First steps: Stoicism

Check out the Wikipedia explanation of Stoicism. I liked finding out the origin of the name, which has nothing to do with being stoic. (That's a teaser - go read the article to find the answer.) Anyway, being called stoic sounds much better than being called a Zenonian, like you were an alien from the planet Zeno.

Stoicism seems like a coherent and understandable philosophy, although I have some trouble with this part: "The stoics considered passionate emotions to be the result of errors in judgment ... ". That doesn't seem right to me. I'm more inclined to take the evolutionary view of emotions. We have emotions because they perform a useful function. Of course an emotional response isn't always correct or appropriate, but sometimes it is. Sometimes it is important in life to respond emotionally, even passionately. I like the Mr. Spock persona (from Star Trek, not the baby doctor), but I wouldn't want to be that way all the time.

But the stoics had a lot more to their story. The stoic idea of logic or reason was much broader than what we think of as logic today. It incorporated the idea of understanding the natural world and how it functions. So when the stoics say that you ought to follow where reason leads, they are saying more than just use your head. They are saying that you should try to align yourself with the world.

From this point of view, people are unhappy when they willfully oppose or resent the natural course of events. Sort of like standing in front of a steam roller. Stuff happens and if you don't want to become part of the pavement, you should get out of the way. On the other hand, if you can arrange your thoughts and attitudes so that they conform with nature, then you can achieve happiness.

Another appealing feature of stoicism is their idea that all people should be treated the same, regardless of position or wealth. They had this concept of the universe as a single living entity, and individuals are manifestations of this universal spirit. So under the skin we are all equal, and we should treat each other with respect and mutual support.

Maybe this is the best feature of Stoicism. This idea, although a bit mystical for my taste, does provide a rationale for a humanistic morality. Each individual has intrinsic worth, because every one holds a share of this universal spirit.