Chapter 2 Notes 2019

Stoicism: (from the Porch) 

Roman Empire’s Main Philosophy for over 500 Years.

Can be “kind of” negative, “kind of” orderly, “kind of” comical, “kind of” connected

Pre-Stoicism Ideas:

                -Skepticism:       Generally a questioner of the “status quo”.

                                -Sophists:            Life is a bunch of twisted words.

                                -Thesbians:        Live is “tragedy”, and it is always a “comic”.

                -Cynicism:           Cynosarges (lived in a wine barrel).  This was the extreme version.

                                -All materials are worthless and evil for the human spirit.

                                -All powerful people are evil.

                                -Organized society is a joke.

Named Founder of Stoicism is Zeno

                                -The skeptics and cynics were “too radical” for the majority.  Zeno created an acceptable

                                  form of skepticism and cynicism which changed and evolved as Rome changed and

  evolved.

-Fate:  Everything is a part of “Fate”.  “If it’s meant to be it will be”.

-“Meaningful Coincidence” – Things don’t happen by chance.

-Stoicism prefers the “Non-Emotional”.  It’s your fate, so deal with it.

-Logos:  Order, Control

Everything is connected and all answers are connected.

                                           Everything works in a “ordered system” with the universe and with mankind. 

                                                                -We need Cesar to be Cesar and ditch diggers to be ditch diggers

-Both are acting out their fates.  Both have meaningful purpose.

                               

                                -Critics of Stoicism argued that it was a ploy to hold Rome together.  It’s your “Fate” to

                                  Be a peasant and follow Cesar.  Enjoy the role you have, and don’t question stuff too

  Much.

HEDONISM and EPICURIANISM  (Two Greek Philosophies Based on Pleasure).

Hedonism:  Pure Pleasure.

                -Aristippus founder – student of Plato. Went on his own.

               

                -Physical Pleasure = The Meaning of Life.

-The more intense the pleasure, the more meaning and purpose.

-Enjoy Pleasure without guilt, follow natural desires.

                -The Roman’s actually took this “to the next level”, and some of them somehow made

                  It fit in with Stoicism.

Epicureanism: Controlled Pleasure. 

-Epicurus (341 – 270 BC) Studied under Plato and Aristotle, but rejected many things.

                                -Started his own school (The Garden).

                                -Everyone was equal in The Garden.  First to treat women equally.

                -All  Pleasure is good, but not all pleasure should be chosen.

                                -Momentary Pleasure

                                                -Kinetic Pleasure has a diminishing return.

                                                -Some momentary pleasure causes lasting pain.

                                                                -some pain created from pleasure is physical.

                                                                -some pain created form pleasure is mental.

                                -Lasting Pleasure

                                                -Grows rather than diminishes.

                                                -Based on Static Circumstances.

                                                -Based less on physical, more on mental and spiritual

                                                -Ataraxia:  The lack of physical pain and mental anguish.

                                                                -A constant life of not having troubles.

                                                                -A belief that pleasure = purpose (same as Hedonism)

                                                                -A belief in moderation and balance must exist.

Questions:

                -Do some Americans Participate in Hedonism?  Do some Americans Participate in Stoicism?

                -Do we mix the two?

                -What does it mean when the founding fathers say “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”?           

                -Do we let principles guide our actions, or do we create principles that justify our actions?

                -Is there some of both?

                -Does it matter?

. Existentialism: 

-The idea that we create our own purpose.

-The idea that we have complete Free Will.

-The lack of Fate.

-Usually Atheistic in Nature.

-A Modern Philosophy – Non-Greco-Roman.

-Underpinnings with Kierkegaard (1600ds), but came alive

  With Sartre’ (1950’s).

Kierkegaard:

            -Was A Thiest

            -God Designed us before he created us.

            -The creativity we have is part of God’s Plan.

            -God gave us Free Will that we can choose to do either good or evil with.

            -We control “Most” stuff we do.

                        -Occasionally God “Elects” someone to perform general function of his plan.

                        -Examples Kierkegaard gave were Abraham and Paul.

            -There wasn’t really “fate” as in Greco-Roman Culture, but limited election.

