Stoicism - notes for jurisprudence PDF

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STOICISM Stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens.  Stoic means painted porch in Greek - place near marketplace because Stoics cannot afford a building like Plato’s Academy or Aristotle’s Lyceum.  Zeno started teaching about stoicism around 301 BC  Stoicism was very much a philosophy mea...

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STOICISM  Stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens.  Stoic means painted porch in Greek - place near marketplace because Stoics cannot afford a building like Plato’s Academy or Aristotle’s Lyceum.  Zeno started teaching about stoicism around 301 BC  Stoicism was very much a philosophy meant to be applied to everyday living, focused on ethics (understood as the study of how to live one’s life), which was in turn informed by what the Stoics called “physics” (nowadays, a combination of natural science and metaphysics) and what they called “logic” (a combination of modern logic, epistemology, philosophy of language, and cognitive science).  Stoicism is the teachings of virtue, tolerance and self control.  Everything around us operates based on a web of cause and effect resulting in a rational structure of universe, this concept of stoicism is called LOGOS.  We have no control over the events that shall happen to us, but we can control on how we approach the problem  Epictus stated that we suffer not from the events in our lives, but from our judgment about them - its on how we approach them.  We cant imagine ideal situation of the world, we must deal with the world as how it is by pursuing self improvement.  According to Stoic, God is the world itself and its content, whatever that is in it.  God is also one that governs the world and gives the world its purpose of existence.  Stoic uses man made civil law, people’s law and natural law.  The Stoics are especially known for teaching that "virtue is the only good" for human beings, and that external things—such as health, wealth, and pleasure— are not good or bad in themselves  The Stoics also held that certain destructive emotions resulted from errors of judgment, and they believed people should aim to maintain a will (called prohairesis) that is "in accordance with nature  Stoics thought the best indication of an individual's philosophy was not what a person said, but how a person behaved.To live a good life, one had to understand the rules of the natural order since they thought everything was rooted in nature  Ancient stoics are often misunderstood because the terms they used pertained to different concepts than today. The word "stoic" has since come to mean "unemotional" or indifferent to pain because Stoic ethics taught freedom from "passion" by following "reason".  The Stoics did not seek to extinguish emotions; rather, they sought to transform them by a resolute "askēsis", that enables a person to develop clear judgment and inner calm.Logic, reflection, and concentration were the methods of such selfdiscipline, temperance is split into self-control, discipline and modesty.  The foundation of Stoicism ethics is that good lies in the state of the soul itself; in wisdom and self-control. Stoic ethics stressed the rule: "Follow where reason lead”.  For the Stoics, reason meant not only using logic, but also understanding the processes of nature—the logos or universal reason, inherent in all things. Living according to reason and virtue, they held, is to live in harmony with the divine order of the universe, in recognition of the common reason and essential value of all people.

 The four cardinal virtues (aretai) of Stoic philosophy is a classification derived from the teachings of Plato (Republic IV. 426–435): -WISDOM -COURAGE -JUSTICE -TEMPERANCE 

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Following Socrates, the Stoics held that unhappiness and evil are the results of human ignorance of the reason in nature. Seneca, one of the earliest stoicist, states that sometimes even live is an act of courage. Stoicism according to Seneca focuses on personal improvement. Seneca further stated that we always cannot picture a happy outcome and rest in the hands of hope. Seneca believes that it would be easier if we always assume the fear of what might not happen will happen and prepare for the worst case scenario. Only the ones who cultivates virtue and self control in themselves can bring positive change in others. Must picture the worst, so that we know that we are capable of enduring the worst and surviving it.

SIMILARITY TO ANIMALS  The people’s law is also part of natural law  Natural law governs both the conduct of animals, the people’s law only found in humans.  Stoics view animals, like humans, as having ‘soul’ and are capable of carrying out natural norms and has the natural characteristics of a living thing  EG - animals have natural impulse to self preserve  Stoics stated that an act of impulse is a proper function  The proper functions are actions that are ones that reason which dictates our doing and can be justified by reasoning as well.  EG - honoring our family, spending time with friends, looking after one’s health.  Functions that are contrary to law - adultery, theft and violence.  CICERO - Stoics think that it is important to understand that nature creates parents love for children - from there we attain sociability of race, children are born - Same effort can be seen in the animal nature’s power where we see the effort they spend on giving birth and rearing their young - Mutual attraction among humans, like animals, are something natural.

NO UNIVERSAL NATURAL LAW  Stoicism states that the natural choices that God had gave us in life may be disregarded.  Natural law is not common and is not universal.

 Men are capable of selecting things contrary to nature and supreme law.  EG - city laws are passed that violates natural law, such as private property AGAINST SLAVERY          .

Slavery is unnatural. There are natural equality among men and women. Human beings are supposedly be free from slavery and subordination. Slavery is a part of the people’s law - one person is not subject to another’s power - it is contrary to the law of nature - naturally there is equality among all men and women Stoics are firm belivers of natural law - no man is slave by nature is what they believe in Chrysippus defined a slave as a “hired-hand for life”, a man-made condition not a natural one. Zeno stated that man could not own his fellow-man. “No matter whether you claim a slave by purchase or capture, the title is bad. They who claim to own their fellow-men, look down into the pit and forget the justice that should rule the world.” Nelson Mandela was also inspired by this work....