History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 074 - Tony Long on the Self in Hellenistic Philosophy
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Apr 1, 2012 AI Snips
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Hellenistic Focus: Crafting The Good Self
- Hellenistic philosophers respond to social change by focusing on detailed analyses of the self and the mental states that make life happiest.
- They aim to define what state of soul produces the most effective and fulfilled life.
Selfhood As Identification And Values
- The self can be seen as that with which you identify, anchoring life to a value system and purpose.
- Hellenistic schools stress rational, value-based lives that secure autonomy and control over desires.
Shared Commitment To Rational Self-Governance
- Stoics and Epicureans share commitment to rationally grounded lives despite differing goods (virtue vs pleasure).
- Both schools value self-mastery and controlling desires as central to a happy life.