The rival philosophies to Stoicism that you've never heard about (with Greg Lopez)
Spencer Greenberg speaks with Gregory Lopez, co-author of 'Beyond Stoicism', about deriving modern insights from ancient Greco-Roman philosophies like Stoicism, Epicureanism, Pyrrhonism, and Cyrenaicism. They discuss concepts like eudaimonia and telos, and how these philosophies offer comprehensive life guidance beyond mere "life hacks."
Deep Dive Analysis
18 Topic Outline
Relevance of Greco-Roman Philosophies Today
Defining Eudaimonia and the Good Life
Teleology: The Concept of a Single Life Purpose
Cyrenaicism: Pursuing Momentary Physical Pleasure
Pyrrhonian Skepticism: Achieving Mental Tranquility through Doubt
Epicureanism: Mental Pleasure by Removing Distress
Stoicism: Living a Virtuous Life and Misconceptions
The First Stoic Discipline: Controlling Aversions and Desires
The Second Stoic Discipline: Intentional Pro-Social Action
The Third Stoic Discipline: Rigorous Moment-to-Moment Practice
Integrating Stoicism with Buddhism: A Personal Approach
Life Philosophies vs. Life Hacks
Value of Pyrrhonian Skepticism: Doubting Impressions
Value of Cyrenaicism: Finding Pleasure in Simple Things
Value of Epicureanism: Importance of Close-Knit Communities
Academic Skepticism and Value of Information
The Role of Eclecticism in Modern Philosophy
Modern Adaptations and Measurement of Stoicism
7 Key Concepts
Eudaimonia
A Greek word often translated as 'happiness' or 'flourishing,' but which ancient philosophers debated extensively. It refers to the ultimate goal or ideal state that everyone desires in their life, with different philosophies cashing it out in various ways.
Telos
The single best thing or final end to pursue in life, from which we get the word 'teleology.' Many Greco-Roman philosophies presumed there was one single value that should be pursued for its own sake, which could also be seen as becoming the best version of a thing.
Ataraxia
The Greek word for mental tranquility, described as the ideal mental state of a soldier going into battle. For Pyrrhonian skeptics, achieving ataraxia by dropping worries about non-apparent things was considered eudaimonia.
Dark Stoicism
A problematic interpretation of Stoicism that focuses solely on building resilience without the corresponding pro-social and ethical development. This can lead to individuals becoming 'resilient assholes' who are immune to the suffering of others.
Dichotomy of Control
A concept derived from Epictetus's phrase 'some things are up to us, and other things are not.' It suggests that one will be crushed by desiring things not up to them, and content by desiring only what is within their control, but this is only the first step of Stoic practice.
Virtue as the Only Good
A core Stoic claim that only one's character and virtues are truly good, while external things like health, wealth, or popularity are 'indifferents.' This is because a good character will always serve one well and benefit others, regardless of external circumstances.
Equipolence
A state achieved through Pyrrhonian skeptical methods, where one no longer knows what is true about a situation or belief. By realizing the difficulty or impossibility of knowing what's truly good or bad, one can let go of worry and achieve mental tranquility.
8 Questions Answered
All Greco-Roman philosophies fundamentally tried to answer the question of 'what is a good life?' and how to achieve it, often centered around the concept of eudaimonia.
They primarily used two routes: some appealed to nature, specifically human nature (like Stoicism and Epicureanism), while others appealed to epistemology, focusing on what can actually be known (like Cyrenaicism and Pyrrhonian Skepticism).
Many people focus only on Epictetus's 'dichotomy of control' (the first step of Stoicism) as a means to become resilient and bulletproof. This misunderstanding omits the subsequent steps focused on becoming a better person and acting pro-socially, leading to 'dark Stoicism'.
A life philosophy provides a complete value system and a North Star to guide one's life, with techniques aligned to that goal. Life hacks, in contrast, often aim to maximize existing desires without questioning or changing one's fundamental values, which can be problematic if those values are unexamined or harmful.
This is a 'chicken and egg' problem, as judging a philosophy as 'wrong' (e.g., because it causes physical pain) presumes that physical pain is inherently bad, which is itself a value judgment. The process of engaging in deep thought about what is good and why is crucial.
Pyrrhonian Skepticism encourages people to doubt more, both external claims and their own first impressions. It offers methods, like the five modes of doubt, to question beliefs and reach a state of equipolence, leading to mental tranquility by letting go of worries about non-apparent things.
Cyrenaicism, while valuing momentary physical pleasure as the highest good, also emphasizes learning to find pleasure easily and from simple things. This practice helps one remain content and 'wealthy' even when external circumstances are difficult, as exemplified by its founder Aristippus.
