The Stoic Creed - College of Stoic Philosophers

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PRESENT-DAY VALUE OF STOICISM 241
he broods much over the fact of how soon even great
names are forgotten. The accustomed phrases of old
days are the archaisms of to-day. So, too, the names
that were once on all men s lips, are now as it were
archaisms Camillus, Caeso, Volesus, Dentatus ;
and
a little later, Scipio and Cato ; yes, even Augustus,
and so with Hadrian and Antoninus.
as a tale that is
All things fade,
told, and soon are buried in complete
oblivion. This is true even of the shining lights of
fame. As for the rest, no sooner is the breath out of
them, than they are to fortune and to fame unknown.
And what, after all, is eternity of fame ? Just empti
ness (Med. iv. 33). Secondly, the necessity of doing c
our duty now and here, not relying on the past
(which is gone) nor waiting for the future (which
is not ours) and
; public interest, or the good of the
community, is the test of Duty. Thirdly, unqualified
belief in the wisdom, righteousness, and goodness of
Providence, i.e., of the World-order (personality being
out of count) and implicit trust therein. Whatever
befalls us here, and whenever it befalls us, is and must
be for the best ;
for it is conducive to the good of the
whole, and what is serviceable to the whole cannot be
prejudicial to any one of its parts. This optimism
necessarily carries, as a corollary, contentment with
our lot in life and meek submission to our fate. Still,
it does not paralyze us and render progress impossible.
We are not to fold our hands and sleep, because all
things are ordered well : on the contrary, we are to
work and do our duty, and show ourselves worthy of
our lot. There is no more strenuous preacher of the
gospel of work than Aurelius, except Carlyle.
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