Stoic Philosophy by Philip Hansten (Part 1)
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- Опубликовано: 1 июл 2024
- An introduction to Stoic philosophy. The First of 3 parts.
by Dr. Philip Hansten, Professor Emeritus, University of Washington
Link to Ernest Becker Foundation: thedenialfile.wordpress.com/au...
I love this. Only heard about Stoicism this year,my first year in University. I immediately likened myself to Stoic thought. Like you said I want to marinate my life with stoicism my passion has brought me here. Thank you.
I am sixty eight and when a young man I began reading Marcus Aurelius and other thinkers. I am surprised how much of it I have incorporated in my life. I became a stoic at a young age and your lecture caused me to look back on what I learned and lived.
Thank you for reminding me.
Travis Barlow
Treutlen Farm
Thank you for the kind comments! I do plan to make some more over the next year.
Best regards, Philip Hansten
P.S.: Are you by any chance from the Czech Republic? In September I bicycled down by Telc, Trebon, and Cesky Krumlov... had a wonderful time.
Thank you very much for this interesting and well presented video. I've found Stoicism to be the one thought system of all the philosophies and religions that is useful, rational, and moral. As a law enforcement officer, I've found it to be an excellent mental survival tool. I look forward to viewing more of your videos. Once again, thank you.
To salvattore69: Thanks for the heads up on Stoic Week. What a wonderful event! I am so pleased that so many people are stoked on Stoicism!
Best, Philip
Philip Hansten wonderful presentation. Would like to watch more of your presentations
Thanks for the kind comments!
Philip Hansten
Hi An Sha,
Wonderful! I'm so glad you liked it. And the Stoics are an excellent place to start if one is getting into philosophy. Wise, accessible, and useful all at the same time.
Thanks, Philip Hansten
Thanks for the kind comments! I think Stoicism would be almost a necessity for law enforcement officers and people in the military!
Best, Philip Hansten
Excellent point. You have identified a potential danger of focusing on one aspect of Stoicism (equanimity in the face of adversity) to the point of failing to act to oppose injustice and evil. But actually the Stoics urged people to act in the world, and not just withdraw into a Stoic indifference. It was the Epicurians who recommended withdrawing from society.
Thanks for the comment,
Philip
Great job, Dr. Hansten. I use this video with my pre AP World History class at the American School of Guadalajara in Mexico. I keep a copy of Mediations on my bedside table. I also love to do a short lecture on Stoicism of my own with my group in English Lit. class when we do Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Bien hecho. Gracias.
UW alumnus here, 2001. Recently very interested in philosophy. I greatly appreciate your video and it makes me want to go back to school and take some philosophy courses.
Hi Mark, Thanks for the kind comments! And I can see that Stoicism would be enormously useful in your line of work! I'm sure you deal with many issues over which you simply do not have control, and being able to apply Stoic principles to them would be very helpful.
Best, Philip
@NorHkn Thanks for the kind comments. I appreciate it! Best wishes, Philip Hansten
I want to thank you for these videos. I have never been religous or philisophical but I have found stoicism to be a rational, reasonable and logical way of life.
You are very welcome! And I think you are correct that the Stoics warned us against excessive attachment to things. By the way, Catalonia is a wonderful area, and I have enjoyed very much my several visits there.
Best wishes, Philip
Excellent presentation in this and the following videos -- I'll definitely recommend this as a resource for my students
Thanks, Travis, That is wonderful that you started so early! I think virtually everyone could benefit from early Stoic training. In addition to my students at the University of Washington, for several years I have been giving lectures on Stoic thought to honors students a a local high school. The Stoic ideas seem to resonate with them, and it is very gratifying to see them get excited about Stoicism.
Thanks,
Phil
Philip as you implied, knowledge sets us free. I am trying to encourage those with deeper perceptions to read Thaddeus Golas book "Love &Pain". He explains why our life has to be stoic. As an example if our body cells were not willing to experience pain we would embrace every disease in the vicinity. We need to endure physical and emotional pain to be human - yet we may also fully expand awareness where all is bliss, both are possible to humans though instant gratification (ie. drugs) is deadly.
