EXPANDING ON HADOT'S CORE STOIC INSIGHTS

THE SOUL'S THREE FUNDAMENTAL ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 1: RECEPTION OF IMPRESSIONS

The soul receives images from bodily sensations.

This is passive. You don't control what impressions arise.

Sterling (Excerpt 7):

"I receive impressions. For the moment, let [us] take these as being out of our control. Those impressions are cognitive, propositional--they are not uninterpreted raw data, but rather ideas that claim that the world is a certain way."

Hadot's point: The impression arrives. It makes a claim about reality.

Example:

- You see someone frowning at you

- Impression arises: "They're angry at me"

- This just appears in your soul

You don't choose this happening.

---

ACTIVITY 2: INNER DISCOURSE - JUDGMENT

"The soul tells itself what a given object or event is."

Hadot: "Here we have the central node of the whole of Stoicism: that of inner discourse, or judgments expressed on the subject of representations" (Hadot. IC, p. 84).

This is the crucial moment.

The soul doesn't just receive the impression passively. It talks to itself about it. It judges what the impression means.

Example continuing:

- Impression: "They're frowning at me"

- Inner discourse begins: "What does this mean? Are they angry? Is this bad? Does this threaten me? Do I need to respond?"

Hadot: "The soul tells itself what the object is for the soul, that is, what it is in the soul's view."

Critical insight: You're not just seeing reality. You're interpreting it. You're having a conversation with yourself about what things mean.

Sterling (Excerpt 7):

"The process of assenting is cognitive (it's something that happens in the conscious mind), but is very seldom explicit."

Hadot's contribution: Making this inner discourse explicit is the Stoic practice.

---

ACTIVITY 3: DESIRE AND IMPULSE TO ACTION

"Desire and impulses to action are the necessary results of this inner discourse."

Hadot: "If we desire something, it is because we have told ourselves that the thing in question is good; likewise, if we want to do something, it is because we have told ourselves that it was a good thing."

The causal chain is:

```

Impression → Inner discourse (judgment) → Desire/Impulse → Action

```

Not:

```

Impression → Desire (directly)

```

Between impression and desire stands JUDGMENT.

Sterling (Excerpt 9):

"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.]"

Example completed:

- Impression: "They're frowning at me"

- Inner discourse: "This means they're angry. Their anger is bad. I must fix this."

- Desire arises: Want them not to be angry

- Impulse: Urge to appease, defend, attack

- Action: Try to change their opinion

All driven by the judgment: "Their anger is bad."

---

THE CENTRAL NODE: EVERYTHING IS A MATTER OF JUDGMENT

Hadot: "As Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius never tire of saying, everything is a matter of judgment."

What This Means:

NOT: Things themselves cause our reactions

BUT: Our judgments about things cause our reactions

Hadot: "It is not things themselves that trouble us, but our representations of these things, the ideas we form of them, and the inner discourse which we formulate about them."

Sterling (Excerpt 1):

"1) Emotions are bad.

2) Emotions are caused by false value judgments.

3) Ergo, if we change those false value judgments, the bad emotions will go away."

Practical Implication:

When you're disturbed, the problem is never the external event.

The problem is always your judgment about the event.

Example:

Event: Car breaks down

Non-Stoic: "The car breaking down is upsetting me."

FALSE. The car is external, indifferent.

Stoic: "My judgment that the car breaking down is bad is upsetting me."

TRUE. The judgment is the problem.

Solution: Change the judgment, not the car.

---

ADEQUATE REPRESENTATIONS (KATALEPTIKAI)

Hadot's critical insight:

Standard translation: "comprehensive representations" (grasping reality fully)

Hadot's correction: "adequate representations" (not adding anything to what's given)

The Key Distinction:

ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION:

Stops at what is perceived. Adds nothing.

EXPANDING ON HADOT'S CORE STOIC INSIGHTS REPRESENTATION:

Goes beyond what is perceived. Adds value judgments.

Epictetus's Examples (Hadot's Translation):

ADEQUATE:

"So-and-so's son is dead."

- States the fact

- Adds nothing

- No value judgment

INADEQUATE:

"So-and-so's son is dead - what a terrible misfortune!"

- States the fact

- ADDS value judgment

- Goes beyond what's given

**The addition** is where the error enters.

---

## THE DIALECTICAL EXERCISE: EVENTS ASK QUESTIONS

**Hadot:** "Epictetus is representing moral life as a dialectical exercise, in which we engage in a dialogue with events, as they ask us questions."

