Within the last several months, I’ve been embarking upon a spiritual journey centered around the Ancient Greco-Roman school of philosophy called ‘Stoicism’. Stoicism has reminded me of a simple, yet profound truth regarding philosophy in general: Philosophy is much more than an academic pursuit or an intellectual exercise. It is a way of practically approaching the issues of life and human nature, using reason and logic rather than dogma, superstition or mythology as are characteristic of religion.
With this said, however, I do possess some inkling of religious belief. Regarding my individual conception of God, I do accept both a pantheistic ‘God’ and polytheistic ‘gods’ (as I have for quite some time now). Of course, in my writing and speech, I will differentiate between the two. In any case, I digress.
Regarding Stoicism, the basic premise is “to attain harmony and peace of mind — eudaimonia — by living in accordance with the Will of God (or Nature)”. How I’m learning to do this is by paying constant attention to those things that I can control in life and those things I cannot. Additionally, it’s imperative that I cultivate virtue. Without a strong sense of virtue, and a sense of gratitude for the events of life, maintaining a balanced mind is impossible. The four core virtues for Stoics are wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. A third aspect of my practice is to engage in the disciplines of judgment, assent, and desire.
If I dedicate myself to working on paying attention to what I can and cannot control, cultivating the four virtues, engaging in the three disciplines, and always living a life grateful to the Universe, then I can attain inner peace and harmony.
With this said, however, I do possess some inkling of religious belief. Regarding my individual conception of God, I do accept both a pantheistic ‘God’ and polytheistic ‘gods’ (as I have for quite some time now). Of course, in my writing and speech, I will differentiate between the two. In any case, I digress.
Regarding Stoicism, the basic premise is “to attain harmony and peace of mind — eudaimonia — by living in accordance with the Will of God (or Nature)”. How I’m learning to do this is by paying constant attention to those things that I can control in life and those things I cannot. Additionally, it’s imperative that I cultivate virtue. Without a strong sense of virtue, and a sense of gratitude for the events of life, maintaining a balanced mind is impossible. The four core virtues for Stoics are wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. A third aspect of my practice is to engage in the disciplines of judgment, assent, and desire.
If I dedicate myself to working on paying attention to what I can and cannot control, cultivating the four virtues, engaging in the three disciplines, and always living a life grateful to the Universe, then I can attain inner peace and harmony.
