In a nutshell, what's your senior thesis about?
The influence of Socrates as a historical, philosophical, and ethical figure in Stoicism.
Who were the Stoics?
Stoicism is a school of philosophical thought originated by Zeno of Cyprus, most popularized during the Hellenistic age. Stoic philosophy focuses on achieving the “highest good” (virtue), through the acquisition of both knowledge and divine reason. For the stoics a person is always closer to knowledge through virtue rather than vice, which not only requires a person to have an understanding about the way people subjectively interact with the world, but also how they are subjected to fate or destiny.
Do you have any theories about why Stoicism seems to be drawing so much attention these days?
Personally, I find that the reason people have been drawn to Stoicism lately is its claim to wisdom. It seems that the modern-age has brought about a longing for both ethical and moral theories that are not explicitly tied to a religiosity. Stoicism offers an ethical framework that allows its devotees to challenge their own subjectivity. In thinking like a Stoic, people can confront the mundane and banal aspects of their life with a new lens. Personally, I lived like a Stoic for an entire week, and had a change in perspective, that brought about a new perspective on “why” I did the things I do and how I react to the choices I have made.
How explicitly do Stoic philosophers discuss Socrates within their texts?
Stoic thinkers talk explicitly about Socrates by name in their texts, most famously is Epictetus. While they all may not agree completely about the details of his life, it seems many of them get their ideas about Socrates from different sources. Part of the challenge in depicting Socrates as a Stoic figure, is distinguishing which source the example is being derived from. This is partly what my research hopes to clarify, is which depictions are the most trustworthy or accurate. Although, generally Socrates is considered to be the ideal Stoic, and is often considered a sage or someone that has reached the pinnacle of virtue and confronts the choices in their life with gusto even when faced with his own death.
From what you’ve read so far, do you think the Stoics were good interpreters of Socrates’ ethics?
From my reading so far, I find that the Stoics do a great job of distinguishing Socrates as a philosophical figure. However, while reading I have been careful to view Socrates’ life as something more than a diagram of the ethical ideal. The Stoics it seems would warn their readers that pinning down this character is the most important task, while even questioning Plato who originally gave the first account of Socrates and was one of his closest disciples. It is important to understand that the Stoics themselves were also striving for virtue. In order to pick out Socrates as a character of virtue the reader’s most critical task is to have a grasp of what virtue is itself, something the stoics cover in depth and have many discussions back and forth.
What is it about the history of philosophy that you most enjoy?
In my mind, what is so interesting about the history of philosophy is its relevance today. Not only is learning about the historical figure of Socrates enriching the cannon of philosophy as a whole, in doing so Stoic ethics may be easier to understand in their implementation. For example, a growing field is ethical practices in the work place. Stoicism could be used even in a cooperate setting. By learning how the Stoics approach a topic like anger management, it is much easier to see how this could be a useful and marketable skill today. Philosophy however may offer something graspable a participant in a cooperate seminar may not walk away with, a philosophical system that can be implemented in many areas of thought and in-turn enriching someone’s life towards the “good.”