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More than Happiness: A Stoic Guide to Human Flourishing

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The Palgrave Handbook of Workplace Well-Being

Abstract

Stoicism is a school of ancient Greco-Roman philosophy whose influence has persisted to the present day. This exploratory chapter presents the ethical philosophy of Stoicism as a guide to personal and professional flourishing and well-being. A philosophical system founded around 301 BC in Athens by Zeno of Citium (c. 334–262 BC), Stoicism was later developed by its three best known Roman practitioners: Seneca (c. 4 BC–65 AD), Epictetus (c. 55–135 AD), and Marcus Aurelius (121–180 AD). It lays great emphasis on resilience and mental freedom gained from living a life of moral virtue in accordance with nature, thereby gaining a state of “imperturbable tranquility.” As a robust philosophy and way of life, through the ages, Stoicism has inspired a wide range of writers, thinkers, and practitioners such as Shakespeare, Montaigne, Goethe, Kant, Alexander Pope, Nietzsche, Pascal, Descartes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walt Whitman, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, John Steinbeck, Victor Frankl, Michel Foucault, Pierre Hadot, Tom Wolfe, JK Rowling, and Admiral James Stockdale. Stoicism is especially an excellent philosophy for those in positions of power and leadership and for those in high-stress jobs. Additionally, Stoicism has inspired many modern approaches to personal development (such as “Self-Help” movement), influenced logotherapy and psychotherapy (in particular, cognitive behavioral therapy and its precursor, rational emotive behavior therapy). It is also popular with the US military and the National Health Services (NHS) in the UK.

After briefly reviewing the history, development, and key tenets of Stoicism, this chapter will focus on the writings of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius to distill perspectives and strategies that can serve as pathways to living a life that is eudaimôn, the term the ancient Greek philosophers used for a life “well-lived” marked by “happiness,” “fulfillment,” or “flourishing.” As a case in point, the chapter will illustrate Stoicism as a source of resilient leadership through the life example of Admiral James Stockdale, who endured 7 1/2 years of extreme torture as naval POW in Hanoi Hilton, Vietnam, sustained by the teachings of Stoicism as his unassailable “inner citadel” and main survival kit. Stoicism seems ideally suited for leadership development and the pursuit of well-being since it has its core as character, self-mastery, and purposeful action – the hallmarks of effective leadership and flourishing. Of all the Western philosophies, Stoicism seems perhaps the most immediately relevant and useful for our turbulent times. The practice of stoic philosophy will benefit medical doctors, psychotherapists, nurses, military service men and women, entrepreneurs, politicians, attorneys, social workers, and law and order personnel, to name a few.

Great is the struggle and divine the task. The prize is a kingdom, freedom, serenity and peace.

~Epictetus, Discourses 2.18.28

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Terence Irwin, A History of Western Philosophy 1: Classical Thought (Oxford University Press, 1989), 181

  2. 2.

    William Olen Stephens, “Stoic strength: An examination of the ethics of Epictetus” (1990). Dissertation available from ProQuest. AAI9026654. https://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI9026654

  3. 3.

    See Larry Wallace, Indifference is a Power (edited by Sam Haselby). Larry writes, ‘As legions of warriors and prisoners can attest, Stoicism is not grim resolve but a way to wrest happiness from adversity…. Epictetus once compared the philosopher’s lecture room to a hospital, from which the student should walk out in a little bit of pain.’ https://aeon.co/essays/why-stoicism-is-one-of-the-best-mind-hacks-ever-devised

  4. 4.

    See D. A. Rees’s Introduction in, A. S. L Farquharson, (trans., & ed.), Marcus Aurelius: Meditations (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Everyman’s Library Edition, 1992), xvi.

  5. 5.

    Professor A. A. Long, Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus of Classics, and Irving G. Stone Professor Emeritus of Literature at the University of California, Berkeley, observes that “The Roman Stoics and Greek Stoicism have become one of the hottest things both in philosophy and in popular culture.” See: See Professor Anthony Long’s Keynote at Stoicon 2018: Stoicisms Ancient and Modern, Retrieved January 15, 2020: https://modernstoicism.com/stoicisms-ancient-and-modern-by-tony-a-a-long/

  6. 6.