09:13 One of my favourite quotes, "the measure of a man is what he does with power."
Yes, I too find reacting as the Stoics recommend is very difficult at times! I guess my thinking is that if one can only succeed half the time, one still is dramatically improving 50% of the problems in ones life!
Thanks for the comment,
Philip Hansten
Thank you so much! And it is amazing that you mentioned Ernest Becker, because I also think "The Denial of Death" is one of the most important books of all time. Becker's "Escape from Evil" is also great. Becker is one of the 4 thinkers who most changed my life; the other 3 are Montaigne, Nietzsche, and (of course) the Stoics. I participate in The Ernest Becker Foundation, and write essays for their blog. The link to The Ernest Becker Foundation appears in the description of this video (above).
Thanks for the nice comments! I think "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius would be a great place to start, or the "Enchiridion" by Epictetus. Older translations are probably available free in iBooks, Google, etc., so you might want to start there. More recent translations sometimes have English that is easier to understand, so that would be an option if the free versions are difficult.
Happy reading!
Philip
Thanks for the comments! Yes, Stoic ideas have permeated Western thought for two millennia, from Shakespeare to Montaigne to Reinhold Niebuhr (the "Serenity Prayer" is pure Stoicism). I'm guessing that modern authors usually take these ideas unknowingly, but it would be nice if they referenced the Stoics!
Best wishes, Philip
A wonderful introduction to stoicism. Thank you.
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Regarding his children, Marcus lost them all before adulthood except for Commodus. I'm not aware of how he treated all of his children, but he certainly included Commodus in his life as emperor. But regarding his subjects, most scholars point out his almost unimaginable forbearance in dealing with his subjects. Marcus seems to have dealt with his subjects without the pettiness and capricious cruelty that so often attends absolute power.
Regards, Philip Hansten
Thanks, Steve! I agree with you completely. Stoicism is useful for all sorts of people, whether one is philosophical or not, or religious or not. It is hard to imagine someone who would be offended by Stoicism... but perhaps I underestimate the proclivity for offense in the human animal!
Best wishes,
Philip
I'm glad you liked it! Looks like you are well on your way to a Stoic life!
Take care, Philip Hansten
Thank you very much for this video. Stoic philosophy has always been appealing for its straightforward and simplistic approach. I've tried to embrace it in my own personal life and have found it very empowering, although I must confess I would find it difficult to react in the manner recommended by Epictetus when my family reverts to their natural state.
Thanks John... I'll check out "Love & Pain." You make some good points, and I absolutely agree with you that we must experience pain to become fully human. This was one of Nietzsche's most important insights, in my view.
Thanks,
Philip
Excellent presentation. Thank you.
Thanks for the comments. I have not read Tony Equale, and I will take your advice to check out what he has to say.
Best wishes,
Philip Hansten
Great introduction to Stoicism! Seneca is my favorite Stoic. I'm currently reading through his Moral Letters to Lucilius. It's been a delightful endeavor.
The Rugged Pyrrhus I agree with you about Seneca. His letters are wonderful, and his essay on Anger is outstanding.
Thanks, Michael. Yes, Seneca had some serious setbacks in his life. Thank goodness he was a Stoic!
Best regards, Philip
Thank you for the video professor. I really enjoyed it.
Yes, Seneca had a lot of wisdom, and he wrote beautifully.
Warm regards, Philip Hansten
I never studied philosophy but i started getting an interest in stoicism by reading in my free time of The Art of Living that was from Epictetus. I just recently finished reading eastern philosophy Tao Te Ching the foundation of Taoism in China. Which was interesting but in my opinion stoicism is much more interesting. I'm now thinking of getting Meditations that was by Marcus Aurelius. I really enjoy reading and learning stoicism in my free time, learned quite a bit from it! :)
Thanks for the comment. You can't go wrong with old Marcus!
Philip
Very good explained. This will help me with my lecture about stoicism.
As it happens I am. The city of Prague. What gave me away? I am certainly glad you enjoyed it. Yes, I am very fond of that area myself - used to go there as a boy scout :). Czech is a strange land though.