### **How This Works:**

**1. REPRESENTATION ARISES**

**Impression:** "So-and-so's son is dead"

**2. REPRESENTATION ASKS A QUESTION**

**Question:** "What happened?"

**3. SOUL MUST ANSWER**

**Two possible answers:**

**INADEQUATE ANSWER:**

"A terrible misfortune happened"

- Adds value judgment

- Goes beyond fact

- Creates disturbance

**ADEQUATE ANSWER:**

"So-and-so's son died"

- States fact only

- Adds nothing

- No disturbance

**4. REPRESENTATION PERSISTS**

**Follow-up question:** "Nothing more?"

**5. SOUL CONFIRMS**

**Answer:** "Nothing more."

---

## EPICTETUS'S TRAINING EXERCISE (EXPANDED)

**Hadot translates Discourses III, 8, 1-2:**

### **The Training:**

"In the same way as we train ourselves in order to be able to face up to sophistical interrogations, we ought also to train ourselves to face up to representations, for they too ask us questions."

**What this means:**

Treat every impression as a question that needs answering.

Train yourself to answer correctly.

### **Example 1: Death**

**REPRESENTATION:** "So-and-so's son is dead."

**QUESTION:** "What is this?"

**CORRECT ANSWER:** "Something that does not depend on the will, and is not something bad."

**ANALYSIS:**

- Death = external (not in our control)

- External = not genuinely evil (only vice is evil)

- Therefore: Not bad (in Stoic sense)

**Sterling (Excerpt 9):**

"12) Ergo, things that are not in our control are never good or evil."

### **Example 2: Disinheritance**

**REPRESENTATION:** "So-and-so's father has disinherited him."

**QUESTION:** "What do you think of that?"

**CORRECT ANSWER:** "That doesn't depend on the will, and is not something bad."

**ANALYSIS:**

- Father's decision = external

- External = indifferent

- Not bad

### **Example 3: Emotional Reaction**

**REPRESENTATION:** "He was very hurt by it."

**QUESTION:** "What is this?"

**CORRECT ANSWER:** "That does depend on the will, and is something bad."

**ANALYSIS:**

- His emotional disturbance = result of false judgment

- False judgment = vice (defect of prohairesis)

- Vice = genuinely bad

**Critical insight:** His FEELING hurt is bad (comes from false judgment), not what happened to him (external).

### **Example 4: Virtue in Response**

**REPRESENTATION:** "He put up with it bravely."

**QUESTION:** "What is this?"

**CORRECT ANSWER:** "That depends on the will, and is something good."

**ANALYSIS:**

- His courageous response = virtue

- Virtue = excellence of prohairesis

- Virtue = genuinely good

---

## THE HABIT OF ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION

**Epictetus (via Hadot):**

"If we acquire this habit, we will make progress; for we will give our assent only to that of which there is an adequate representation."

### **What This Means Practically:**

**TRAIN THE RESPONSE:**

Every time impression arises, ask:

- "What actually happened?" (fact only)

- "What am I adding?" (value judgment)

- "Is what I'm adding true?" (test against value theory)

**EXAMPLE TRAINING SEQUENCE:**

**Impression 1:** "Her son is dead"

**Soul's question to itself:** "What happened?"

**UNTRAINED RESPONSE:** "A great misfortune"

- Goes beyond fact

- Adds false value judgment

**TRAINED RESPONSE:** "Her son is dead"

- States fact only

- Adds nothing

**Impression continues:** "Nothing more?"

**TRAINED RESPONSE:** "Nothing more."

- Confirms adequacy

- Refuses to add value judgment

---

## THE SHIP EXAMPLE (EXPANDED)

**Hadot quotes Epictetus:**

"His ship sank."

"What happened?"

"His ship sank."

"He was sent to prison."

**Then Epictetus adds:**

"But if you add the proposition 'a terrible thing happened to him,' then that is coming from you."

### **Critical Analysis:**

**WHAT'S GIVEN IN REALITY:**

- Ship sank (physical event)

- Person sent to prison (physical event)

**WHAT'S ADDED BY SOUL:**

- "Terrible thing"

- This is a value judgment

- This comes from YOU, not from reality

**Hadot:** "The idea according to which a certain event is a misfortune...is a representation which has no basis in reality; rather, it goes beyond an adequate vision of reality, by adding to it a false value-judgment."

### **Why This Matters:**

**The disturbance comes from what you added, not what happened.**

**Ship sinking:** External, indifferent

**"Ship sinking is terrible":** Your false judgment

**Change the judgment, eliminate the disturbance.**

---

## THE FUNDAMENTAL DOGMA

**Hadot:** "Such a representation can arise only in a soul which has not yet assimilated the fundamental dogma of Stoicism: happiness is only to be found in moral good, or virtue; and misfortune is only to be found in moral evil, in faults and in vice."

