The Stoic Creed - College of Stoic Philosophers

More documents

Recommendations

Info

" 154 THE STOIC CREED connexion with their famous distinction of the two kinds of Duty "the suitable" or fitting" and "the right," Ko.OrjK.ov and Karop&ojua, a distinction (together with the elaborate working out of it) that entitled them to be regarded as the originators of what Bentham calls Deontology or the science of duty. Indeed, the term "duty" (KaOrJKov) is said to have been first employed in the technical ethical sense by Zeno, who wrote a treatise On Duty (Diog. Laert. vii. 2I). 1 But duty, as KaOfJKov, is simply the suitable or fitting, and not that absolute rule of right that the term designates to-day. It is applicable only to things "indifferent" (officium medium), and signifies any action in everyday meets a want or serves a purpose, any line of conduct life that for which a reason may be given. It is not, therefore, strictly speaking, "virtue," which moves in a different and a higher sphere. Strict virtue is /caTo/>0a>yua (honestum, or rectum^ or officiu m perfectuni] duty in its purest form, which is not simply conformity to right reason, but con formity which flows from the will, the full knowledge, and the simple intention of the wise man. Hence, in this specific sense, and from the point of view of abstract theory, virtue is indivisible : there cannot be degrees of it. There can be degrees only in things that have relative value ; but virtue has absolute worth it is to be sought for its own sake, and is the same under all circumstances. It is not, therefore, a "habit (?is)," as Aristotle had taught it can neither diminish nor increase: it is, in distinctive Stoic terminology, a 1 The Stoic s mode of handling Duty, in all its practical detail, including the seasonable and decorous (decorum, TO trptirov} in conduct, may be seen in Cicero s De Officiis.
" " " " " " ETHICS: EXPOSITION 155 l or : , disposition decrescere siimmum bonum non potest nee mrtuti ire retro licet. . . . Incrementum maxima non est ; nihil invents rectius recto (Seneca, Ep. 66). But if there are not degrees in virtue, neither are there degrees in vice : all sins are equal ; omission of the most trivial duty and commission of the most glaring crime stand precisely on the same plane. 2 "They also maintain," says Diogenes Laertius (vii. 64, 65), "that all sins are equal, as says Chrysippus in the fourth book of his Ethical Questions and Persaeus and Zeno. For if what is true is not more than true, nor what is false more than false, so also a deceit is not more than deceit, nor a sin than sin. For he who is a hundred stadia distant from Canopus and he who is only one are both equally not in Canopus ; and so also he who commits a greater and he who commits a less sin are both equally not in the right path. As a stick must be either straight or crooked, so a man must be either 1 Diog. Laert. vii. 89. 2 See Sextus Empiricus, Opera, vii. 453 (422-23). Compare St. " James (ii. 10) For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and : yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all." On the other hand, it is interesting- to observe that Calvinism, which has so much in common with the stern side of Stoicism, viewing- sins from the standpoint of Theology, makes distinction between them. In answer to the Question, Are all transgressions of the law of God equally heinous in themselves, and in the sight of God ? the Westminster Divines have no difficulty in replying, in The Larger Catechism, "All transgressions of the law of God are not equally heinous ; but some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others ; and, immediately after, they proceed to enumerate the kinds and sources of aggravation namely, "the "the persons offending," parties offended," "the nature and quality of the offence," and circumstances of time and place."