    See Donald Robertson, Stoicism and the Art of Happiness (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013); William B. Irvine, A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009); A. A. Long, How to Be Free: An Ancient Guide to Stoic Life (New Jersey, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2018); Massimo Pigliucci, How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (New York: Basic Books, 2017); Fredric Lenoir, Happiness: A Philosopher’s Guide (Brooklyn, NY: 2015); Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumphs (New York: Penguin, 2014); Ward Farnsworth, The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User’s Manual (Jaffrey, New Hampshire: David R. Godine Publisher, 2018); Lawrence C. Becker, A New Stoicism (New Jersey, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999).

  7. 7.

    Ludwig Edelstein, The Meaning of Stoicism [The Martin Classical Lectures, Volume XXI] (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1966), 1. [Emphasis added]

  8. 8.

    Ibid., 2

  9. 9.

    See Donald Robertson, The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy: Stoic Philosophy as Rational and Cognitive Psychotherapy (London: Karnac, 2010).

  10. 10.

    There has been a great resurgence of interest in Stoicism in the modern times, as if Stoicism is making a comeback in the twenty-first century. For a fuller list of stoic practitioners and admirers, see Ryan Holiday’s compilation in his blog entry: “The Definitive List of Stoicism in History & Pop Culture.” Retrieved January 16, 2020: https://dailystoic.com/stoicism-pop-culture/

  11. 11.

    For the meaning, etymology, and usage of the Greek word eudaimonia in the Stoic tradition, see Keith Seddon, Epictetus’ Handbook and the Tablet of Cebes: Guide to Stoic Living (New York: Routledge, 2005), 3, 220.

  12. 12.

    See James Bond Stockdale, Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot (Stanford, California: Hoover Institute Press, Stanford University, 1995); James Bond Stockdale, Courage under Fire: Testing Epictetus’s Doctrines in a Laboratory of Human Behavior (Stanford, California, Hover Institute on War, Revolution, and Peace, Stanford University, 1993). Retrieved February 15, 2020: https://media.hoover.org/sites/default/files/documents/978-0-8179-3692-1_1.pdf

  13. 13.

    Anthony Long, Stoicon 2018. Keynote Address: Greek and Roman Stoics were in complete agreement about three reciprocal doctrinal principles: (1) the rational and providential structure of the universe, (2) the special status, responsibilities and challenges of being human (endowed with reason), and (3) our innate potentiality and goal – to live well together in all circumstances. Those common principles were underwritten by three big ideas […]: the beauty of virtue and its sufficiency for happiness; social utility; and cosmic connectedness.

  14. 14.

    Piere Hadot, Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aureliu (Harvard University Press, 1998), 5

  15. 15.

    Larry Wallace, Indifference is a Power https://aeon.co/essays/why-stoicism-is-one-of-the-best-mind-hacks-ever-devised

  16. 16.

    See Moses Hadas, The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca (New York: W. W. Norton & Company), 137–166.

  17. 17.

    This part is largely based on Professor Michael Sugrue’s masterly lecture on Marcus Aurelius. Emphasis added. See Marcus Aurelius: Virtual University Lesson, retrieved January 1, 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5897dMWJiSM&t=199s

  18. 18.

    Dirk Baltzly, “Stoicism,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2019 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2019/entries/stoicism/>

  19. 19.

    See Daniel Collette, Stoicism in Descartes, Pascal, and Spinoza: Examining Neostoicism’s Influence in the Seventeenth Century, 2016. Doctoral Thesis, retrieved March 23, 2019: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=7406&context=etd

  20. 20.

    Frances and Henry Hazlitt, The Wisdom of the Stoics: Selections from Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius (Lanham, MD, University Press of America, 1994), 1

  21. 21.

    The dates of Musonius’ birth and death are probable. See John Sellers, Stoicism, 14.

  22. 22.

    Cited in Keith Seddon, Epictetus’ Handbook and the Tablet of Cebes: Guides to Stoic Living (London: Routledge, 2005), vi

  23. 23.