Epicureanism highlights the value of close-knit, selected communities and strong friendships. Epicureans formed intentional communities to lead simple lives, focusing on good conversations and mental pleasures derived from removing mental distress, rather than striving for excessive physical indulgence.
12 Actionable Insights
1. Adopt a Life Philosophy
Instead of just using ’life hacks,’ adopt a comprehensive life philosophy that provides a consistent value system and a ‘North Star’ for your life. This helps clarify what you’re truly aiming for and guides your actions in a coherent direction.
2. Question ‘What is Good?’
Engage in the process of sitting down and thinking deeply about what is truly good and why, even if you don’t believe in objective answers. This self-reflection is a useful exercise for clarifying your personal values and life direction.
3. Empirically Study Your Values
Recognize that fundamental values are not rational or irrational, but arational. Discover your true values through empirical self-study, by trying different things and observing how your life develops to see what feels suitable for you.
4. Understand Before Changing
Before manipulating, changing, or rejecting a philosophy, ensure you deeply understand its original meaning and context. This prevents misunderstandings and allows for informed acceptance or rejection based on accurate premises.
5. Transfer Aversions Internally
To control unhealthy emotions (passions) and reduce anxiety, transfer your aversions from external things (like performance outcomes) to internal judgments. Recognize that anxiety stems from valuing things not truly valuable or beyond your complete control, and instead focus on improving your character and mental state.
6. Act Intentionally & Pro-socially
After gaining control over unhealthy emotions, act intentionally rather than reactively, and always act pro-socially. This means striving not to harm others and, as much as possible, gradually expanding your circle of concern to help more people.
7. Solidify Habits Moment-to-Moment
For advanced practitioners, rigorously apply the principles of dampening desires for external things and acting pro-socially in every moment. This discipline is about solidifying the habits built in the first two stages through continuous, moment-to-moment practice.
8. Remove Mental Distress
Pursue mental pleasure, which Epicureans believed is the highest good, by completely removing mental distress. Practice recalling mental pleasures on demand, such as memories of friendship, to achieve a smooth and consistent state of well-being.
9. Cultivate Close-Knit Community
Form close-knit, intentional communities with like-minded people and spend a large amount of time with them. This practice, along with living simply, helps achieve mental pleasure through good conversations and strong friendships.
10. Doubt Non-Apparent Things
To achieve mental tranquility (ataraxia), doubt non-apparent things—ideas and philosophical concepts not directly perceived by your senses—because worrying about them causes mental stress. Practice self-argumentation using modes like disagreement or relativity to realize the difficulty of knowing what’s truly good or bad, then let go of the worry.
11. Follow Common Custom & Sense
When faced with theoretical or abstract concerns, follow common custom, culture, and common sense in your actions. Focus on what is apparent and what others are doing to avoid getting bogged down in unresolvable doubts and to live your life.
12. Pursue Momentary Physical Pleasure
Live moment to moment, trying to grab as much physical pleasure as possible, as Cyrenaics believed physical pleasure is the highest good and most apparent to the mind. Focus on finding physical pleasure easily from simple things, savoring the experience in the moment, rather than expending great effort or reflecting on past pleasures.
3 Key Quotes
If you don't have a port to sail to, no wind is favorable.
Seneca (quoted by Gregory Lopez)
You're truly wealthy when you can still be wealthy when you lose everything in a shipwreck.
Aristippus of Cyrene (paraphrased by Gregory Lopez)
Some things are up to us, and other things are not.
Epictetus (quoted by Gregory Lopez)
2 Protocols
Stoic Three Disciplines (Epictetus)
Epictetus (described by Gregory Lopez)- Discipline of Desire: Transfer aversions from external things to internal judgments, and dampen desires for things not 'up to us.' This involves recognizing that anxiety comes from valuing things not truly valuable or controllable.
- Discipline of Action: Act intentionally rather than reactively, and act pro-socially. This means trying not to hurt people and gradually expanding one's 'circles of concern' to help others.
- Discipline of Ascent: Apply the principles of the first two disciplines (dampening desires, being pro-social and intentional) on a moment-to-moment, rigorous basis. This is for advanced practitioners to solidify habits, even in challenging states like sleep or intoxication.
Pyrrhonian Skepticism: Five Modes of Doubt (Agrippa)
Agrippa (described by Gregory Lopez)- Identify something you are upset about (e.g., a political event).
- Apply the mode of 'disagreement' or 'relativity': Consider how different people see the situation, and try to justify your own view.
- Question your justification using disagreement or relativity again, realizing that perspectives can change or people will disagree.
- Repeat this process until you reach Agrippa's trilemma: either an infinite regress of justifications, an unjustified assumption, or a circular argument.
- Accept that it's hard or impossible to know what's truly good or bad about the situation, and let go of the worry, leading to mental tranquility (ataraxia).