Page 5 and 6:
RELIGION IN LITERATURE AND LIFE THE
Page 7 and 8:
RELIGION IN LITERATURE AND LIFE THE
Page 9 and 10:
PREFACE THESE chapters are a contri
Page 11 and 12:
TABLE OF CONTENTS MOULDING INFLUENC
Page 13 and 14:
TABLE OF CONTENTS ix Farrar s Seeke
Page 15 and 16:
" " " " "
Page 17 and 18:
TABLE OF CONTENTS xiii CHAPTER VI T
Page 19 and 20:
TABLE OF CONTENTS xv 111 Heracleitu
Page 21 and 22:
" " " TABLE OF CONTE
Page 23 and 24:
" " TABLE OF CONTENTS xix
Page 25 and 26:
TABLE OF CONTENTS xxi THE DOCTRINE
Page 27:
TABLE OF CONTENTS xxiii II PAGE Has
Page 30 and 31:
2 THE STOIC CREED characteristics o
Page 32 and 33:
" " 4 THE STOIC CREED the
Page 34 and 35:
THE STOIC CREED is man s first , du
Page 36 and 37:
8 THE STOIC CREED corrupting the yo
Page 38 and 39:
io THE STOIC CREED in all essential
Page 40 and 41:
12 THE STOIC CREED * c he will lear
Page 42 and 43:
14 THE STOIC CREED dividual in char
Page 44 and 45:
16 THE STOIC CREED they are ; etvai
Page 46 and 47:
which " i8 THE STOIC CREED des
Page 48 and 49:
CHAPTER II THE STOIC MASTERS AND TH
Page 50 and 51:
" 22 THE STOIC CREED and which
Page 52 and 53:
" Dear " 24 THE STOIC CRE
Page 54 and 55:
" 26 THE STOIC CREED In the sa
Page 56 and 57:
. To 28 THE STOIC CREED out all the
Page 58 and 59:
" " 30 THE STOIC CREED un
Page 60 and 61:
" 32 THE STOIC CREED of the sa
Page 62 and 63:
" 34 THE STOIC CREED his wonte
Page 64 and 65:
" To " He " SECTION
Page 66 and 67:
" sophy ? From TT to " &q
Page 68 and 69:
" 40 THE STOIC CREED human and
Page 70 and 71:
" " 42 THE STOIC CREED th
Page 72 and 73:
" 44 THE STOIC CREED doctrine
Page 74 and 75:
" " " 46 THE STOIC C
Page 76 and 77:
" 48 THE STOIC CREED they are
Page 78 and 79:
50 THE STOIC CREED primary value (h
Page 80 and 81:
52 THE STOIC CREED IV A further poi
Page 82 and 83:
" " 54 THE STOIC CREED un
Page 84 and 85:
" 56 THE STOIC CREED his first
Page 86 and 87:
58 THE STOIC CREED were carried for
Page 88 and 89:
" 60 THE STOIC CREED His sons.
Page 90 and 91:
" CHAPTER IV LOGIC: THEORY OF
Page 92 and 93:
64 THE STOIC CREED The later Stoics
Page 94 and 95:
66 THE STOIC CREED iterated and emp
Page 96 and 97:
68 THE STOIC CREED light shows both
Page 98 and 99:
" 70 THE STOIC CREED wrapped a
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
74 THE STOIC CREED indispensable to
Page 104 and 105:
" 76 THE STOIC CREED looked up
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
" 8o THE STOIC CREED both spon
Page 110 and 111:
82 THE STOIC CREED their own day. W
Page 112 and 113:
" Both " " CHAPTER V
Page 114 and 115:
1 86 THE STOIC CREED 1 1 1 tending
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
" " " " "
Page 120 and 121:
" 92 THE STOIC CREED fire, 1 c
Page 122 and 123:
" 94 THE STOIC CREED unquestio
Page 124 and 125:
" 96 THE STOIC CREED First, wh
Page 126 and 127:
" " 98 THE STOIC CREED to
Page 128 and 129:
ioo THE STOIC CREED shut out from m
Page 130 and 131:
" " " " 102 THE
Page 132 and 133: io 4 THE STOIC CREED of things. Hen
Page 134 and 135: 106 THE STOIC CREED tion from other
Page 136 and 137: " " io8 THE STOIC CREED h
Page 138 and 139: " no THE STOIC CREED are etern
Page 140 and 141: " " ii2 THE STOIC CREED e
Page 142 and 143: " ii 4 THE STOIC CREED in the
Page 144 and 145: " " n6 THE STOIC CREED pa
Page 146 and 147: " break " u8 THE STOIC CR
Page 148 and 149: " A 120 THE STOIC CREED most c
