The Philosophy of Stoicism: Agency, Reason, and Human Nature
New Zappable Podcast Episode
The latest Zappable podcast episode dives into the core tenets of Stoicism with Jula Wildberger, Professor Emerita of Classics at the American University of Paris.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple, Pocket Casts, Amazon or YouTube.
Dive into the foundational principles of Stoic ethics, starting with its radical emphasis on human agency. The Stoics believed that what truly matters isn't what happens to us, but how we judge and respond to events.
Learn about "Oikeiosis," the Stoic concept of natural attachment, which suggests we are inherently drawn to self-preservation, self-perfection, and sociability. These natural inclinations, when guided by reason, form the bedrock of virtuous living.
We cover the Stoic perspective on emotions. The goal of Stoicism isn't to suppress all feeling, but to achieve "apatheia" – a state free from destructive "passions" which are rooted in false judgments. The Stoic sage cultivates "eupatheia" or "good emotions" – a rational joy aligned with a true understanding of the world.
We also tackle the concept of "indifferents" – things like health, wealth, reputation, and even life itself are not inherently good or bad but some are "preferred." The Stoics believed in rationally pursuing preferred indifferents, but recognizing that the whatever outcome occurs is ideal.
The end of the podcast discusses the challenges of applying Stoic ethics and principles today, to what extent it can be separated from Stoic physics and metaphysics, and whether Stoicism works in practice. If this sounds interesting, tune in to the full episode!