Desire and Human Flourishing by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030470012
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

The Stoic analysis, diagnosis, and education of desire resonate with many people today. Stoicism has inspired, been used, and abused to shape the culture of specific communities.18 In the last decades, a wider popular interest in Stoicism as a philosophy of life has gained momentum. Certain authors, for example, advocate for a New or Modern Stoicism that preserves all the core elements of the education of desire but puts the doctrines in an up-to-date scientific context (see, e.g. Becker 1997; Irvine 2009; Pigliucci 2017).

Perhaps there is no need to integrate Stoicism with evolution and modern cosmology. Stoic ethics might hold together independently from their claims about the nature of the cosmos (see Engberg-Pedersen 1990; Annas 2007; Irwin 2003). After all, right from the beginning, Aristo of Chios held that Stoic ethics could be practiced without physics and logic (DL 7.160–161 = LS31N). Furthermore, perhaps we could profit from the Stoic therapeutic techniques even if we disagree with the content of some of their ethical doctrines (Nussbaum 1994; Sorabji 1997).

Maybe we should be careful and not get carried away. For most ancient Stoics, the parts of philosophy stand in a strong interdependent relation. It seems that without Stoic cosmology the sage cannot achieve knowledge or evaluate the goodness or appropriateness of concrete situations (Boeri 2009; Inwood 2009). Many of their techniques and exercises depend on a specific and normative concept of nature, divine order, and providence. If we do not accept these doctrines of Stoic philosophy, infallibility, tranquillity, virtue, and happiness slip from our hands. And if these goals remain beyond our reach, the allure of the Stoic life diminishes.

A possible response—suggested by Irvine (2009)—is to adapt the Stoic motto of living in accordance with Nature as living in accordance with (lowercase) reason. This threatens, however, trading the distinctive features of the Stoic advice for a generic truism. Surely we should think before acting, examine the beliefs and assumptions underpinning our emotions, and make conscious efforts to master our desires. Undoubtedly, some people, in certain circumstances, and with specific sociocultural backgrounds, will find Stoic exercises helpful. Perhaps you, like me, will find some of these practices highly ineffective or counterproductive. For example, no matter how much I prepare myself or visualise the possibility of losing my loved ones, the Stoic analysis yields little to no comfort for such eventuality. Similarly, recognising that certain decisive outcome stands outside my control, not always helps me to consider myself less of a moral failure (cf. Tessman 2015). If despite these warnings you still want to give Stoicism a chance, I suggest carrying out a negative test. Instead of assuming these ancient doctrines, practices, and exercises will lead us to happiness, tranquillity, and virtue, examine if practicing them makes you less miserable, troubled, and obnoxious.

References

Annas, J. (2007). Ethics in stoic philosophy. Phronesis, 52(1), 58–87.

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