-For Kierkegaard:  Essence Precedes Existence.

Sartre’s Version:

            -Absence of Fate, therefore NOTHING is pre-determined.

                        -Therefore, EVERYTHING is by CHANCE

-There is TOTAL FREE WILL.

                        -When wrong occurs it is ridiculous to ask “why”.

-Nothing is a nice package of neat answers like what the Roman Stoics followed.

                        -Life is meaningless, other than the meaning we assign to it.

-Therefore we create our own purpose and meaning.

                        -We do this both individually and COLLECTIVELY.

 -We are not good or evil by nature, but by choice.

            -Since we create purpose and meaning, we are therefore RESPONSIBLE for our choices.

                        -No one can “make” you to be happy or angry.

                        -No action by anyone else can make you experience any emotion other than

                          what you choose.

            -Collective Choices are actually a result of individual choices, making all choices

              extremely important.

            -Therefore, complete freedom is a Huge Burdon, because we now know that we are

               Responsible and accountable. The only freedom we don’t have is the choice to not be

              free.  This is why Sartre’ made the famous statement: “You are Condemned to be

  free”. 

 So for Sartre’  Existence Precedes Essence. 

-You exist first, then you have essence.

-Unlike a paper-cutter who’s essence existed in someone’s mind first.

Deists:  Another Option of Determinism and Free Will

            -Deism has some fairly good American Company as most of the writers of the

              Constitution and the Bill of Rights were Deists to some degree.

            -They advocated for Free Will, but they were Theists, and they were somewhat

              moderate in their views of the argument.

            -God is a watch-maker who makes a watch and then throws it down and lets it

               tick on its own for the most part, but not all the time. 

-The idea of the Constitution was Inspired to some degree, but also man-designed.

-There’s mostly free-will, but there is also a divine plan.

       Determinism -------------------------------------------------------------------------------FREE WILL

      

Find the Answer                                                                                                     Create the Answer

              

                                                    Many Philosophers are Both

                                                                    (Dualism)

Buddhism

Siddharta Guatama (Around 560-480 BC – but no one really knows for sure)

                -Said to have lived in extreme luxury until his 30’s.

                -Said to have lived in unproductive self-indulgence.

-He became bored.

-He went on 4 secret trips to find out what the “real world was”.   Buddhism is about his findings

 on his trips, and interpretation of what other’s thought his sayings meant. 

-But really hardly anything is actually known about him.

Major Elements of Buddhism:

1)      Everyone Suffers.

a.       Physical Suffering is more obvious.

b.      Dukkha:  Anxiety, Anguish, Persistent Dissatisfaction.

2)      Suffering is caused by “Attachment”.  Attachment creates “Bad Karma”.

3)      “Enlightment” Cures suffering and creates “Good Karma”.

a.       Enlightment is like a journey on a raft.

b.      The raft exists in simple daily life.

c.       The raft moves toward Nirvana.

                                                                                                  i.      Nirvana is being unattached.

                                                                                                ii.      Nirvana is being “Totally Awake” (some define Buddhism by this).

                                                                                              iii.      Nirvana is found in the “Middle Way”.

                    Ascetic----------------------------------------------X---------------------------------------------------Indulgence

          (extreme self-denial)

                                                                                     The Desired “Middle Way”

                                                                           

                Other Things about Buddhism:

                                -Buddhism is the only major religion without a deity.  It is actually an argument whether

                              it really is a religion.

                                -Some consider being “Totally Awake” a good definition of Buddhism.

                                                -Being Totally Awake comes from Controlled Living.

                                                                -Simplicity.

-Meditation.

-Concentration.

-Denial (but not too much or you lose the Middle Way).

-Compassion.

                                -Buddhism is deterministic as everything has a cause; but 

                                  It does not have to be the same for everyone.

-There is a “thirst” or “desire” to either have or avoid.

                                -Cessation – The process of getting rid of the desire and creating a re-education of

                                  desire toward God and Enlightment.

                                -Anatta – No Self.  Self is a fiction that we invent.

                               

                                -Anicca – Nothing is permanent. 

  -Everything is in continuous change.

  -Process is all there is. 

  -Actions are greater than stability.