    Ward Farnsworth, The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User’s Manual, x. See also: Dirk Baltzly, “Stoicism,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

  24. 24.

    “I made a prosperous voyage when I was shipwrecked,” Zeno allegedly said, according to another account. See Joshua J. Mark, Zeno of Citium.

  25. 25.

    George Stock, Stoicism, p. 7

  26. 26.

    “Truth,” says Will Durant, “will not make us rich, but it will make us free.” See Will Durant, Story of Philosophy: The Life and the Opinions of the Greater Philosophers (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967), 2.

  27. 27.

    A. A. Long, How to Be Free: An Ancient Guide to Stoic Life, xvii

  28. 28.

    Ibid., xviii

  29. 29.

    Cynthia King (trans.), Musonius Rufus. Lectures and Sayings (CreateSpace, 2011), 91

  30. 30.

    Gretchen Reydams-Schils, Introduction to Cora E. Lutz, trans., Musonius Rufus, That One Should Disdain Hardships: The Teachings of Roman Stoic (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020), xx

  31. 31.

    Cynthia King (trans.), Musonius Rufus, 9. See also Cora E. Lutz, trans., Musonius Rufus, That One Should Disdain Hardships: The Teachings of Roman Stoic (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020); J. T. Dillon’s Musonius Rufus and Education in the Good Life: A Model of Teaching and Living Virtue (University Press of America, 2004); Chuck Chakrapani, Stoic Lessons: Musonius Rufus Complete Works (The Stoic Gym Publications, 2018).

  32. 32.

    See A Stoic for All Seasons Series: A Day at the Beach with Musonius Rufus by Kevin Vost. [Emphasis in original]. Retrieved March 12, 2020: https://modernstoicism.com/

  33. 33.

    Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, vol. 3, Caesar and Christ (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1972), 300. References to this vol. 3, hereafter, referred as ‘Caesar and Christ’

  34. 34.

    See William O. Stephens, Musonius Rufus (c. 30–62 CE). Entry in the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved March 23, 2020: https://www.iep.utm.edu/musonius/

  35. 35.

    John Sellers, Stoicism, 15

  36. 36.

    Cited in A Stoic for All Seasons Series: A Day at the Beach with Musonius Rufus by Kevin Vost. Retrieved July 12, 2019: https://modernstoicism.com/ See: Kevin Vost, The Porch and the Cross: Ancient Stoic Wisdom for Modern Christian Living (Angelico Press, 2016)

  37. 37.

    Cited in A Stoic for All Seasons Series: A Day at the Beach with Musonius Rufus by Kevin Vost. Retrieved July 12, 2019: https://modernstoicism.com/

  38. 38.

    Cynthia King (trans.), Musonius Rufus, 30

  39. 39.

    Will Durant, Caesar and Christ, 301

  40. 40.

    John Sellers, Stoicism, 14–15

  41. 41.

    Robin Hard, Epictetus: Discourses, Fragments, Handbook translated; with an Introd. and notes by Christopher Gill) (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 36

  42. 42.

    Online Oxford Dictionary of English Language. Retrieved March 7, 2019: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/stoicism

  43. 43.

    See William O. Stephens, Stoic Ethics: Epictetus and Happiness as Freedom (New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2007), 2. Also see William Olen Stephens, “Stoic strength: An examination of the ethics of Epictetus” (1990). Dissertations available from ProQuest. AAI9026654:https://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI9026654

  44. 44.

    As cited in Michael Evans, “Captains of the Soul,” Naval War College Review: 2011, Vol. 64: No. 1, Article 4. Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol64/iss1/4

  45. 45.

    Edward Zeller, Outlines of the History of Greek Philosophy, translated by Sabah Frances Alleyne and Evelyn Abbott (New York: Longmans, Green and Co., 1905), 245–246. [Emphasis added]

  46. 46.

    See Seneca’s Essays Volume II. To Marcia on Consolation, x. 6-xi. 3. Translated by John W. Basore. The Loeb Classical Library (London: W. Heinemann,1928–1935). 3 vols.: Volume II. Retrieved April 17, 2020: http://stoics.com/seneca_essays_book_2.html

  47. 47.

