Why don't the Stoics desire power if they desire good outside themselves?

Should you think about your duty, or about the consequences of your actions? Or should you concentrate on becoming a good person?

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Calepiaro
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Joined: Mon Aug 30, 2021 8:45 pm

Why don't the Stoics desire power if they desire good outside themselves?

Post by Calepiaro »

It is rather known that the Stoics highly advise not caring for riches or carnal beauty or other such things which are exterior to you and are dictated in part by chance. They tell us to only follow and want wisdom, Seneca for example clearly tells us to run for it, caring not for anything else and disposing of anything that holds us back. Whilst I agree regarding the hegemony of wisdom in regards to the hierarchy of value, I cannot quite understand how a virtuous person, according to the stoics, can not desire or at least work for power, money for example.

Seneca does not agree with the cynical approach to life, precisely because it separates the philosopher from the people he is supposed to help. He states that philosophy is interested in civilization and community and that we should try to help the ones we consider ourselves able to help. Here is where the problem comes. If a person desires to help others, how can said person not desire the means in which to help them? A rich person is able of greater help compared to a poor one.

I agree that wisdom should be the primary focus and that if it impairs us from following it we should always drop our desire for power, for that power without wisdom is more than useless, it is nocive. But how come that the wise man can not care at all about power when power enables him to act virtuously?
Jori
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Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2021 3:58 am

Re: Why don't the Stoics desire power if they desire good outside themselves?

Post by Jori »

Power is neither good nor bad. It's what the Stoics call an indifferent. What is bad is seeking power for its own sake and using power to achieve bad things. But, power can be used to achieve good things. So Stoic may desire power, but they don't get attached to it and use it only for a good end.
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