### **The Dogma Stated:**

**ONLY virtue is happiness.**

**ONLY vice is misfortune.**

**Everything else is indifferent.**

**Sterling (Excerpt 9):**

"Th 10) The only thing actually good is virtue, the only thing actually evil is vice."

### **Why Adequate Representation Requires This Dogma:**

**IF you believe externals can be good/evil:**

- You will add value judgments to external events

- "Ship sank = bad"

- Representations will be inadequate

- Disturbance will follow

**IF you assimilate the dogma:**

- You will not add false value judgments

- "Ship sank = external event, indifferent"

- Representations will be adequate

- No disturbance

**The dogma is not optional.**

**It's the foundation of adequate representation.**

---

## PRACTICAL APPLICATION: THE COMPLETE PROCESS

### **SITUATION:** Someone criticizes your work publicly

**STEP 1: IMPRESSION ARISES**

"They criticized me in front of everyone"

**STEP 2: IMPRESSION ASKS QUESTION**

"What happened?"

**STEP 3: TWO POSSIBLE RESPONSES**

**INADEQUATE (adds value judgment):**

"Something terrible happened - I was humiliated, my reputation is damaged, this is bad"

**Result:** 

- Goes beyond fact

- Adds false value (reputation = good/bad)

- Creates disturbance

**ADEQUATE (states fact only):**

"They stated criticisms of my work in a public setting"

**Result:**

- States what occurred

- Adds no value judgment

- No disturbance created

**STEP 4: IMPRESSION PERSISTS**

"Nothing more?"

**STEP 5: CONFIRM ADEQUACY**

"Nothing more. That's what happened."

**STEP 6: TEST AGAINST DOGMA**

"Is criticism genuinely bad?"

"No. External. Indifferent."

"Is damaged reputation genuinely bad?"

"No. External. Indifferent."

"What would be genuinely bad?"

"If I respond with vice - if I make false judgments, act inappropriately."

"What would be genuinely good?"

"If I respond with virtue - correct judgment, appropriate action."

**STEP 7: IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE ACTION**

**Sterling ("My Action Is My Choice"):**

"1) Choose objectively correct, rational ends.

2) Choose rational means to those ends.

3) Make all those choices with the 'reservation' that these outcomes are never really under my control."

**Appropriate action might be:**

- Consider criticism rationally (is it valid?)

- Respond calmly if response warranted

- Improve work if criticism accurate

- Maintain virtue regardless

**With reservation:** Outcome of response is external

---

## THE INNER DIALOGUE MADE EXPLICIT

**Hadot's key contribution:** Making the usually implicit inner discourse **explicit**.

### **NORMAL (IMPLICIT) PROCESS:**

```

Impression → [hidden judgment] → Desire → Action

```

You're not aware of the judgment.

It happens automatically.

You think the impression directly causes the desire.

### **STOIC (EXPLICIT) PROCESS:**

```

Impression → "What is this?" → Explicit examination → Adequate representation → Appropriate response

```

You make the judgment conscious.

You examine it.

You correct it if false.

You control the outcome.

### **HOW TO MAKE IT EXPLICIT:**

**TECHNIQUE 1: VERBALIZE THE DIALOGUE**

Literally talk to the impression:

**Impression:** "Traffic is making me late"

**You:** "What happened?"

**Answer:** "Traffic exists. I will arrive later than planned."

**You:** "Nothing more?"

**Answer:** "Nothing more."

**You:** "Is lateness genuinely bad?"

**Answer:** "No. External. Dispreferred indifferent."

**You:** "What is genuinely good here?"

**Answer:** "Responding appropriately - drive safely, notify people, remain tranquil."

**TECHNIQUE 2: WRITE THE DIALOGUE**

When disturbed, write out the inner discourse:

**Event:** Didn't get job

**Impression asking:** "What happened?"

**My answer:** "A terrible thing - I failed, my future is damaged"

**Examine:** "Is this adequate? Am I adding value judgment?"

**Correct:** "I applied for a job. They selected someone else. That's what happened."

**Test:** "Is not getting job (external) genuinely bad?"

**Answer:** "No. Dispreferred indifferent."

**Result:** "Then why am I disturbed? Because I added 'this is terrible' - a false judgment."

---

## CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THIS PRACTICE

**Epictetus (via Hadot):**

"If we acquire this habit, we will make progress."

