Nothing could be so injurious to health as the Stoic repression of desire; what is the use of prolonging a life which apathy has turned into premature death? And besides, it is an impossible philosophy; for instinct will out. “Nature is often hidden; sometimes overcome; seldom extinguished. Force maketh nature more violent in the return; doctrine and discourse maketh nature less importune; but custom only doth alter or subdue nature. ... But let not a man trust his victory over his nature too far; for nature will lay buried a great time, and yet revive upon the occasion or temptation.Is stoicism the most btfo'd philosophy of all time?
>>24678073This passage seems particularly pregnant with meaning when you take into account Bacon's sexuality
>>24678075Which was?
>>24678084buggery
>>24678088Not surprised.Some people might think Stoicsism means you can control any human impulse. It is not so. That's why it's a rich man's philosophy.
>>24678088Always knew Hobbes was superior to him
“It is a strange tiling to note the excess of this passion. ... There was never proud man thought so absurdly well of himself as the lover doth of the person beloved. . . .You may observe that amongst all the great and worthy persons (whereof the memory remaineth either ancient or recent), there is not one that hath been transported to the mad degree of love ; which shows that great spirits and great business do keep out this weak passion.”
>>24678073It's certainly one of the most misunderstood, yes. The stoic sage is not a vegetable, indeed, he is more like the ideal of Meister Eckhart or the Daoists: He is one with nature (The World Reason for the stoics, the godhead of Eckhart or the Dao of the Daoists), and therefore truly living. Its basically nothing more than a reason-based monist perception of the world. It's only misunderstood by half-interested readers for who the idea of critically examining your thoughts seems positively alien, despite the fact that metacognition is uniquely human.
Stoics don't suppress desires per se, they are simply suspicious of irrational passion. Theirs is a highly logical philosophy. They can only call things categorically good if they can explain why and how they are good. Thus good desires are desires rooted in reason, explainable with logic. Bad desires are desires whose impetus you cannot explain, or which conflicts with a categorical virtue.
