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