Stoic and Christian Conceptions of Happiness
This paper looks interesting.
"Despite the popular identity of the Stoic and Christian conceptions of
happiness, in this paper I will argue that the Christian conception of happiness has, in fact, greater correspondence with the Aristotelian tradition than with the Stoic outlook. External goods, while certainly insufficient for happiness in themselves, are nevertheless presented in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as goods necessary for the temporal happiness of the Christian in this life. If I am successful in this argument, then the traditional "Stoic" (or stolid) perception of Christianity will have to give way to a nuanced "Aristotelian" or truly biblical outlook of Christian happiness, for Stoicism is, at least in principle, far more ascetic than is biblical Christianity."
"Despite the popular identity of the Stoic and Christian conceptions of
happiness, in this paper I will argue that the Christian conception of happiness has, in fact, greater correspondence with the Aristotelian tradition than with the Stoic outlook. External goods, while certainly insufficient for happiness in themselves, are nevertheless presented in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as goods necessary for the temporal happiness of the Christian in this life. If I am successful in this argument, then the traditional "Stoic" (or stolid) perception of Christianity will have to give way to a nuanced "Aristotelian" or truly biblical outlook of Christian happiness, for Stoicism is, at least in principle, far more ascetic than is biblical Christianity."
2 Comments:
Hi Dave
I write a blog that also talks about stoicism alot - www.politicsofwellbeing.com
Im interested in stoicism as a modern, living tradition, and was wondering if you knew of any well-known people who are stoics today?
as for you yourself, how did you get into stoicism? how does it affect your life?
All the best,
Jules
Hi Jules,
I've recently returned to Stoicism as a life philosophy and practice after of a few years of return to the religion of my childhood.
If there are many people out there, famous or otherwise, who are trying to live as Stoics, they haven't been turning up on the web. But, perhaps, I haven't looked hard enough. The only active discussion of Stoicism on the Internet that I've seen the last 10 years is at the International Stoic Forum.
If I were you, I would contact Keith Seddon. To me, he best represents a modern Stoic trying to live the tradition.
http://www.btinternet.com/~k.h.s/kcv.htm
Best wishes,
Dave Kelly
Post a Comment
<< Home