Stoicism
Please watch the below video and read the optional readings if you have time. We will discuss the questions further below.
Readings
TedX talk on "What is Stoicism"
Addtional optional readings
A Guide to the Good Life
Comparison to Epicureanism
https://dailystoic.com/epicureanism-stoicism/
Comparison to Buddhism
https://dailystoic.com/stoicism-buddhism/
Comparison to Confucianism
https://modernstoicism.com/ethical-development-in-stoicism-and-confucianism-by-brittany-polat/
Stoic Standup Comedian
Questions
1) In judging ethical choices, should your intent matter more than the outcome? For example, does being virtuous matter more than utility (health, wealth and pleasure)?
2) Is virtue sufficient for happiness? If you are misfortunate can you still be happy as long as you have virtue? Or does virtue rely on having a certain minimum level of health, wealth and friendship?
3)Is being virtuous all or nothing, or are there degrees of being virtuous? Or would you say all people are virtuous, but in different ways?
4) Stoics believe the best indication of your philosophy is implied by how you behave rather than what you say you believe. How do we bring the two into alignment?
5) Stoicism teaches the development of logic, self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions. Then what role should emotions play?
6) Stoicism inspired Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Epictetus said, “It's not the events that upset us, but our judgments about the events." CBT and anti-depressant medications are the two treatments with the strongest evidence for working with depression. Is this evidence for CBT’s effectiveness also evidence for the value of Stoicism?
7) Science conflicts with Stoicism’s view that everything is purposefully and rationally planned. There is a natural path for the external world. Modern Stoics have reinterpreted this as “Following nature means following the facts before deciding.” Does this reinterpretation make Stoicism and Science consistent?
8) Ancient Stoics distinguish between things within one's power (e.g. your thoughts and actions) and not within our power (external events), suggesting we focus on the former and ignore the latter. This ignores the third category of things over which we have some but not complete control. Does this make the original dichotomy no longer useful? Modern Stoics recast this third category in terms of internalised goals to make more sense of the original dichotomy. i.e. When thinking about the third category, their goal was not to change the world, but to do their best to bring about desired changes.
9) Stoics have trouble agreeing whether stoicism’s disregard for pleasure means ascetism. Should Stoics:
- Become like monks and avoid pleasure?
- Not care about pleasure but not avoid it? or
- Have periods of voluntary discomfort to harden themselves against future possible periods of misfortune?
10) Stoics shun social status. So should Stoics isolate themselves or join in with others? If they associate with other people, they run the risk of having their tranquility disturbed by them; if they preserve their tranquility by shunning other people, they will fail to do their social duty to form and maintain relationships. How can Stoics preserve their tranquility while interacting with others?
11) Compare and contrast Stoicism and Epicureanism. See below table I created. Which do you agree with more?
12) Compare and contrast Stoicism and Buddhism. See below link:
https://dailystoic.com/stoicism-buddhism/
13) Compare and Contrast Stoicism to Confucianism. See below link:
https://modernstoicism.com/ethical-development-in-stoicism-and-confucianism-by-brittany-polat/