    William O Stephens, Stoicism and the Philosophies of the Jedi and the Sith. The Stoic Philosopher. Retrieved July 18, 2019: http://collegeofstoicphilosophers.org/show_book/PDF/StoicsStarWars

  48. 48.

    See A. A. Long, Stoicon 2018 Keynote Address. Retrieved October 10, 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xuQ4i46K_M

  49. 49.

    William O Stephens, Stoicism and the Philosophies of the Jedi and the Sith. The Stoic Philosopher. Retrieved July 18, 2019: http://collegeofstoicphilosophers.org/show_book/PDF/StoicsStarWars

  50. 50.

    Pierre Hadot, The Inner Citadel, 35. Hadot alternatively uses a beautiful phrase to express the calm acceptance of the decrees of destiny: ‘consenting with serenity to events willed by Destiny, which do not depend on us.’ See p. 36.

  51. 51.

    Christopher Gill - The Five Principles of Stoicism. Retrieved March 3, 2019: https://player.fm/series/intellectual-explorers-club/christopher-gill-the-five-principles-of-stoicism

  52. 52.

    Enchiridion 8, translated by Elizabeth Carter. Carter was the first person to translate all of Epictetus’ extant writings from Greek into English in 1758. The great Dr. Johnson declared that Ms. Carter was the best Greek scholar in England of her day. This classic translation was revised by Robin Hard and was published in the Everyman Library’s economy edition in 1995, edited by Christopher Gill with a masterly introduction. A. A. Long, the preeminent scholar of Epictetus in English language, calls this version to be “the best English translation of Epictetus in entirety.” See A. A. Long, Epictetus, p. 6.

  53. 53.

    T. W. Rolleston, The Teaching of Epictetus, Being the ‘Encheiridion of Epictetus,’ with Selections from the ‘Dissertations’ and ‘Fragments,’ xxxvi. It is not entirely certain whether Epictetus’ lameness was from rheumatism or because of the cruelty of his master Epaphroditus.

  54. 54.

    Both spellings are in vogue: Encheiridion and Enchiridion.

  55. 55.

    George Long, The Discourses of Epictetus with Encheiridion and Fragments, with trans. and notes (A. L. Burt Company, Publishers, 19--?), iii

  56. 56.

    Enchiridion (Greek), meaning something that fits comfortably into one’s hands. Consisting of 53 aphorism or short paragraphs of “Best Hits” sort, The Handbook or Manual distills Epictetus’ wisdom in a most compelling way. Justus Lipsius calls the Enchiridion “a noble piece,” and… “the soul of Stoic moral philosophy.” See: Oldfather, xxiv. Various translations are extant and are available free on the net. The following site compares six translations side by side: https://enchiridion.tasuki.org/display:Code:ec,twh,pem,sw/section:14

  57. 57.

    Thomas Wentworth Higginson (trans.), Epictetus Discourses and Enchiridion (New York: Walter J. Black Inc., 1972), p. 1. [Emphasis added]

  58. 58.

    Christopher Gill, Introduction. In Robin Hard, trans., Discourses, Fragments, Handbook (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), xxiv-xxv

  59. 59.

    W A. Oldfather, trans., Epictetus: The Discourses as Reported by Arrian, the Manual, and Fragments (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1925), viii. [Emphasis added]

  60. 60.

    xiv-xv

  61. 61.

    Ibid., xxviii

  62. 62.

    Ibid., xvi

  63. 63.

    Luke Timothy Johnson, Among the Gentiles: Greco-Roman Religion and Christianity (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2009), 67. See also Luke Timothy Johnson, Practical Philosophy: The Greco-Roman Moralists, The Teaching Company, LLC (P) 2002 The Great Courses. This course consisting of 24 lectures is probably one of the best legacies of the Teaching Company. Professor Johnson comes across as the most sympathetic interpreter of these Greco-Roman philosophers, and his engaging style makes his presentation of Musonius Rufus, Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius even more riveting. The audio version is available at https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Philosophy-The-Greco-Roman-Moralists/dp/B00DTO5OQE

  64. 64.

