Stoicism by George Tanner
Stoicism---one of the most popular Hellenistic schools of philosophy in antiquity, developed by Zeno of Citium around 300 B.C. as a refinement of Cynicism. Frankly, it is a concept I knew existed but never bothered to delve into until learning that the primary tenets of Stoicism were derived from the thought of Heraclitus. Out of my affinity for the Obscure Riddler, Heraclitus, I thought I’d take a peek at this philosophy that has lived, died and been reawakened over the past two thousand years.
George Tanner provides a lucid, comprehensive introduction to stoicism, adapting the history, philosophy and practices of Stoicism from a weighty and distressing academic venture into a manageable and overall pleasant literary experience. Tanner also includes historical information on the life and works of the ancient Stoic philosophers, summaries, analyses, and appraisals of their principal doctrines in logic, physics, and ethics.
In brief, Stoicism begins with a meagre-sized but avant-garde group of Greeks pacing the public areas of Athens, introducing the stoic virtues by examples and mocking corruption with argument and irony. In its middle period, Stoicism yawned through the Greek islands and into Anatolia, and established a consistent doctrine which earned it a place among the other schools of ancient philosophy. At its peak, Stoicism extended across the Mediterranean, carried by ships and soldiers of the Roman Empire and whispered in the ears of statesmen and salves alike. Finally, when its flame was extinguished with the Empire in which it burned, it lived on the consciousness of theologians as they copied and recopied texts and carried its concepts into the modern age.
Most people have heard of stoicism, however, contrary to the mass opinion, Stoicism is not about absolute suppression of one’s emotions and going through an excruciating life with a stiff upper lip. Instead, Stoics aim to transform emotions in order to achieve inner peace and live by good virtue. To dig in a little deeper, the Stoics distinguished between propathos (instinctive reaction) and eupathos (feelings derived from correct judgment), and a Stoic’s goal is to reach a peace of mind, achieved by sharp judgment and maintenance of equanimity in life.
The Stoics emphasize that real fear and pain is a choice or a judgement we consciously make. It is up to us whether we assert or deny that a thing is truly frightening, and further how to respond to it. If we do not assent that a thing is frightening or threatening, we will not be afraid. REALLY? I’m sure the ancient Greeks have not seen flying roaches.
Anyways, back to topic. Stoicism stated that the good life, Eudaimonia, is about cultivating one’s moral virtues to become a decent human being. The four cardinal virtues believed by the Stoics were: Wisdom, Courage, Justice, and Temperance.
The Stoic doctrine has long been thought to be more stern than the competing schools such as Aristotle’s Peripatetic virtue and the school of Epicureanism. Aristotle’s Peripatetics also believe that the end goal of an ethical life was Eudaimonia, but unlike the Stoics, they did not exhaust human happiness. Epicureans were direct competitors with the Stoics as they believe pleasure is the aim of ethical life, pleasure itself is sufficient for a good life, in particular, the relief of pain.
The reason why masses tend to believe Stoicism is about the endurance of hardship without complaint is because the Stoics believe virtue is the utmost important piece of life, and happiness may be sacrificed when required to cultivate one’s virtue. To the Stoic, virtue is an inherent feature of the world, no less inexorable in relation to humans than are the laws of nature. Although I disagree that virtues and morality are inherent in the universe, as we later witnessed the standards of virtue and morality changed drastically throughout generations, I still believe these man-made virtues are admirable and necessary for the human society to function.
Anyways, I was skeptical about the insights I can pull out of this book, but was surprised that I can apply a few ideas to my life. What I like about this book is that it included quotes from the books of Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Cicero so readers can refer to these books if they wish to dig deeper. It is a brief read for readers who want an introduction to Stoicism.
