The Discipline of Desire in the First Five Chapters of the Enchiridion

 An analysis by Claude of how the first five chapters of the Enchiridion support the following argument (informing the discipline of desire) made by Grant C. Sterling: 

Section One: Preliminaries ["Core Stoicism"]

Th 1) Everyone wants happiness.

Th 2) If you want happiness, it would be irrational

to accept incomplete or imperfect happiness

if you could get complete [continual, uninterrupted]

happiness.

2*) Complete happiness is possible. [To be proven

below.] 

Section Two: Negative Happiness

Th 3) All human unhappiness is caused by having

a desire or emotional commitment [I will henceforth

say "desire" for simplicity] to some outcome,

and then that outcome does not result. 

4) Ergo, if you desire something which is out

of your control, you will be subject to possible

unhappiness. If you desire many things out

of your control, the possibility of complete happiness

approaches zero.

5) By 4, 2*, and Th2, desiring things out of your

control is irrational [if it is possible to control your

desires]. 

Th 6) The only things in our control are our

beliefs and will, and anything entailed by our

beliefs and will.

Th 7) Desire[s] are caused by beliefs (judgments)

about good and evil. [You desire what you judge

to be good, and desire to avoid what you judge to

be evil.]

8) Ergo, Desires are in our control.

9) By 5 and 8, desiring things out of our control

is irrational. 

Th 10) The only thing actually good is virtue, the

only thing actually evil is vice.

11) Ergo, since virtue and vice are types of acts

of will, they are in our control. 

12) Ergo, things that are not in our control [externals] are

never good or evil.

13) [cf 9, above] Desiring things out of our control is

irrational, since it involves false judgment. 

14) Ergo, if we value only virtue, we will both judge truly

and be immune to all unhappiness. 

Epictetus' Enchiridion, Chapters 1--5

Let me analyze how the Enchiridion's first five chapters support this (above) logical argument. I'll break this down systematically: 

1. Support for Thesis 3 (All unhappiness comes from unfulfilled desires):

- Chapter 2 directly states this: "he who fails in his desire is unfortunate, while he who falls into what he would avoid experiences misfortune"

- Chapter 5 reinforces this by stating that our judgments, not things themselves, cause disturbance 

2. Support for Thesis 6 (Only beliefs and will are in our control):

- Chapter 1 explicitly lists what is and isn't under our control: "Under our control are conception, choice, desire, aversion, and, in a word, everything that is our own doing"

- It contrasts this with things not under our control: "body, property, reputation, office" 

3. Support for Thesis 7 (Desires are caused by beliefs/judgments):

- Chapter 5 provides the clearest support: "It is not the things themselves that disturb men, but their judgements about these things"

- The death example in Chapter 5 shows how judgment (not the thing itself) creates the emotional response 

4. Support for Points 8-9 (Desires are controllable and desiring externals is irrational):

- Chapter 2 instructs us to "remove utterly your desire" for things not under our control

- Chapter 1 states that trying to control externals leads to being "hampered" and in "turmoil" 

5. Support for Points 12-14 (Externals aren't good/evil; true judgment leads to happiness):

- Chapter 3's jug example shows how emotional attachment to externals leads to disturbance

- Chapter 4's bathing example demonstrates how maintaining proper judgment ("moral purpose in harmony with nature") prevents disturbance

- The entire thrust of Chapter 1 shows that treating externals as our own leads to suffering, while limiting ourselves to what's truly ours leads to freedom from compulsion and harm 

The key linkage between the Enchiridion and the argument is that both share the fundamental premise that unhappiness comes from misaligned desires and incorrect judgments about what is good/evil, controllable/uncontrollable. The Enchiridion provides practical examples and exercises that support the logical steps of the argument, particularly in showing how judgment creates desire, how desire for externals leads to suffering, and how correct understanding of what's in our control leads to tranquility. 

The Enchiridion's emphasis on practical application (like the examples in Chapters 3 and 4) helps bridge the gap between the argument's theoretical framework and its practical conclusion about achieving happiness through proper judgment and desire. 

Would you like me to elaborate on any particular connection between the texts?

A plumber's role duties and associated indifferents

 Claude:

Let me analyze this step by step. 

A plumber's role duties and associated indifferents can be derived from applying the Stoic framework to their professional function and social relationships. 

Role Duties of a Plumber:

1. Technical competence

   - Maintain up-to-date knowledge of plumbing systems and codes

   - Execute repairs and installations correctly

   - Diagnose problems accurately 

2. Professional integrity

   - Provide honest assessments of problems

   - Charge fair prices for work

   - Complete work within promised timeframes

   - Follow safety regulations and building codes 

3. Client relationships

   - Communicate clearly about problems and solutions

   - Respect client property

   - Provide accurate estimates

   - Respond promptly to emergency calls according to service agreements 

Preferred Indifferents:

- Client satisfaction (aim for but don't attach to it)

- Successful completion of repairs

- Good working conditions

- Adequate tools and materials

- Physical health to perform work

- Professional reputation

- Sufficient income 

Dispreferred Indifferents:

- Difficult working conditions

- Challenging client interactions

- Complex or dangerous repairs

- Weather conditions affecting work

- Competition from other plumbers

- Equipment failures

- Physical strain 

The Stoic plumber would:

- Focus on executing their duties with excellence regardless of conditions

- Aim at preferred indifferents while remaining detached from outcomes

- Maintain proper relations with clients regardless of their behavior

- Remember that while income and reputation are preferred, they are ultimately externals

- Find satisfaction in virtuous action rather than external success 

Does this analysis help clarify how Stoic principles apply to this specific profession?

