Tuesday 28 November 2017

Embracing Stoicism

tl;dr 1. I have decided to become a Stoic, 2. I have also decided to take up blogging again.

I was, in my youth, dismissive of philosophy.  One of the things I liked about science was that you could argue all you liked, but ultimately there was the test: an experiment, and then we'd know who was right and who was wrong (and could move on to arguing about something else).  With no conceivable test, philosophical arguments would just go 'round and 'round with no hope of resolution (or so it seemed to me).

But a few years ago I was asked to contribute to a course about science (scientific thinking and methods), taught to a group of students with a range of science interests.  What physics could I teach when I couldn't rely on any physics background?  I hit on the idea of recreating the "Scientific Revolution", the transition from Aristotelian thinking to classical physics.  The basic phenomena are familiar to everyone and I figured this could be done with a short time devoted to theoretical discussions centred around some crude experiments.  Bear in mind that my knowledge of Aristotelian physics was little more than the precis given near the start of any first year physics textbook, but this project appealed to my interest in history.

Armed with Aristotle's Physics, Galileo's Two New Sciences and Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions I wrote my classes.*  This required a lot of reading on my part, and with the Aristotle in particular I was starting from a standing start.  So I went looking for supporting material that might help, and a web search produced the book Answers for Aristotle by one Massimo Pigliucci.  It wasn't the book I was after (although it later proved profitable to me), but it lead me to his blog, Rationally Speaking.  Pigliucci is an evolutionary biologist and a philosopher of science, but on this particular post he was discussing ethics.  In particular, he used the term "virtue ethics".

I wasn't looking for an ethical system, but my interest was piqued by the fact he was daring to disagree with Peter Singer -- probably the only living philosopher I knew by name (and a fellow Aussie!) -- but also because the name "virtue ethics" somehow appealed to me.  It was the start of a slow, but inexorable development of a new interest.

My receptiveness to philosophical reasoning was not a sudden thing -- in part I was just older and wiser -- and Aristotle and Kuhn had forced me to operate in a more philosophical space.**  But I suspect Pigliucci's status as both a scientist and a philosopher gave his writing a certain credibility with me (apparently he was a Professor of evolutionary biology then did a new PhD and became Professor of philosophy!).

One of the most important results of this new interest was the decision to read a bit of Socrates.  Plato's dialogues are rather variable: some of them are breezy reads, others are hard going.  I picked one, more or less at random, and got quite a pleasant introduction.  But before long, his hero Socrates had proven that religion doesn't define morality, trashed sophistry, and demolished the idea that might equals right.  And his primary instrument throughout was rational argumentation.  Perhaps my favourite bit (so far) is not a result, but a statement of method:
Agathon: I cannot refute you, Socrates. Let us assume that what you say is true.
Socrates: Say rather, Agathon, that you cannot refute the truth; for Socrates is easily refuted.
In other words, the relevant point is not who said it, but whether the argument is compelling.  And if you've got a better one: let's hear it.

I was also struck by the example Socrates provides of a life worth living.  Plato's dialogues, in particular the Symposium, paint a picture of a man who, despite his eccentricities, is loved and admired.  He is hardy, brave, congenial and, above all, wise.  And continues to be admired 24 centuries after his death.

Apart from the above I was broadening my horizons with casual readings on epistemology, metaphysics and ethics.  Meanwhile, Professor Pigliucci (now blogging at Footnotes to Plato) had embraced Stoicism.  This was, to me, an interesting development; but I was busy exploring a larger philosophical space.  However, during a conversation with my partner, Edit -- sitting up in bed, discussing our daily business -- I suggested to her that she might like to check out "this Stoicism stuff that a guy I read has been going on about".  Some of the things Pigliucci had been writing about seemed particularly relevant to Edit's concerns, so I pointed her to his blog How to be Stoic.  She bought his book (of the same name) and devoured it; I was happy to have been of help, but was satisfied with my own path.

One of the problems I had with Stoicism was what seemed to me a streak of asceticism***: one of the four cardinal virtues is Temperance****.  I have long seen enjoyment of worldly pleasures as central to a meaningful life -- what is life for, if not to enjoy it?  But Stoics hold that Virtue is chief; anything else you might like in your life is a "preferred indifferent".  Consider wine: I come from South Australia, source of 70% of Australia's wine output.  I spend a significant fraction of my disposable income on wine (in fact, I would have denied that money spent on wine was "disposable").  I pay rental on a temperature controlled cellar.  Yet Stoics would tell me that something so central to my life was an "indifferent".  But what would I do for a really excellent bottle of wine?  Kill?  Rob a bank?  Beat up someone's granny?  Clearly the answer to all the above is no.  In fact, if the focus of my life had been to procure money to afford luxuries, few of my choices would have made sense.   So the Stoics were telling me that my priorities weren't really what I thought they were.  And they were right.

Then philosopher Daniel Kaufman wrote a piece at The Electric Agora arguing that Stoicism isn't really what it seems.  Stoics argue that Virtue isn't merely necessary for a good life, but sufficient.  Kaufman contrasted this with the Aristotelian notion that Virtue is necessary, but so is luck: you need good things to happen to you.  In his characterisation, Stoicism is rather a hedonic philosophy, aimed at helping its practitioners feel good about failing; a kind of religion for losers (my words).  I found this a compelling attack, and was keen to read Pigliucci's reply, and to discuss it with my partner.  Edit honed in on the same point as Pigliucci: pragmatism.  The alternative to embracing Virtue is to accept that your life's value is determined by chance.  I put forward the case that Stoics avoid the problem of failure by redefining it as success.  She countered that some of the examples I was offering were false, because they were poor examples of Stoic decision making.   A Stoic runner doesn't set out to win a gold medal -- that's clearly beyond their control --  so they don't then need a philosophy that helps them feel good about not winning a gold medal.  I did the best job of arguing the contrary that I could, but that day I converted.

Anyway, the above is a rough reconstruction of several years' philosophical development, concluding about a month ago.   I'm returning to writing in part because it's something I miss, but also because reflection is a useful stoic practice.  I've never been one for a diary, but returning to blogging is perhaps a place to start.  And, of course, I burn with the fervour of the newly converted :)


* Don't worry: the students also got instruction from an actual philosopher of science.  Their education wasn't left entirely to the mercy of my dilettante efforts.

** The physics module for this course wound up rather different to my original (ignorant) intentions.  I fell in love with Aristotle, discovered some really interesting medieval thinkers, came to appreciate how the way we respond to new information depends on what else we think we know, and developed a surprising sympathy for epicycles. 

*** And, indeed, Stoicism is descended from Cynicism, the archetype ascetic movement.

**** The others (since you asked) are Courage, Justice and Practical Wisdom.

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