True Stoics do not need external goods to be
Walter Berns about capital punishment argue that the death penalty is morally acceptable because the law should care about victims of crimes and also care to people anger 's to criminals. Berns believe that the criminals violate the law, the human dignity, and the justice of the society therefore they are responsible for their crimes and must be punished. He stresses that punishing the criminal person to death improves the people 's respect and increases their abiding for the law. Berns illustrates his point by the story of a man that commits few murder crimes and then resealed in the society and he came back on the street again. Those who disagree with Walter Berns criticize his theory that the anger is not morally
The topic of negative visualization is important to the Stoics because of its effect on the life goal of tranquility. Through negative visualization the Stoics believe that a person can live a fuller and more meaningful life filled with purpose. I find that the art of negative visualization is a fundamental tool to living a full and prosperous life. By changing the state of your mind, living every moment as if it is your last, and being thankful for what you have now; provide convincing evidence for the benefits of negative visualization. These examples and more show how the act of negative visualization can help to live a more fulfilling life and fruitful life.
Elise Beauchemin Mr. Mosher English 2 2/23/18 Aeneas and the Quintessence of Stoicism The Aeneid, an epic written by Virgil, thousands of years old and yet still read today by many. It tells the story of the Trojan hero, Aeneas, and his efforts to establish order and defend his homeland. Throughout the 9,896 lines of the poem, he lives according to the Ancient Roman ideals of the Stoic. He is the paragon of a Trojan hero who places duty above pleasure, controls his passions and appetites through the power of reason, does not let the storms and stress of life disturb his self-possession and composure, and practices the virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.
Accepting the Good or Bad (Colin Wilson saying About Normal People) Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up and you just know that it's going to be a terrible day, you don't even want to get out of bed. You know the second you get out of your bed you're going to fall on your face then your favorite outfit is going to be dirt and then you're going to go up stairs to eat one of your favorite breakfast foods but your out of milk. Your whole day is just going like this no matter what you try to do it fix it and you end up saying you should've just stayed in bed. Well a fellow by the name of Colin Wilson wrote a quote that goes like this “The average man is a conformist accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow
In order for me to understand the concepts behind Epictetus stoic philosophies, a brief description of his handbook would be the guidance to answer accordingly to these questions. Conversely, According to Epictetus, things that are in our power give us the authority to judge right from wrong without overwhelming our character. Therefore, some things are up to us to decide while others are not. For example, we have the power over our minds, but not the power over our reputations because this is usually decided by what people may think of us. We do not hold the power over our possessions because this could be under the power of an intentional thief.
In the letter to Menoeceus, Epicurus begins by saying that happiness and death play hand-in-hand. Epicurus also states that there are gods, but they are not around to be concerned with humane problems. I will argue that Epicurus is right about happiness coming from pleasure and that death is nothing to fear, however I will also argue that Epicurus is wrong about the gods not existing to maintain humanity. Epicurus believed that happiness and death go hand-in-hand because happiness and death both form sensations. It is believed that once someone dies, they will live on infinitely due to immortality, and with death comes happiness (Epicurus 233).
Seneca, a stoic master and writer, was known for works about tragedies, philosophical writings, and plays. The letter “On Saving Time” is about the value of time and when used, it should be used wisely because there is no way of getting it back when lost. This letter, which is part of The Tao of Seneca, was written to his close friend Lucilius with the goal of influencing him to live a more insightful life. In “On Saving Time” from The Tao of Seneca, the author’s well-spoken words to Lucilius, in hopes of guiding him, effectively demonstrate the importance of time and how much it is worth, in which can be learned and shared to many generations.
Stoicism is a belief system that is founded upon virtue is the only thing Good in itself and is a means to an Ultimate End; that happiness comes from being attached to things that are within your control. Epictetus, in his Discourses, Handbook, Fragments, presents positive arguments towards the ideas of Stoicism. His work outlines how a Stoic should behave in a number of situations, and what it means to act in a proper manner. McGill presents a counter argument in his The Idea of Happiness that presents the foundations of Stoicism as unrealistic. The basis of their argument is that it is necessary to be attached to that which you can not control.
Sometimes situations arise that make even the strongest people feel weak. The main motivator that keeps us going is persistence and resiliency. Being able to stay strong and find peace through difficult times seems impossible to the average person, but under extreme circumstances, the human spirit can be stunningly extravagant. Works like Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and “Master of My Fate” by James Stockdale are just two examples of people persevering through horrible circumstances and making it out alive. Persistence and resiliency are intertwined and are a key factor to human sanity.
“WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH”; it is the slogan of the Party, in 1984, and it is the best irony can be found, all through this novel and We. As describes many ironies of two novels above, it can be said that, with the help of “irony”, the authors hide a utopia, under the mask of dystopia; so, it is the duty of a reader to perceive it, with a great concentration, otherwise, the Party’s motto is true[!]. So, if irony, as a literary device, did not exist, Orwell and Zamyatin never can demonstrate their surreptitious utopian city. The Orwellian World in both novels, is not a prediction of a dystopic future, but it is a satirical account of the totalitarian systems of fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and the Communist
Today, we are living in the world that is more than ever before full stress, worry and anxiety. Our minds are constantly racing about: bills to pay, right partner, work, or future life. In my opinion, the Seneca’s ideas and Stoics philosophy could be very practical and with little effort applied in our modern lives. Integrated in philosophy of Stoicism is belief that humans should be satisfied with what they have, and not to constantly desire what they do not possess. Also, they believe that instead of trying to prevent things that will inevitably happen, we need to accept them as they are, and be grateful that life has given them to us at all.
Critique of the Epicurus’ theory of the most valuable pleasure The goal of this essay is to provide an argument against possibility of Epicurus’ attempt to determine the most valuable pleasures. Through the analysis of the key concepts and their relation in Epicurus’ theory I will try to show that his concept of pleasure does not take into account basic human psychology and that this oversight leads to faulty generalization about human nature. I will argue that it is not possible to identify the most valuable pleasure due to diversity of our personalities.
In William Shakespeare’s drama Julius Caesar, the protagonist is Marcus Brutus. His decisions are based on his personal philosophy of stoicism as stoics try not to be influenced by their emotions. Examples of Brutus showing his stoicism include when Brutus tells the audience that he loves Caesar although this does not stop him from making the choice to kill him. Stoics believe that a person must make his own decisions based on logic and reasoning, which is why he didn’t let his feelings for Julius stop him from “saving” Rome. Although Brutus and Cassius are partners in killing Julius, Cassius was really using Brutus to gain power and later turn on him.
Michael Abou Chedid Personal Reflection Essay STOIC QUOTES Stoicism is an ancient philosophy founded in Athens, by Zeno of Citium, in the early 3rd century B.C. Although Stoic philosophers considered various subjects, principal teachings included how to lead a fulfilling and happy life and how to become better human beings. Up until today, the principles of Stoicism can be considered amongst the most applicable and realistic way of life for entrepreneurs, writers, and artists alike, to help them withstand tough times, and actually benefit from them. The Stoic philosophers have left behind an abundance of quotes that provide readers with a shift in perspective, and help individuals reflect on their own joy and serenity.