    Will Durant, The Story of Civilization Vol. 3: Caesar and Christ (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1972), 497

  65. 65.

    Nathan Haskell Dole, Wit and Wisdom of Epictetus (Boston, MA: Privately published, 1904), i

  66. 66.

    See Peter Adamson, Philosophy in Hellenistic and Roman Worlds (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 87.

  67. 67.

    William O. Stephens, Stoic Ethics, 2007, xv

  68. 68.

    Will Durant, Story of Philosophy, 98

  69. 69.

    Ibid., Sam Torode, p. 16

  70. 70.

    Robert Dobbin, Epictetus: Discourses and Selected Writings, with introd. and notes (London: Penguin Classics, 2008) (a selection from the Discourses and other writings)

  71. 71.

    Keith Seddon, Epictetus (55–135 C.E.). The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved March 17, 2020: https://www.iep.utm.edu/epictetu/

  72. 72.

    Sharon Lebell, Epictetus. The Art of Living: The Classic Manual of Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness. A New Interpretation (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1995), 5

  73. 73.

    A. A. Long, How to be free: An Ancient Guide to the Stoic Life, xi

  74. 74.

    Ibid., ix

  75. 75.

    Dobbin, Epictetus: Discourses and Selected Writings, xii

  76. 76.

    Will Durant, The Story of Civilization: 3 Caesar and Christ (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1972), 425

  77. 77.

    Ibid., 425

  78. 78.

    Ibid., 431

  79. 79.

    Michael Sugrue, Marcus Aurelius. A Lecture

  80. 80.

    Ibid.

  81. 81.

    https://learn.donaldrobertson.name/courses/stoicism-in-five-minutes/lectures/2937079

  82. 82.

    See Robin Hard (trans.) and Christopher Gill (intro. and notes), Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. (Ware: Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1997), ix, vii.

  83. 83.

    A better translation, says Pierre Hadot, of the Greek title would be Exhortations to Himself.

  84. 84.

    Frances and Henry Hazlitt, The Wisdom of Stoics, 5

  85. 85.

    Cited in C. Scot Hicks and David V. Hicks, trans., Marcus Aurelius: The Emperor’s Handbook, A New Translation of The Meditations (New York: Scribner, 2002), 2

  86. 86.

    Pierre Hadot, Philosophy as a Way of Life, (Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 1995), 195

  87. 87.

    Luke Timothy Johnson, Among the Gentiles: Greco-Roman Religion and Christianity (New Haven Yale University press, 2009), 67

  88. 88.

    Pierre Hadot, The Inner Citadel, vii. Hadot in his fine study quotes Marcus abundantly in his own translations and clarifies his strategy: When I quote Marcus Aurelius, I want my readers to make contact with the text itself, which is superior to any commentary. Ibid., x

  89. 89.

    Mathew Sharpe, Pierre Hadot’s Stoicism. Retrieved April 12, 2020: https://modernstoicism.com/pierre-hadots-stoicism-by-matthew-sharpe/

  90. 90.

    Will Durant, Caesar and Christ, 432

  91. 91.

    Ibid., 432. [Emphasis added]

  92. 92.

    Ibid., 446

  93. 93.

    See the opening lines of Dhammapada (tr. Max Muller), the second of the famous twin verses: All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dhammapada_(Muller)#Chapter_I:_The_Twin-Verses

  94. 94.

    Christopher Gill, Marcus Aurelius Meditations Book 1–6, trans. With intro and comm. (London: Oxford University Press, 2013), 20.

    Cited in Grace Williams Martin Hammond, Meditations Marcus Aurelius, trans. with notes (New York: Penguin Classics, 2006). Also cited in Timothy Ferris, Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World (Houghton Mifflin Boston, MA: Harcourt), 212. [Slightly modified]

  95. 95.

    Gregory Hays and Martin Hammond translation

  96. 96.

    Martin Hammond’s translation, slightly modified

  97. 97.

    C. Scot Hicks and David V. Hicks, trans., Marcus Aurelius: The Emperor’s Handbook, p. 4

  98. 98.

    Hicks and Hicks, p. 9

  99. 99.

