Sage (sophos)

The stoic manner (Greek: σοφóς, Latin: sapiens ) is the ideal of Stoic ethics, which was first used by Chrysippus of Soli (3rd century BC) formulated.

Ancient Philosophy

The wise man therefore lives in a perfect manner in accordance with the nature, which is identified with reason and at the same time with the virtue, the highest good of the Stoics. In all his actions show up in the same way all four cardinal virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. Therefore, he has two reasons ευδαιμωνíα ( eudaimonia ), complete happiness: First, it has been recognized that the emotions and desires solely based on mental illness or error. Thus, it is self-sufficient of them free and as an individual. Since emotions and desires are always based body, leads the some Stoics as Posidonius ( 135-51 BC) and Epictetus (ca. 50-125 ) to a certain body hostility and contempt of all corporeal.

Secondly, it is said, the sage was clear that all pleasure and displeasure, all in relation to the highest good are indifferent, αδιáφορον ( adiaphoron ). The vicissitudes of the stoic view immutable and predetermined destiny, such as disease, poverty and social isolation can he take with the proverbial stoicism, the απάθεια ( dispassion ). At most " positive passions " such as friendliness, joy or love for his children be allowed to him. Also pity, so to speak, mean infection with the negative emotions of another, disturbing the peace of mind of the sage and was therefore refused. However, this did not rule out that he helped the needy or gave alms. Even an assumption of responsibility in the political sphere was considered by some Stoics with the ideal of the wise for compatible. This reflects the Stoic ideal of dispassionate ways of the Epicurean goal of ἀταραξία different ( Unverwirrtheit, the distance to the socio- political events implied), with which it otherwise has much in common.

Cicero ( 106-43 BC ) may therefore in his Tusculanae Disputationes based on Stoic sources, explain the way to be happy even on the rack. The Greek philosopher Plutarch (. 45 -ca 125), the opposite was the Stoics critical, handed a formulation in which the paradoxical happiness of the wise is further sharpened:

" The stoic manner does not lose his freedom in prison; overthrowing him down from the rock, he suffers no violence; one span him to the torture, he suffers no distress; to chop off his limbs, he remains unharmed; He also falls in wrestling, he is undefeated; you enclose it with walls, it applies no siege; it is sold by the enemies, so he 's not a prisoner. "

That a manifestation of this ideal image was extremely unlikely in reality, the Stoics admitted frankly. When Alexander of Aphrodisias, a Peripatetic philosopher of the 3rd century, has been handed down, they held a Stoic sage for " rarer than the phoenix ." The Stoic philosopher Seneca (ca. 1-65 ) moved away from the overly rigorous demands of the Old and Middle Stoa and put everyday practical advice in the center of his didactic writings. He emphasizes in one of his letters to questions of ethics that life will already be tolerable if you 've only begun to strive for wisdom. Nevertheless, he also used the figure of almost god-like perfect ways to show how desirable its properties are:

" Si hominem videris interritum periculis, intactum cupiditatibus, inter adversa felicem in Mediis tempestatibus placidum, ex superiore loco homines videntem, ex aequo deodorants, non subibit te veneratio eius? non dices, ' ista res maior est quam ut altiorque credi similis Huic in quo est corpusculo possit '? "

The Stoics were sharply criticized in antiquity for their utopian ideal of the wise. In particular, the anti- dogmatic- skeptical academics found a point of attack here. Thus Cicero makes in his theological treatise De natura deorum Gaius Aurelius Cotta as a representative of this school polemic against the Stoics, the hinstellten an all too improbable luck than ideal:

" Nam si stultitia consensu omnium philosophorum maius est malum, quam si omnia mala et fortunae et corporis ex altera parte ponantur, sapientiam autem nemo adsequitur in Summis mali omnes sumus, vos quibus optume consultum a dis inmortalibus dicitis. "

The poet Horace ( 65-8 BC), who had been Epicureans in his youth, still poured in his published in the year 20 BC the first epistle biting mockery of the Stoics and their ways out, like Jupiter rich, free, honored, beautiful and above all healthy is - unless it tormenting a cold.

Reception

Antiquity

" From all sides we are cornered and yet not distressed; we do not know of one yet, and yet, do not despair; We are persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Where do we come from, we always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus can be seen in our bodies. "

Modern Times

Despite the strong reception of Stoic ethics since the Renaissance the ideal of the wise played no significant role in the philosophy of modern times. Arthur Schopenhauer scoffed in 1819 in his work The World as Will and Representation:

" The Stoic manner [ was ] in their [ the Stoics ] representation itself, never gain life or inner poetic truth [ ... ], but [ is ] a wooden, stiff limbs man [ ... ], with which you can not do anything, which itself does not know what to do with his wisdom, his perfect peace, satisfaction, Glücksäligkeit the essence of humanity almost contradicts and lets us be no philosophical idea. "

Today, the ideal of the Stoic sage is criticized as structurally inhumane: the stoic, while it is save for example a child from a burning house, but not to itself but to do for the sake of the child's rights; should fail his rescue attempt and the child die, the stoic manner would not feel regret because he eo ipso be free from disturbing emotions, because, secondly, the death was indeed no evil for the child, and because thirdly, the child's death by Providence would cause that is identical with the divine Logos the world through prevailing.