Well, I have viewed many our your videos, and I love them. So I consider it an honor that you like mine!
Best regards,
Philip
muchas gracias, notable trabajo
Excellent, informative and engaging. Thank You :)
Emma Franklin Bell Thank you for the kind comments! Best wishes, Philip
Great introduction on Stoics prof! I hope you're planning on making more videos regarding philosophy including the other schools of thought.
By the way, I want to delve more on Stoic's ethic, so should I start with works from Seneca, Epictetus or Marcus Aurelius? Anyway, thanks again for this awesome intro!
Wow fantastic presentation!
+1
Good question. Actually the Stoics spend a lot of time talking about how to *deal* with the evil you experience in your life, but not a lot of time talking about what evil itself is. The Stoics did subscribe to the view that evil is largely due to ignorance on the part of the person committing evil. They also viewed "good" as the same as virtue (or integrity). Thanks, Philip Hansten
Great points, Jack! I like the "counting coup" idea! Regarding female crows being smarter, I was just trying to be funny with that one... no misandry intended! Actually, the whole crow thing was just an attempt at humor and not intended to be anti-crow. (We have a lot of them by our house, and I love watching them.)
Thanks, Philip
Hey! Great lecture. Second time today I am watching it. If you ever make more videos on philosophy I am remain convinced they will be greatly appreciated. :)
Thanks so much! Yes, the Greek Tragedians and the Stoics had some common ideas regarding fate. Personally, I think the issue of fate is ignored far too much in Western thought.
Best, Philip
Brilliant, thank you.
Great intro, thanks. I read Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius regularly - they're both excellent. Stoicism should be more widely taught, in my opinion. Glad you're making these videos.
Well, except for the fact that the Stoics considered that fire, mind, etc. to be itself material, just a finer sort of matter than coarser types.
Generally, within the history of ideas, it's not the Stoics who get criticized for a dualism of the material and immaterial. What you'd want there would be the Platonists, more likely.
There's other dualisms in Stoicism. But making dualistic distinctions is not quite the same as a wholesale putatively crippling DUALISM pervading an entire mindset
Great lesson Philip thank you! What books would you recommend or any practical sources? (Blogs, vlogs, ect)
Love the video ! Thanks for the post, I hope there will be a revival of stoicism, the world needs it ;-) Have you ever gotten acquinted with Budhism, its funny how many simularities there are with this branch of thought. I love how you introduced the animal shot in the end and used that, since these stoic philsophers and so many others also used nature as their inspiration. I hope the world will understand some day that stoicism does not imply not caring, but rather not being lead by the emotions. Of course a stoic person cares his hair is on fire, but he doesnt go around screaming like a girl about this, he would simply act accordingly to stop the fire.
Urban Dictionary
Stoic
A person who chooses to express no or little emotion, even in extreme situations. Considered to be surprisingly intelligent as well as beautiful. Also can be seen randomizing the streets on a regular basis.
Even though his hair was on fire, the stoic continued to play chess undaunted.
sorry for any spell errors, Im not native English but Dutch
*his/her
Yes, I have read "The Teaching of Buddha" which I picked up in a hotel in Asahikawa, Japan (I tried to buy it, but they insisted that I take it for free). I have the book in front of me now, and my marginalia says "Like the Stoics" many times. So I agree with you that many of the tenets are similar. I am not at all an expert on Buddhism, but I believe there is much wisdom in Buddhist teachings.
Thanks, Philip
Gracias Michael! I'm so glad this has been useful to your students! Speaking of Shakespeare, I only recently learned that he was quite fond of Montaigne's essays, and since Montaigne quoted Seneca frequently, Shakespeare was clearly influenced by Stoicism. (Perhaps Shakespeare also read the Stoics directly?) BTW, I love Mexico, and spend as much time as possible in La Paz. I've only been to Guadalajara once, but I enjoyed it very much. Gracias y Saludos, Felipe (Philip Hansten)
Thank you fo putting this together, it was a really brilliant and modern lecture.
I have a question: How would people like Marcus have corrected his subjects and his children when they did something wrong. With regards to stoicism?