Preferred/Dispreferred Indifferents and Role Duties

Preferred/Dispreferred Indifferents and Role Duties

Texts

# "Core Stoicism" 

## Section Two: Negative Happiness 

13) [cf 9, above] Desiring things out of our control is

irrational, since it involves false judgment. 

14) Ergo, if we value only virtue, we will both judge truly

and be immune to all unhappiness.

## "Section Three: Positive Happiness or Appropriate

Positive Feelings" 

"15) Ergo, if we truly judge that virtue is good, we will

desire it.

Th 16) If you desire something, and achieve it, you

will get a positive feeling.

17) Ergo, if we correctly judge and correctly will, we

will have appropriate positive feelings as a result.

##"Section Four: Virtue 

Th 24) In order to perform an act of will, the act of will

must have some content. The content is composed

of the result at which one aims.

Th 25) Some things are appropriate objects at which to

aim, although they are not genuinely good.

Th 26) Some such objects are things like life [our own or others'], health, pleasure, knowledge, justice, truth-telling, etc.

Th 27) Virtue consists of rational acts of will, vice of

irrational acts of will.

28) Ergo, any act that aims at an [external] object of desire is

not virtuous, since all desires [for externals] are irrational.

29) Ergo, virtue consists of the pursuit of appropriate

objects of aim, not the pursuit of the [external] objects of our

desires. Such virtuous acts will give us good feelings

[by 17], and since we have no desires regarding

the actual outcome, they will never produce unhappiness

for us." 

Core Stoicism 

The "appropriate objects at which to aim" are preferred indifferents.

# Enchiridion 

## 30. Our duties are in general measured by our social relationships. He is a father. One is called upon to take care of him, to give way to him in all things, to submit when he reviles or strikes you. "But he is a bad father." Did nature, then, bring you into relationship with a good father? No, but simply with a father. "My brother does me wrong." Very well, then, maintain the relation that you have toward him; and do not consider what he is doing, but what you will have to do, if your moral purpose is to be in harmony with nature. For no one will harm you without your consent; you will have been harmed only when you think you are harmed. In this way, therefore, you will discover what duty to expect of your neighbour, your citizen, your commanding officer, if you acquire the habit of looking at your social relations with them.

# "Making correct use of impressions" 

## "So what we should be striving for is:" 

### "d) Consciously formulate true action propositions. "I⁰

should report truthfully to my boss regarding the sales numbers

from the last quarter: truth telling is virtuous, and I have a

duty to act faithfully at work. If my boss fires me, I should

remember that my job is an external, neither good not evil."

By paying attention to preferred and dispreferred indifferents,

and to the duties connected with my various roles in life, I can

recognize what it would actually be correct for me to do in

each situation. Bring this consciously to mind, and assent to

it" 

Making Correct Use Of Impressions

Claude:

Let me analyze the connections between these texts regarding preferred/dispreferred indifferents and role duties.

# Analysis of Preferred Indifferents and Role Duties in Stoic Texts 

## Key Conceptual Connections 

### The Nature of Preferred Indifferents 

1. In "Core Stoicism," preferred indifferents are introduced as "appropriate objects at which to aim" (Th 25). These include:

   - Life (our own or others')

   - Health

   - Pleasure

   - Knowledge

   - Justice

   - Truth-telling 

2. These objects have a unique status:

   - They are not "genuinely good" (Th 25)

   - They are appropriate to aim at (Th 25-26)

   - They must not become objects of desire, as desires for externals are considered irrational (Th 28) 

### Role Duties and Social Relationships 

1. The Enchiridion establishes that:

   - Duties are measured by social relationships

   - These duties exist independently of the other person's behavior

   - The focus should be on maintaining one's own proper relation to others

   - Natural relationships (like father-child) create obligations regardless of the other's merit 

2. The synthesis text ("So what we should be striving for") demonstrates how these concepts work together:

   - Truth-telling is identified as both a preferred indifferent and a role duty

   - Job performance is tied to role duties ("duty to act faithfully at work")

   - The job itself is properly classified as an external indifferent 

### Integration of Concepts 

The texts together reveal a sophisticated ethical framework where: 

1. Role duties provide concrete guidance for action while preferred indifferents provide the appropriate objects of aim 

2. Both systems work together to guide behavior while maintaining emotional independence:

   - We aim at preferred indifferents without becoming attached to outcomes

   - We fulfill role duties regardless of others' behavior

   - We maintain proper relations while remembering externals are neither good nor evil 

3. This creates a practical decision-making framework

   - Identify relevant role duties

   - Select appropriate aims from preferred indifferents

   - Act accordingly while maintaining detachment from outcomes 

## Practical Application 

The framework resolves potential conflicts by: 

1. Distinguishing between:

   - The duty to act (which we control)

   - The outcome (which we don't control) 

2. Providing clear priorities:

   - Role duties tell us what to do

   - Preferred indifferents tell us what to aim at

   - Virtue consists in proper willing toward these objects

   - External outcomes remain indifferent 

This creates a coherent system for ethical decision-making that maintains both practical effectiveness and emotional independence.

This analysis shows how these texts work together to create a practical ethical framework. Would you like me to elaborate on any particular aspect of these connections?

A plumber's role duties and associated indifferents