Stoicism and Human Happiness
Stoicism is a theory which states that human happiness should not depend on our indulgence in pleasure or the concern of pain.
The Early Stoics' Perspective
The founders of this theory stated that using feelings to make judgments is destructive. The early Stoics believed that what people say is not a determinant of who they are but how they behave. This delivered in the relationship between human freedom and cosmic determinism.
Living in Harmony with Nature
Stoicism holds that for a person to be truly happy, they need to recognize how nature works. Thereby, living a good life is tantamount to dwelling in harmony with the fundamental rules of nature.
Critiques of Stoicism
The trouble with stoicism is that the theory is imperfect. Stoics claim that they rely on rationalism; yet believing in the presence of air itself requires faith, something that they define as superstition. It is also an individualistic theory; as long as an individual has what he needs, it does not matter what happens to the rest as it focuses on personal fulfillment (Sellars, 2016).
Applying Stoicism in Life
Currently, it is right to say that people are stoic, to some degree. The desire to remain childless for some time after marriage is an act in self-preservation. A young couple understands that a new individual in their life would disrupt their perceived honeymoon. It is clear to state that while they may state unpreparedness, it all comes down to pandering their own interests. Life events only serve to show that humans are incapable of selfless actions.
Pursuit of Happiness with Stoicism
In my pursuit of happiness, stoicism would be applied in avoiding materialism. According to Epictetus, wealth consists of having a few wants, not big possessions. Living in a consumer society, we are possibly tempted to acquire material things in an effort to be equal to the rest who have them. The media has also intensified the desire in people to accumulate materials. They fail to realize that the fewer things you have, the happier you are. These things are the basic requirements, the rest are luxuries (Vernon, 2017).
References
Arnold, E. V. (2014). Roman Stoicism (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.
Sellars, J. (2016). Shaftesbury, Stoicism, and Philosophy as a Way of Life. Sophia, 55(3), 395-408.
Vernon, M. (2017). Philosophy and Life. Retrieved on February 3, 2017from:
http://www.markvernon.com/friendshiponline/dotclear/
