Philosophies of Work: Stoicism
Wed, Feb 07
Stoicism is an ancient philosophical school in the virtue ethics tradition. It emphasizes the importance of one's inner life, and goods--like tranquility, resilience, and persistence--characteristic thereof. Today we'll read from Epictetus's Manual, a text that records a number of aphorisms that offer characteristically stoic guidance on how to approach problems and issues that arise in everyday life. In this class period, we'll consider whether stoicism can provide useful tools for us as we seek to lead meaningful, tranquil work lives.
Goals - by the end of today's class, you will:
- Be able to identify the virtues that the Greek and Roman stoics prized the most;
- See how these virtues integrate into a life well-lived, and how we might bring them to bear in our work lives; and
- Analyze, from a stoic point of view, several ancient and contemporary stoic maxims, evaluating their truth and usefulness in the context of your own life.
Read This:
(Access readings on Perusall)
Primary Reading: Epictetus's Manual (i.e., Enchiridion)
Secondary Reading: DeBrander, "Should Work Be a Passion or a Duty"
Do This:
After completing the readings for today, consider the following questions (which we will talk about in class):
- Why do you think Stoics wrote primarily in the form of notes-to-self or "meditations"?
- How do you think contemporary stoicism differs from ancient stoicism? Does it still seem like a tenable approach? If you're willing to try out some of the stoic practices recommended, how do these compare with other strategies or techniques you've used to achieve "inner peace" or "harmony"?