Spinoza regarded matter as Decartes did: matter can be acted upon but cannot act; matter is inert. ("Parallelism" would correspond to Descartes' "Thought" & "Extension). The Epicureans viewed motion as an inherent property of atoms. Epicurus added the "swerve" to Democritus' atomism. Epicurean atomism is referred to as "naive materialism" (thoughtful guesswork) as compared to the empirically verified atomism of modern science. Spinoza was a pantheist; Epicurus was not. Thanks for the chat!
¡Gracias!
Thank you for posting :)
You are quite welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks!
Great videos! As a non native English speaker, which book do you recommend if I want to practice Stoicism?
Thank you for pointing out the problematic nature of Stoic metaphysics. I have always considered Stoic metaphysics uninteresting, but you point out that some of it has had a negative impact. I'll check out Tony Equale.
Best regards,
Philip
Seneca was exiled to Corsica by Emperor Caligula; recalled by Nero's mother under Emperor Claudius and become influential under Emperor Nero, who later allowed/ordered him to commit suicide.
Yes, Plato gives dualism its most egregious presentation, but Plato was influenced by the seminal dualism of Pythagoras. The materialism (atomism) of Epicurus as presented by Lucretius in De Rerum Natura is certainly not the materialism as presented in the Meditations (Marcus Aurelius) or Epictetus in the Handbook or Discourses. If you have a reference for an analysis in Stocism of the materiality of the divine logos, I would appreciate it. Marcus Aurelius is an "Intelligent Design" proponent.
Did you read 'I Think, Therefore I Am' by Lesley Levene?
Just wondering, where did you get most of your Marcus Aurelius quotes?
Hi Reid, I got most of them from the Penguin translation, although I use other translations as well from time to time.
Philip
¡Gracias por su alabanza! No hablo español bien, pero necesito practicar, no?
Felipe Hansten
thanks for this. Also has anyone ever told you, you sound like Bryan Cranston a little bit?
Actually, yes! I can't detect it, but maybe a person can't hear their own voice very well!
Thanks, Philip
Good stuff! I am writing an essay on Stoicism, but don't know exactly where to start...Can you help?
Epictetus' Enchiridion outlines the basic ethical tenets of Stoicism. It's a short read too.
David tapia I agree with The Rugged Pyrrus... the Enchiridion is a great place to start. (Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner!)
Philip
Muy buen español también
Modern science has labored under the burden of Descartes' dualism: "Thinking Substances" vs "Extended Substances." In this framework, matter is seen as inert; there has to be another principle to enliven this inert matter. I'm a materialist but my understanding of materialism has broken free of this Cartesian dualism and modern science needs to do so as well without falling into "Intelligent Design," "Creationism," or other similar hogwash. Cf: The Mystery of Matter by Tony Equale.
I believe that historians would agree with you that Marcus Aurelius did not stop the persecution of Christians that was occurring in Rome. I think they would disagree with your other accusations of racism and "homogenity." The label of "paganism" is a non sequitur for an emperor of Rome of his time. Most importantly, if one reads "Meditations" by Marcus Aureluis, what shines through is his magnanimous humanity... one searches in vain for negative or vulgar traits..
Thanks, Philip
"amor fati"
This guy sounds just like Walter White from Breaking Bad.
Thank you for the video. Though a few small, perhaps unrelated points. Hawks eat crow offspring. Which is why crows are often seen in groups chasing them off. So perhaps crows aren't jerks, after all. At least not for the reason given. Also, you commented that "female crows would never do anything so stupid". Implying, that males are stupid. Perhaps some unconscious misandry on your part? I'd say the male crows show bravery. Perhaps your crow was "counting coup", as it were. A crow stoic.
how come these stoics always spawn awful children or protegees?
Misnomer: Phrygia is an Ioanian Greek - region. Turkey is merely a banker created state of recent times.
Had to be a male crow...
Phrygia is a Greek city conquered by Ottoman Turks about 500 years ago where the remaining minority Greek populations of the Turkish west coast of that region were slaughtered on Jihadist military campaigns in the early 20th century.