Post No. 16: Gifts from Greeks

The study of ancient greek philosophy no longer has the cache' it once had. I must admit I had only a superficial understanding of these gifts from ancient Greece. Like many in school we learned about Plato and his theory of forms (all forms have an idealized, perfect form), his principles of logic, and perhaps his writings about the life of Socrates, who was his teacher. I suspect most of us, like myself, did not take anything meaningful from these required studies. Current school curricula spend even less time if at all on this topic.

I came to my current appreciation of Greek thought only by accident. While I was researching treatment for a client, I was surprised to learn that the founders of what is now known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck, were significantly influenced by these philosophers, especially the branch that eventually became Stoicism.

What made these ancient Greek philosophers unique at that time is that they attempted to apply reason and logic to what they observed in the natural world. Until this time what was observed in the natural world was attributed to the gods. A lot of their guesses were wrong, and they had some rather unusual thoughts on metaphysical aspects beyond the natural world. The core of their thinking was the use of reason and logic, such as in Socrates' "Socratic Method", in understanding the natural world including humans and human society. Perhaps fewer people know of Aristotle's prodigious work across multiple disciplines and that he has had the most impact on Western thought. Aristotle was a student of Plato's and tutor to Alexander the Great, known as one of the greatest generals ever and ruler of a vast empire that extended to northern India. It wasn't until the Renaissance and Enlightenment that Europe began to appreciate these gifts from ancient Greece.

One of the main takeaways from my recent research and readings on Greek philosophy is an appreciation for two similar philosophies of human behavior and ethics: Stoicism and Epicureanism. Many Roman leaders at that time practiced Stoicism or Epicureanism such as Cicero and Cato at the end of the Roman Republic (around 30 BC), and Marcus Aurelius, who was emperor around 170 AD. Our founding fathers were all familiar with ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and the history of the Roman Republic. John Adams, for example, was known for admiring Roman stoics, such as Cato. From his letters to his wife Abigail, he appears to have fashioned himself as the modern day Cato. Thomas Jefferson saw himself more as an Epicurean. These two philosophies are mostly similar with some important differences. Following is a summary of these philosophies, or more accurately, ways of living that are intended to be practiced continually in one's daily life. I leave it to the readers to see if there is anything valuable in it for them.

Stoicism and Epicureanism: What They Have in Common:

1. You have the power to control how you perceive things. For example, Epicetus states "People are not disturbed by things, but the view they have of them". This idea is central to current day CBT therapy.

2. Only focus on what is in your control, not what is outside your control. For example, Stoics and Epicureans suggest you cannot control how others think, just how you perceive things. You also cannot control the past or the future, just focus on the present. Marcus Aurelius, the last of the so-called "good emperors" of the Roman Empire, writes to not let the future disturb you and suggests to meet it "with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present".

3. Be indifferent to outcomes; don't "attach" to them. The question to oneself is always "How do I act now".

4. The key to life and being able to embody the three previous points is to always act with "virtue". Stoics believe that living a virtuous life is the main goal of humans. This in turn leads to a sense of well-being, flourishing and equanimity. Epicureans differ slightly in that they say that the main goal is to achieve a sense of well-being, contentment and flourishing (what many perceive as happiness). The way to do this is to live a virtuous life. In essence their goal is to be happy; the way to do this is to be virtuous.

5. The Main Virtues

Following are the four main virtues that are an umbrella of sorts for all the virtues for both Stoics and Epicureans:

. WISDOM: Discerning what is good, bad or indifferent. Use reason and logic. Let this inform your actions.

. JUSTICE: Act with fairness, kindness and truthfulness toward self and others. Care for others and aid the common good.

. TEMPERANCE: Moderation in all things. Simplicity and self-discipline. Enjoy your appetites but only what is necessary for well-being. For example, eat and drink only to quench hunger and thirst, no further.

. COURAGE: Face challenges and conflicts with forthrightness. Face loss and pain with fortitude and resilience. Obstacles (internal and external) if faced bravely present opportunities to practice virtue.

Ben Franklin's autobiography describes how, as a young man, he attempted to practice daily from a list of thirteen virtues. His autobiography was a staple in school curricula during the nineteenth century. I'm not sure that our current school curricula cover this subject but it seems like a good idea.

The Stoics believed that the "logos" is the divine that infuses and directs all things. The English word for logos is "word". In John the Evangelist's gospel, written about 100 AD, he transforms this Stoic metaphysical belief into a Christian context: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us ..." St. Augustine of Hippo (circa 400 AD) was also most likely influenced by Stoicism. He was instrumental in forming much of Christian doctrine, such as predetermination (a Stoic belief) and original sin. Epicureans on the other hand were materialists. They believed that gods existed but that they had no interest in human affairs, so we need to take care of ourselves. Epicurus believed, like Democritus before him, that the universe was entirely made of atoms moving and interacting with one another. As materialists, Epicureanism was condemned by the Christian church and had no influence on its emerging doctrines.

It is likely that Stoicism and much of Greek thought had some influence from Buddhism which originated in 500 BC around the same time as the Roman Republic. The Stoic admonition to be indifferent or not be attached to whatever happens is similar to the Buddhist idea of "emptiness", i.e. that all things are empty of meaning other than what each of us perceives about them. It follows then that one has the power to change how one perceives things, a main Stoic and Epicurean approach. Buddhist philosophy also asserts that "this is it", i.e. that all is the everpresent "now" of our lives. The Stoics and Epicureans focus only on the now. How do I handle this now with virtue. Buddha's "Four Nobel Truths" culminate in the fourth Noble Truth: to live the "Eightfold Path", which is essentially a list of virtues to be practiced daily that are somewhat similar to Stoic and Epicurean virtues. Perhaps Buddhism is closer to Epicureanism since they both share the primary goal of erasing suffering and achieving well-being and equanimity. The Stoics, on the other hand, say the purpose of life is to practice virtue, period. Well-being and flourishing is a byproduct of a virtuous life.

To some it may seem that the ancient Greek philosophers are devoid of emotion. Yet to be Stoic, for example, is not to be emotionless but to learn about ourselves from our emotions and not let them rule us.

I hope some of these prescriptions from ancient Greek philosophers have been helpful to the reader or at least informative. I will end this post with a quote from Marcus Aurelius: "Here is a rule to remember in the future when anything tempts you to feel bitter: not 'This is misfortune', but 'To bear this worthily is good fortune' ". Since I am a few weeks out from just having barbaric open-heart surgery to repair a leaky mitral valve ... I can't believe my good fortune!