### **The Progression:**

**STAGE 1: UNTRAINED**

- Impressions arise

- Automatic inadequate representations

- Constant disturbance

- No awareness of process

**STAGE 2: LEARNING**

- Impressions arise

- Catch yourself after the fact

- Recognize added false judgment

- Correct retrospectively

- Some disturbance reduced

**STAGE 3: PRACTICING**

- Impressions arise

- Catch yourself during

- Explicit dialogue with impression

- Adequate representation produced

- Most disturbance prevented

**STAGE 4: HABITUAL**

- Impressions arise

- Automatic adequate representation

- No false judgment added

- No disturbance created

- Practice becomes natural

**STAGE 5: SAGE**

**Sterling (Excerpt 7):**

"The Sage is simply someone who has controlled their assents so carefully for such a long period of time that they no longer receive the false value impressions (that externals are good or bad) in the first place."

- Impressions arise already adequate

- No false value content even appears

- No effort required

- Perfect tranquility

---

## WHY THIS PRACTICE IS TRANSFORMATIVE

### **1. REVEALS WHERE PROBLEM ACTUALLY IS**

**Before:** "The problem is the ship sinking"

**After:** "The problem is my judgment that ship sinking is bad"

**Before:** "If only the ship hadn't sunk"

**After:** "I need to correct my judgment"

**One is impossible (control external).**

**One is possible (control judgment).**

### **2. SHOWS YOU'RE ALWAYS IN DIALOGUE**

**Hadot's insight:** You're constantly talking to yourself about events.

Usually this is unconscious.

Stoic practice makes it conscious.

Once conscious, you can control it.

### **3. IDENTIFIES PRECISE MOMENT OF INTERVENTION**

**The moment:** Between impression and judgment

**The question:** "What happened?"

**The choice:** Adequate or inadequate representation

**This is where you intervene.**

### **4. PROVIDES TRAINING METHOD**

Not vague "be more Stoic."

But concrete: Practice dialogue with impressions.

**Every impression = training opportunity**

**Every day = dozens of opportunities**

**Every year = thousands of repetitions**

**Character changes.**

---

## THE COMPLETE SYSTEM INTEGRATION

**Hadot's contribution connects to Sterling's system:**

### **VALUE THEORY (Sterling):**

Only virtue good, only vice evil, externals indifferent

### **ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION (Hadot):**

Don't add false value judgments to externals

**These are the same thing.**

### **COGNITIVE THEORY (Sterling):**

Emotions arise from value judgments

### **INNER DISCOURSE (Hadot):**

Soul judges what impressions mean

**These describe the same process.**

### **DISCIPLINE OF ASSENT (Sterling):**

Examine impressions, refuse false assent

### **DIALECTICAL EXERCISE (Hadot):**

Dialogue with impressions, give adequate answers

**These are the same practice.**

---

## PRACTICAL DAILY EXERCISE (COMBINING HADOT & STERLING)

### **MORNING PREPARATION:**

Review fundamental dogma:

"Only virtue is good. Only vice is evil. Externals are indifferent."

Prepare for today's impressions:

"Today impressions will arise. They will ask questions. I will answer adequately."

### **THROUGHOUT DAY:**

**Every impression:**

1. Notice it arising

2. It asks: "What is this?"

3. Answer adequately: State fact only

4. It asks: "Nothing more?"

5. Answer: "Nothing more"

6. Test: "Does this depend on my will? Is it good/evil?"

7. Answer: "External/Internal. Indifferent/Good/Evil."

8. Act appropriately based on correct judgment

### **EVENING REVIEW:**

**Sterling (Excerpt 7):**

"e) When you do act correctly, assent to the proposition that you have done a good thing--then you will experience Joy (or at least proto-Joy.)"

List impressions from today:

- Which did I represent adequately?

- Which did I represent inadequately?

- What false judgments did I add?

- How will I answer better tomorrow?

---

## CONCLUSION: THE CENTRAL PRACTICE

**Hadot reveals:** The Stoic life is a continuous dialogue with impressions.

**Every moment:**

- Impressions ask questions

- You must answer

- Answer adequately = tranquility

- Answer inadequately = disturbance

**The practice:**

- Make inner discourse explicit

- Stop at what's given

- Add no false value

- Assent only to adequate representations

**The result:**

**Sterling (Excerpt 9):**

"Someone who judges truly will never be unhappy, will in fact experience continual uninterrupted appropriate positive feelings, and will always act virtuously."

**This is the practice.**

**This is Stoicism.**