    Pierre Hadot, The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (translated by Michael Chase) (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998), 313

  100. 100.

    Ibid., 307

  101. 101.

    Will Durant, The Story of Civilization Vol. 3: Caesar and Christ (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1972), 300, 301

  102. 102.

    Frances and Henry Hazlitt, The Wisdom of the Stoics: Selections from Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius (Lanham, MD, University Press of America, 1994), 2–4

  103. 103.

    Moses Hadas, The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca: Essays and Letters of Seneca, trans. With an introduction (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1968), 6

  104. 104.

    Frances and Henry Hazlitt, The Wisdom of the Stoics: Selections from Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius (Lanham, MD, University Press of America, 1994), 4

  105. 105.

    Elizabeth Asmis, Shadi Bartsch, and Martha C. Nussbaum, “Seneca and His World.” In Margaret Graver and A. A. Long, Seneca Letters on Ethics To Lucilius, translated with an introduction and commentary (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2015), ix

  106. 106.

    Mary Beard, How Stoical Was Seneca? The New York Review of Books. Oct. 9, 2014 Issue. Retrieved December 15, 2019: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2014/10/09/how-stoical-was-seneca/

  107. 107.

    Cited in Durant, Caesar and Christ, 303

  108. 108.

    Ibid., Caesar and Christ, 303

  109. 109.

    Ibid., 300, 301

  110. 110.

    Ibid., 307. See also: Robin Campbell, Letters from a Stoic: Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium, selected and translated with an Introduction (London, UK: Penguin Classics), xvi: ‘Seneca, all the same, may well be history’s most notable example of a man who failed to live up to his principles.’

  111. 111.

    Emily Wilson, The Greatest Empire: A Life of Seneca. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014), 6

  112. 112.

    Durant, Caesar and Christ, 300

  113. 113.

    Richard M. Gummere, transl., Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic (New York: Dover Publications, 2016), xiv

  114. 114.

    Vogt, Katja, “Seneca,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), forthcoming URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2020/entries/seneca/>. [Emphasis added]

  115. 115.

    Cited in Durant, Story of Philosophy, 76

  116. 116.

    Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy, 95

  117. 117.

    Durant, Caesar and Christ, 303

  118. 118.

    Tr. Gummere Letter VI

  119. 119.

    Of a Happy Life Of (1900) by Seneca, translated by Aubrey Stewart Book XX. Retrieved April 18, 2020: https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Of_a_Happy_Life/Book_XX

  120. 120.

    Moses Hadas, The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca, 100–101

  121. 121.

    Ibid., 101

  122. 122.

    Ibid., 101

  123. 123.

    James Stockdale, Courage under Fire, p. 18

  124. 124.

    Ibid., p. 5. [Emphasis in original]

  125. 125.

    Victor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning (New York: Beacon Press, 2006), 112. [Emphasis added]. This book, which has sold over 12 million copies worldwide, is a required reading for anyone looking for some proven pointers on the art of living.

  126. 126.

    Ibid., 66, 67. [Emphasis added]

  127. 127.

    James B. Stockdale, Stockdale on Stoicism I: The Stoic Warrior’s Triad. A Lecture to the student body of The Marine Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico, Virginia, 18 April 1995. Retrieved April 14, 2020: https://www.usna.edu/Ethics/_files/documents/stoicism1.pdf

  128. 128.

    Stockdale, Courage under Fire, 7

  129. 129.

    James Stockdale, Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot, 44

  130. 130.

    Ibid., 31–32

  131. 131.

    Cited in James Stockdale, Courage under Fire, 7

  132. 132.

    See Phillip Mitsis, The Bare Life of the Stoic Sage. Retrieved April 13, 2020: https://www.academia.edu/Documents/in/James_Bond_Stockdale

  133. 133.

    See Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t (New York: HarperBusiness, 2001), 85 [emphasis added]; also see Jim Collins, The Stockdale Paradox, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2020: https://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/TheStockdaleParadox.html

  134. 134.

    Will Durant, Caesar and Christ, 491

  135. 135.

    https://aeon.co/essays/why-stoicism-is-one-of-the-best-mind-hacks-ever-devised

  136. 136.

