Marcus Alden Meredith

September 16, 2024

A Modern Stoic (Part 1)

Ancient Ideas in a Modern Age

Every writer at some time encounters a topic that is just kind of impenetrable. This is not the same as the proverbial “writer’s block” but just a subject so dense or so massive as to be overwhelming. You look at it and wonder, “Where do I start?” The philosophy of Stoicism is a case in point. Time after time, I’ve started an essay to both express my admiration for my newly found philosophical point-of-view and to try to convey some deep explanation of the modern revival of the philosophy and it’s place in a modern age… only to be beaten in to submission. But the Stoics often repeat the aphorism, “The obstacle is The Way,” so I will start small with many steps defining the beginning of my journey (of course the other aphorism appropriate to this task is the oft stated, “Third time’s a charm!”)

Stoic - the word has a number of modern meanings that get in the way of it’s own story. It conjures up notions of the grim-faced warrior silently enduring his wounds, or the quiet saint enduring great trials and travails, or maybe the teacher who, no matter what, is never phased.  But these images, while somewhat apt, are only a glimpse of what the term Stoic represents - the proverbial tip of the iceberg. “Stoic” comes from the “stoa poikile” or “painted porch” that was found on public buildings in ancient Greece and was the place where first philosophers of this school taught their lessons in the Athens during the Classic Greek period. Begun by Zeno of Cypress, it’s heyday was classic antiquity in Rome and the Empire but as classic civilization declined, it along with many other schools of philosophy were proscribed by law as forbidden to be taught and they were eventually forgotten after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. For close to 2000 years, only the occasional Latin or Greek speaking scholar or clergyman would read the words of the likes of Seneca, Epictetus, or Marcus Aurelius (if they could even find copies)… then the miracle of the printing press came to Europe. The surviving works were more available at least to academics… until recently. Thanks to the works of authors like Massimo Pigliucci, Christopher Schwartz, and Ryan Holiday the lessons of Stoicism are finding their place again but in the Modern Age.

Reader: “Okay, that’s cool… the old works survived. But what is Stoicism?”

Alright… first strike of the hammer. Stoicism is founded on the idea that you are in control of what you think. Not an Earth-shattering notion, mind you, but an idea with life altering consequences when properly and judiciously applied to ones life. I’m always reminded how closely certain Buddhist ideas are aligned with Stoicism as both emphasize the idea that “we are what we think.” This careful analysis of our cognitive state is a hallmark of both disciplines ( as I do not consider the vast majority of Buddhism to be a religion but a “practice.”) Both disciplines also share a lot with modern Cognitive Behavior Therapy of modern psychology in their focus on reflection, self-control, and mental resiliency.

Reader: “So, let me get this straight… it’s a school of thought set down by a bunch of old, dead, white guys from ancient times, right?”

*Wince*… Well only in its distant past and for a lot of reasons it’s even more applicable today. The people who employed Stoic principles in their lives in ancient times ranged the whole spectrum of people of the ancient ages from Epictetus (who began life as a slave and whose name means literally “he who was purchased”) to Marcus Aurelius, last of the 5 Good Emperors of Rome (and who, despite his power to rule over 1/4 of all of humanity, struggled with the same slights and doubts that people struggle with today). They were people who were slaves and those of great power and privilege all struggling with what it means to live in this world as a ‘good person.’ But, to demonstrate its profound impact on people of this age, let me relate the story of how it changed one very well known life - Nelson Mandela. While fighting against the apartheid system in South Africa, he was jailed on Robben Island and made to work at hard labor for much of his 27 years of captivity. His one comfort was his copy of Meditations by the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius. He read it every day. It made him look at his captivity as a way to work on himself even in the midst of such harsh conditions because it helped him realize that the one thing he was in control of was his thoughts; his “reasoned choice.” The guards could beat him, his freedom removed from his life, but his mind and his force of will was his - like a citadel that could not be breeched.  Finally, when he was released from captivity, his first act of Stoic realization was to shake the hand of his guard and forgive him… that is Stoicism. I consider Nelson Mandela a first class example of a modern Stoic (and making me want to read his writings if only to inspire me!).

So, as part of 1 on the subject of Stoicism, let me introduce you to some basic ideas that are central to the practice, process, and mindset of a Stoic. Most authors on Stoicism will begin with the 4 Virtues: Courage, Justice, Self-Control (Temperance), and Wisdom (Practical).  Now each one of these in the quartet are worthy of books and books of reading and discussion. For my purposes, let’s try a brief summary of each. First is Courage which seems pretty obvious but that can and often is a bit deceiving. Courage comes in many shades and forms, not just the attribute of facing up to physical harm, but it’s more mental and moral aspects that Stoics so admire. Yes, you could be like Admiral Stockwell who endured years of torture and captivity in the Hanoi Hilton prison during the Vietnam War (very much like Mandela, again). But you could be a para-olympian  with no arms who wins the Gold Medal in archery! Or, you could be Steven Hawking who had to face the diagnosis of ALS as a young graduate student and yet managed to live to 72 while changing our views of how the Universe really operates. All these lives required the courage Stoics advance and admire.

Then you have Justice. This virtue is often expressed by the phrase “Right Thing, Right Now.” The Stoic view of Justice is that it should be considered a verb, not a noun. Justice is integral to all the things we do, all our behaviors and actions, but also what we chose to believe. How we treat the people around us from the most privileged to the lowest ranking amongst us in society, this is the message of how you apply the virtue of Justice. There is a lot to this virtue… but details come later (remember, this is an introduction *wink*).Third is the virtue of Self-Control which has often been given the title of Temperance ( NOT to be confused with the 19th/20th Century movement to ban alcoholic beverages). The ability and practice of having the complete control of our desires and impulses, the practice of analyzing these impulses and their causes, and the use of reasoned choice is of paramount importance to Stoics. Stoics working on such self-control in their daily philosophy often develop a countenance of being unflappably calm, hence the idea of what a Stoic countenance is (i.e. think Mr. Spock from Star Trek). Now while there is a hint of truth to how most people picture a Stoic as emotionless or showing no expression, this is not to say that Stoics show no emotions. When the soon-to-be Emperor Marcus Aurelius’s teacher died, he wept uncontrollably, so great was his emotional pain at the passing of one he so admired and adored. When an attendant of his father’s was about to scold the young man for such an emotional display, his father told the attendant to leave the boy alone so he could deal with his pain in his own way… we are, after all, still human.

Lastly is Wisdom… but more often express in Stoicism as Practical Wisdom. You want to make good choices, see the world as it really is, live a life that not only benefits you but is beneficial to everyone and improves all lives. This virtue is the hardest to summarize but is often expressed in the words of Marcus Aurelius as, “What is good for the hive is good for the bee.” Practical Wisdom also mens that learning and continued development as a person is a non-stop, life-long passion and process for a Stoic. Education to a Stoic is not just a diploma mounted on a wall but a life-long endeavor with no end in sight (except that ultimate end that we all face).

With the 4 Virtues introduced, there are other ideas that one would consider fundamental to Stoicism. Among the other ideas are ones like Memento Mori, latin for “Remember death” which may seem rather morbid but is actually a life affirming idea. Along with ideas like Sympathia, Premeditatio Malorum, and a whole host of other Greek and Latin ideas about humanity, we get the essential thrust of ideas inherent in Stoicism. So, with Part 1 done, Part 2 will deal with the other foundational concepts of Stoic philosophy. In addition, I will hope and work to post beginners reading lists for those who would like to take a deeper dive than is possible in this blog at present. So, until Part 2, peace…