Stoicism and Epicureanism

First read the following article which details  the most practical and contemporary tenets of stoicism. The article also contains the TED talk concerning the actual biochemical benefits of stress.

Me-ow. (I know, sorry.)

http://guardianlv.com/2013/11/is-stoicism-the-secret-to-happiness-video/

I also recommend watching this video in which former UFC fighter and high school math teacher, Rich Franklin, explores the benefits of learning to lose:

Yeah, so he is not losing here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L3OG-fl9tE

Then, peruse the information I collected regarding Stoicism and Epicureanism.

The following is a portion of the definition of Stoicism from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:

Stoicism was one of the new philosophical movements of the Hellenistic period... The Stoics did, in fact, hold that emotions like fear or envy (or impassioned sexual attachments, or passionate love of anything whatsoever) either were, or arose from, false judgements and that the sage—a person who had attained moral and intellectual perfection—would not undergo them. The later Stoics of Roman Imperial times, Seneca and Epictetus, emphasise the doctrines (already central to the early Stoics' teachings) that the sage is utterly immune to misfortune and that virtue is sufficient for happiness. 

"...Virtue is sufficient for happiness."

Questions to consider:

• Does this philosophy help explain the words and actions of Shakespeare's Brutus?
• Does he consider himself to be a "sage," one immune to emotional judgments?

Consider how he responds to the death of his wife, Portia:
     Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala:
     With meditating that she must die once,
      I have the patience to endure it now. [IV, iii]

The real, historical Brutus and Cassius were philosophers. Cassius was a follower of Epicurus, whose philosophy emphasized pleasure as the highest good; this is not necessarily hedonism, but rather an emphasis on freedom from pain. Followers believed that by living modestly and gaining a knowledge of the workings of the world and the limits of one's desires, one will enter a state of tranquility marked by an absence of fear and bodily pain. 

Later in his life, Cassius began moving towards a "heroic" form of Epicurean philosophy. He was unable to reconcile his beliefs with his desire to dramatically alter the political climate in Rome. The following is an excerpt from a letter written by Cassius to the poet Cicero:

I hope that people will understand that for all, cruelty exists in proportion to hatred, and goodness and clemency in proportion to love, and evil men most seek out and crave the things which accrue to good men. It's hard to persuade people that "the good is desirable for its own sake"; but it's both true and creditable that pleasure and tranquility are obtained by virtue, justice, and the good. Epicurus himself, from whom all your Catii and Amafinii take their leave as poor interpreters of his words, says "there is no living pleasantly without living a good and just life."

In the aforementioned excerpt, Cassius recognizes that "evil" men seek out the very things that "good" men naturally acquire; however, that being said, he recognizes that morality is not an end in itself: " '...good is [not] desirable for its own sake.' " 

In the play, Cassius is undoubtedly motivated by selfishness. In real life, he may have attempted to convince himself that he "feared" Caesar and that this fear prevented his own pleasure and tranquility.

This is where he differs from the stoic Brutus, who believed that virtue is an end in itself, or in other words, that virtue is synonymous with happiness.

More questions to consider:

• Does Shakespeare's Cassius say or do anything consistent with Epicurean philosophy?
• What do you guys think about happiness and virtue in general?

• Does being a good person make one happy?
• Which comes first, virtue or happiness?

Your Task

For the sake of metaphysical exploration, and, in an effort to redeem Brutus' good intentions, you will attempt to adopt a stoic lifestyle for the course of a week.

Taking a cue from Marcus Aurelius (pictured above), you will all keep a daily journal for the course of an entire week. Upon completion of the week, you will be responsible for composing and possibly presenting a reflection.

Each reflection must be thoughtful and approximately 250 words in length.

You may compile your entries in a Google Doc, a blog, or even an actual hard-copy journal.

With this in mind, know that I will need to read your journals. You are absolutely encouraged to be honest and open. You can trust me.

Calendar

Friday (3/3): Reflect on the relationship between virtue and happiness. Which comes first? Are they exclusive goals? Explain.

Monday (3/6): Nature and fate--to what extent does man control all of the aspects of life? How should this affect us? Do we submit to fate or do we, like Cassius, assert that we are all masters of our own fates? Explain.

Tuesday (3/7): Compose a definition of stoicism. This definition should guide and inform your practice. 

Wednesday (3/8): Negative Visualization 1 - Confront a fear or worry and reflect.

Thursday (3/9): Negative Visualization 2 - Confront another fear or worry and reflect.

Friday (3/10): Open topic

Sunday (3/12): Reflection. Weigh in on your week as a stoic. Evaluate the positive and negative aspects of stoicism. Will you continue to adopt its practices? Explain.