    See Robert Dobbin, translator and editor, Epictetus: Discourses and Selected Writings (London, England: Penguin Classics, 2008), xxi.

  137. 137.

    Tom Wolfe, A Man in Full: A Novel (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1st edition, 1998), 671–672. [Emphasis added]

  138. 138.

    Cited in Jules Evans, Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations (London: Rider, 2013), 70

  139. 139.

    Chuck Chakrapani, The Trichotomy Fallacy. [Emphasis in the original]. Stoic Gym Blog entry. Retrieved April 16, 2020: https://www.thestoicgym.com/the-trichotomy-fallacy/

  140. 140.

    Ibid.

  141. 141.

    Cited in Pierre Hadot, Philosophy as a Way of Life, 182

  142. 142.

    See Pierre Hadot’s Stoicism by Matthew Sharpe. Retrieved April 10, 2020: https://modernstoicism.com/pierre-hadots-stoicism-by-matthew-sharpe/

  143. 143.

    Friedrich Nietzsche, Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits, trans. by Marion Faber and Stephen Lehmann (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1996), 260

  144. 144.

    Seneca, To Marcia on Consolation. In John W. Basore, trans., Essays Vol. II. Retrieved April 16, 2020: http://stoics.com/seneca_essays_book_2.html

  145. 145.

    Robin Campbell, Seneca, Letters from a Stoic: Epistulae Morales Ad Lucilium, selected and trans. With an introd. (UK: Penguin Classics, 2014), 205

  146. 146.

    Seneca cited in Pierre Hadot, The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, 194

  147. 147.

    Sam Torode, The Manual: A Philosopher’s Guide to Life, a new rendering (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017), 25

  148. 148.

    See Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address (with intro by President John Hennessy). Retrieved April 16, 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd_ptbiPoXM

  149. 149.

    Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea (New York: Dover Publications, 2010), 2

  150. 150.

    Seneca, “On Anger.” Moral and Political Essays. Edited and trans. John M. Cooper and J. F. Procopé (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1995), 110

  151. 151.

    Moses Hadas, ‘On Providence,’ The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca, p. 41. [Emphasis added]

  152. 152.

    Keith Seddon, Do the Stoics succeed in showing how people can be morally responsible for some of their actions within the framework of causal determinism? Retrieved April 16, 2020: http://people.wku.edu/jan.garrett/stoa/seddon1.htm

  153. 153.

    Cited in Pierre Hadot, The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, 144. [Emphasis in the original]

  154. 154.

    Ibid., 144. See also Walter Kaufmann, trans. and ed., Basic Writings of Nietzsche (1967), 714.

  155. 155.

    Cited in Durant, Caesar and Christ, 446

  156. 156.

    Keith Seddon, Epictetus’ Handbook and the Tablet of Cebes: Guide to Stoic Living (New York: Routledge, 2005), 3

  157. 157.

    Larry Wallace, Indifference is a Power https://aeon.co/essays/why-stoicism-is-one-of-the-best-mind-hacks-ever-devised

  158. 158.

    Interview with William O. Stephens by Gregory Sadler, transcript posted on ‘Modern Stoicism.’ Retrieved March 15, 2020: https://modernstoicism.com/interview-with-william-o-stephens/

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    William Olen Stephens, “Stoic strength: An examination of the ethics of Epictetus” (1990). Dissertations available from ProQuest. AAI9026654. https://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI9026654

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    See Luke Timothy Johnson, Among the Gentiles, 26. This theme, says Johnson, is pervasive in Epictetus but finds its most splendid expression in his discourse on the vocation of the Cynic (Discourse, III.22). [Emphasis added]

  161. 161.

    Cited in Luke Timothy Johnson, Among the Gentiles, 67

  162. 162.

    Cited in Mark L. McPherran, ed., Plato’s Republic: A Critical Guide (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2010), vi.

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    Satinder Dhiman

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Dhiman, S. (2021). More than Happiness: A Stoic Guide to Human Flourishing. In: Dhiman, S.K. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Workplace Well-Being. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30025-8_51

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