Epictetus in the app economy
The Stoics held that virtue is the only real good and so is both necessary and sufficient for happiness (contrary to Aristotle). They did not believe that luck comes into it.
The virtuous life is free of all passions which are intrinsically disturbing and harmful to the soul. It does include, however, appropriate emotive responses conditioned by rational understanding and the fulfillment of all one’s personal, social, professional, and civic responsibilities. The Stoics believed that the person who has achieved this is extremely rare, yet serves as a prescriptive ideal for all. The Stoics believed that progress toward this noble goal is both possible and vitally urgent.
In the 90’s I encountered in London a swing back to materialism. In the heady days of city traders and ‘yuppies’ earning high financial salaries it was a time when supporting such organisations as Greenpeace and Oxfam started to wane and it became a case of ‘every man/woman’ for themselves.
Is there a swing back to higher ideals now? Is virtue something that we should value and strive for? I think virtue can work in business. It takes courage and reasoned choices.
One way to start is to ask these questions from Epictetus first thing in the morning
- What am I lacking in attaining freedom from passion?
- What for tranquility?
- What am I? A mere body, house-owner, reputation? None of these things.
- What then? A rational being.
- What then is demanded of me? Meditate on your actions.
- How did I ever steer away from serenity?
- What did I do that was unfriendly, unsocial or uncaring?
- What did I fail to do in all these things?
A noble character is not a thing of favour or chance but the natural result of continued effort in right thinking. I am just taking a few baby steps along the path.
