Would
not such a woman be a great help to the man who married her, an ornament to her
relatives, and a good example for all who know her?
Yes,
but I assure you, some will say, that women who associate with philosophers are
bound to be arrogant for the most part and presumptuous, in that abandoning
their own households and turning to the company of men they practice speeches,
talk like sophists, and analyze syllogisms, when they ought to be sitting at
home spinning.
I
should not expect the women who study philosophy to shirk their appointed tasks
for mere talk any more than men, but I maintain that their discussions should
be conducted for the sake of their practical application.
Couldn’t
we argue that women should avoid philosophy, not because they are somehow
unworthy of a great privilege, but because philosophy will only encourage them
to become insufferable snobs?
In
other words, we should look at how much time men already waste with their
posing and posturing about obscure ideas, and we should hesitate to have women
follow suit. Sitting at home and spinning at least produces something useful,
while intellectual musings have no practical application at all.
Well,
the issue will then no longer be about men and women, but about the worth of
philosophy itself. If by philosophy we mean simply spouting empty words in order
to hear ourselves speak, then yes, women should surely avoid it, and so should
men.
The
world does not need more talking heads and hot air; the world does need more
people who actually get things done.
That
is not, however, the sort of philosophy Musonius holds dear. We have sadly come
to think of philosophy only through the ways we have abused it, retaining the
word but not the task. Yes, if theory is
separated from practice, if ideas are divorced from actions, and if thinking is
removed from living, then we are indeed wasting our time.
The
Stoic, however, like any genuine philosopher, will insist that the exercise of
the mind must always be in service to the excellence of our character.
Don’t
“do” philosophy because you like to ponder grand abstractions, or to impress
your friends with how clever you are, or to wallow in leisure instead of
committing to labor; we already have plenty of professional academics to do
that, the sophists of our modern age.
Rather,
“live” philosophy so you can learn to live well, to practice virtue in all of
your affairs, to inform every one of your thoughts, words, and deeds with
meaning and purpose. Know the true from the false, the right from the wrong, in
order to be happy, and to help others be happy. Contemplate justice for the
sake of treating your neighbor with justice.
Philosophy,
in this proper sense, is not one trade among many, but the universal human
calling that stands behind all trades. All human beings require it, because
creatures endowed with reason and choice can only do what is good if they first
understand what is good. The question is not whether we will think about our
actions, but rather whether we will think about them clearly. We will make
countless judgments in our lives about what we believe to be right, so it will
only benefit us if we actually know what is right.
Some
people, men and women alike, will be powerful rulers, and others will wash the
dishes. Some will heal the sick, and others will fight in wars. Some will teach
the young, and others will bury the dead. It matters far less what our
particular place in this world may be, and far more if we fulfill our
particular calling with integrity, with decency, and with kindness.
Pursue
philosophy not merely by reading fancy books, but by engaging in life. What
will it help us if we know in which texts Aristotle discusses the nature of
friendship, if we do not learn to love our friends? By all means, let us study
as much as we like, and let us have engaging conversations about the difference
between virtue and vice; more importantly, however, let us actually practice
virtue instead of vice.
Written in 4/1999
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