Six Texts of One Philosopher's View of Core Stoic Doctrines
The following six texts of Stoic doctrine, are excerpts from messages of Grant C. Sterling to the International Stoic Forum.
The heart snd Soul of Stoic Doctrine
"Only internal things are in my control. Unhappiness is caused by (falsely) believing that externals are good or evil, which causes us to desire the world to be one way rather than another, which inevitably causes unhappiness when the world doesn't conform. If I eliminate my belief that externals are ever bad, I can even prevent all grief when my child or wife dies, or when I myself face death."
2. The vital heart of Stoic doctrine...
"The Stoics believe that only things directly related to virtue (beliefs, desires, will) are in our control.
"They believe that only virtue is good and only vice is evil.
"They believe that all things not in our control ("externals") are neither good nor evil.
"They believe that desires are caused by beliefs about good and evil.
"Hence, the good Stoic will have no desires whatsoever regarding external things.
"They believe that our feelings of love, hate fear, grief, anger, frustration, disappointment, etc., are all caused by beliefs that external things are good or evil.
"Hence, the good Stoic will never experience any of those feelings, even in the slightest degree."
3. Imagine someone says, "I believe the following doctrines:
"1) The goal of life is to obtain eudaimonia, which means both to act morally and to enjoy life.
"2) Emotions are caused by our beliefs about what is good and what is bad--when I get something bad I experience anger, grief, sadness, fear, etc.
"3) My identity is defined as the rational part of me, the part that chooses.
"⁷4) Therefore, only things that this part of me does can really be good or bad for me. Anything external to my will cannot be good or evil.
"5) Therefore, the feelings that cut my joy in life and which lead me astray in my actions (anger, fear, etc.) are caused by _false_ beliefs about what has value.
"6) I control my beliefs, and so by disciplining myself to stop thinking of externals as being good or evil, I will be able to become morally better and have more joy in life."
4. Someone with true value beliefs will have eudaimonia
"System S says:
"1) Eudaimonia (perhaps that's what you mean by 'genuine happiness') consists in both complete psychological contentment and complete moral perfection.
"2) All psychological discontentment is caused by the belief that externals have value.
"3) This belief is _factually false_. (Note that this is not a psychological claim--it is a value claim.)
"4) Therefore, someone with true value beliefs will have psychological contentment.
"5) All moral imperfection is caused by the belief that externals have value.
"6) Therefore, someone with true value beliefs will have moral perfection.
5. "Stoicism" is the theory that:
"a) Emotions are caused by value beliefs (beliefs about what things are good or evil).
"b) I am my soul/prohairesis/inner self.
"c) Everything else, including my body, is an external.
"d) No externals are ever good or evil.
"e) All beliefs that externals have value are, hence, false.
"f) All feelings that result from false value beliefs are, therefore, pathological and should be eliminated.
This includes all fear, grief, and anger, as well as mental "pleasure", passionate love, etc. We eliminate them by changing the false value belief that generated the emotion.
"g) Any feelings that arise from true value beliefs are not pathological. The primary example of this is "Joy".
"h) Some feelings do not arise from a cognitive source, and hence are by definition indifferent externals. This includes 'startlement', physical pleasures and pains, and a few other things.
"i) The goal of life is eudaimonia.
"j) Eudaimonia includes both living a virtuous life and living a life of positive feelings.
"k) Living a virtuous life is necessary for eudaimonia [because it is part of the very definition of eudaimonia], and is also sufficient for eudaimonia [because the virtuous person will experience Joy, a positive feeling, and no negative feelings whatsoever]."
6. Core Beliefs of Stoicism
"Hence, the good Stoic will never experience any of those feelings, even in the slightest degree."
3. Imagine someone says, "I believe the following doctrines:
"1) The goal of life is to obtain eudaimonia, which means both to act morally and to enjoy life.
"2) Emotions are caused by our beliefs about what is good and what is bad--when I get something bad I experience anger, grief, sadness, fear, etc.
"3) My identity is defined as the rational part of me, the part that chooses.
"⁷4) Therefore, only things that this part of me does can really be good or bad for me. Anything external to my will cannot be good or evil.
"5) Therefore, the feelings that cut my joy in life and which lead me astray in my actions (anger, fear, etc.) are caused by _false_ beliefs about what has value.
"6) I control my beliefs, and so by disciplining myself to stop thinking of externals as being good or evil, I will be able to become morally better and have more joy in life."
4. Someone with true value beliefs will have eudaimonia
"System S says:
"1) Eudaimonia (perhaps that's what you mean by 'genuine happiness') consists in both complete psychological contentment and complete moral perfection.
"2) All psychological discontentment is caused by the belief that externals have value.
"3) This belief is _factually false_. (Note that this is not a psychological claim--it is a value claim.)
"4) Therefore, someone with true value beliefs will have psychological contentment.
"5) All moral imperfection is caused by the belief that externals have value.
"6) Therefore, someone with true value beliefs will have moral perfection.
5. "Stoicism" is the theory that:
"a) Emotions are caused by value beliefs (beliefs about what things are good or evil).
"b) I am my soul/prohairesis/inner self.
"c) Everything else, including my body, is an external.
"d) No externals are ever good or evil.
"e) All beliefs that externals have value are, hence, false.
"f) All feelings that result from false value beliefs are, therefore, pathological and should be eliminated.
This includes all fear, grief, and anger, as well as mental "pleasure", passionate love, etc. We eliminate them by changing the false value belief that generated the emotion.
"g) Any feelings that arise from true value beliefs are not pathological. The primary example of this is "Joy".
"h) Some feelings do not arise from a cognitive source, and hence are by definition indifferent externals. This includes 'startlement', physical pleasures and pains, and a few other things.
"i) The goal of life is eudaimonia.
"j) Eudaimonia includes both living a virtuous life and living a life of positive feelings.
"k) Living a virtuous life is necessary for eudaimonia [because it is part of the very definition of eudaimonia], and is also sufficient for eudaimonia [because the virtuous person will experience Joy, a positive feeling, and no negative feelings whatsoever]."
6. Core Beliefs of Stoicism
1. "Happiness (eudaimonia) is to be found exclusively in Virtue."
2. "The only things we control are inner events such as our beliefs, desires, and acts of will."
3. "Virtue (or virtue and certain things that can be attained only by those with virtue) is the only genuine good, and vice the only genuine evil."
4. "Ergo, since virtue and vice are types of acts of will, they are in our control."
5. "Ergo, things not in our control [externals] are neither good nor evil."
6. "Emotions (or passions, if you prefer) arise from (false) beliefs that externals have value."
7. "No-one should be distressed by any external occurrence."
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