “physics,” a synthesis of natural science and metaphysics, and “logic,” a synthesis of contemporary logic, philosophy of language, epistemology, and cognitive science. Stoicism argues not to ban emotions from one’s life but to banish negative feelings to achieve happiness (William B). Thus the illusion that Stoics are emotionally repressed individuals is a common misconception; they are cheerful and optimistic about life, capable of enjoying life’s pleasure at the same time being cautious not to find themselves addicted to the preferences.

The Rule of Reason: Essential Value in Stoicism

The most critical aspects of stoics, one we have the rule of reason. Which is a fundamental value. Human beings despise deception; we don’t wish to be mistaken. Trying to believe or accept views that contradict each other, just because you are a rational creature is impossible. All of Stoicism comes down to this. Getting things right, discerning what is real from what only seems right but not, getting to a point where one’s actions and even emotions based on reality; this is a better way for a human being to live. (Graver)

Values Based on Character, Not External Aspects

The closest extension of that is the Stoic way of thinking about values. The idea that things like playing fair, speaking the truth, being kind and gentle, facing up to challenges, really matter in a different way from what you own, what people think of you, how they act around you even how long you live, that is the very core of their ethics. And that much seems to be very straightforward and correct. What that looks like in any given situation is a lot harder, though.

Addressing Today’s Critical Issues

The most terrible problems facing us today in the world have to do with the fragmentation of the media, the ever more staggering hatred and mistreatment based on ethnicity inequalities of wealth and privilege. To some extent, any structure of ethics should possess the capability to suggest some ways forward. However, there are some critical components of Stoicism that address directly to these issues.

Intellectual Independence and Self-Awareness

First, we have the intellectual independence that creates self-awareness. Stoicism is all about thinking for the individual, using one’s mind and not just accepting the views other people want you to hold or consider. In ancient Stoicism, there was no orthodoxy nor party line. (Graver)

Valuing Character over External Aspects

Next, values based on character and not on external aspects and features. All of us are bombarded with the message that what matters is how you look, what jobs and degrees you hold, what you have, and what influence you can wield. The ancient Stoics resisted those sorts of messages; they viewed them as the primary cause of unhappiness. Stoics believe that things in themselves are not where happiness lies, and they’re probably not what defines a person.

Attachment to Humanity

The last one is the attachment to man. In Stoic thought, all rational creatures are akin to one another by their rationality. That is human nature: the way children bond to their caregivers, the naturalness of connecting to other people just because they’re near at hand. Of course, our first and most influential ties are to our families and our immediate communities, and that is fine. But we can also learn to recognize a bond of shared humanity with those who are more distant, draw the circles inward. (Graver)

References

Irvine, W. B. (2008). “ A guide to the good life: Stoicism, the ancient art of Stoic Joy.”

Oxford University Press. Page 7-9 retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/gp/search?index=books&linkCode=qs&keywords=9780199792627/

Interview With Margaret Graver – Modern Stoicism. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://modernstoicism.com/interview-with-margaret-graver/