Page 150 and 151: 122 THE STOIC CREED excluding provi
Page 152 and 153: " " 124 THE STOIC CREED T
Page 154 and 155: " " " SECTION C. MOR
Page 156 and 157: " " 128 THE STOIC CREED w
Page 158 and 159: " 130 THE STOIC CREED an indiv
Page 160 and 161: " 132 THE STOIC CREED in exter
Page 162 and 163: 134 THE STOIC CREED and beauty of s
Page 164 and 165: 136 THE STOIC CREED who could both
Page 166 and 167: 138 THE STOIC CREED hence the attra
Page 168 and 169: " " " CHAPTER VIII E
Page 170 and 171: " " " 142 THE STOIC
Page 172 and 173: " " i 44 THE STOIC CREED
Page 176 and 177: " 148 THE STOIC CREED judgment
Page 178 and 179: " Ad ISO THE STOIC CREED grief
Page 180 and 181: fy " " i 5 2 THE STOIC CR
Page 186 and 187: " 158 THE STOIC CREED excels t
Page 188 and 189: " 160 THE STOIC CREED better n
Page 192 and 193: " Do " 164 THE STOIC CREE
Page 194 and 195: " There 166 THE STOIC CREED be
Page 196 and 197: " " 1 68 THE STOIC CREED
Page 198 and 199: " lyo THE STOIC CREED Moral Pr
Page 202 and 203: " " CHAPTER IX ETHICS: SP
Page 204 and 205: " " 176 THE STOIC CREED t
Page 206 and 207: " " Beloved 178 THE STOIC
Page 208 and 209: We " i8o THE STOIC CREED IV A
Page 210 and 211: " How " " i8 2 THE S
Page 212 and 213: 184 THE STOIC CREED "all human
Page 214 and 215: " 186 THE STOIC CREED cheering
Page 216 and 217: " " Et " CHAPTER X E
Page 218 and 219: " (out 190 THE STOIC CREED pra
Page 220 and 221: " iQ2 THE STOIC CREED of these
Page 222 and 223: " " i 94 THE STOIC CREED
Page 224 and 225: 196 THE STOIC CREED injuring himsel
Page 226 and 227: 198 THE STOIC CREED But he is a bad
Page 228 and 229: " 200 THE STOIC CREED and stri
Page 230 and 231: " 202 THE STOIC CREED conversa
Page 232 and 233:
" 204 THE STOIC CREED either s
Page 234 and 235:
" " " 206 THE STOIC
Page 236 and 237:
" We " " From "
Page 238 and 239:
" " " 210 THE STOIC
Page 240 and 241:
" 212 THE STOIC CREED Nature b
Page 242 and 243:
" " " 214 THE STOIC
Page 244 and 245:
" You " 216 THE STOIC CRE
Page 246 and 247:
" " How " 2i8 THE ST
Page 248 and 249:
220 THE STOIC CREED world as a univ
Page 250 and 251:
" " " 222 THE STOIC
Page 252 and 253:
" " " 224 TH^ STOIC
Page 254 and 255:
226 THE STOIC CREED All this is nob
Page 256 and 257:
" " Whatever " 228 T
Page 258 and 259:
2 3 o THE STOIC CREED differs from
Page 260 and 261:
" 232 THE STOIC CREED of prove
Page 262 and 263:
" " 234 THE STOIC CREED t
Page 264 and 265:
236 THE STOIC CREED whole, so that
Page 266 and 267:
^ stitute 238 THE STOIC CREED momen
Page 268 and 269:
" 2 4o THE STOIC CREED "
Page 270 and 271:
242 THE STOIC CREED So that, thus f
Page 272 and 273:
" " Watch 244 THE STOIC C
Page 274 and 275:
" 246 THE STOIC CREED This als
Page 276 and 277:
" " 248 THE STOIC CREED r
Page 278 and 279:
s the " " There " &q
Page 280 and 281:
" " 252 THE STOIC CREED T
Page 282 and 283:
" 254 THE STOIC CREED who &quo
Page 284 and 285:
" " " 256 APPENDIX c
Page 286 and 287:
" God " 258 APPENDIX form
Page 288 and 289:
" 26o APPENDIX reacting on imp
Page 290 and 291:
" Pure " 262 APPENDIX Las
Page 292 and 293:
" 264 APPENDIX ordinate it to
Page 294 and 295:
266 APPENDIX Education aim at the i
Page 296 and 297:
268 INDEX Comtists, their conceptio
Page 298 and 299:
270 INDEX the doctrine Good, the, 1
Page 300 and 301:
" 272 INDEX to Stoic Ethics, 1
Page 302 and 303:
274 INDEX to happiness, 152 ; indiv
Page 304 and 305:
" A A GREAT BIBLICAL ENCYCLOPE
Page 306 and 307:
" " The World s Epoch-Mak
Page 308:
The World s Epoch- Makers. DAVID HU
show all

The Stoic Creed - College of Stoic Philosophers

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?