When someone was reciting hypothetical arguments, Epictetus said: This also is a law which governs hypothesis, that we must accept what conforms with the hypothesis. But much more important is the law of living, which is this—to act in conformity with Nature.
For if we wish in every subject and in all circumstances to observe what is natural, it is plain that in everything we must aim at not letting slip what is in harmony with Nature, nor accepting what is in conflict with it.
First, then, philosophers train us in the region of speculation, which is easier, and only then lead us on to what is harder: for in the sphere of speculation there is no influence which hinders us from following what we are taught, but in life there are many influences which drag us the contrary way.
In any process of growth or development, the complex follows from the simple, and the compound builds upon the elements. When our own intentions come into play, it is tempting to try skipping ahead, yet I shouldn’t be surprised if nothing is achieved later when no effort was invested earlier.
Sometimes the specialist will become obsessed with only one part at the expense of the whole, and so the logician must remember how his art is in the greater service of the good life. What purpose can there be in refining the methods of thinking, and then failing to apply them to the content of right and wrong?
Far more common, however, is the overzealous seeker, who hopes to avoid the legwork and wants to hitch a free ride to a debate on the “big questions”. He pursues the answers, or perhaps just the appearance of having the answers, and therefore latches on to buzzwords and hasty generalizations, without having honed the power of judgment.
He reminds me of a certain little boy I once knew, who was inspired to run a marathon, and yet hadn’t quite managed taking a lap around the block.
Nature has instilled a certain order to all things, and the very fact that I struggle with discerning that order is itself an indicator of how I fit into the grand design. My own conscious reflection cannot spring forth from nothing: it is instead formed from one step to another, slowly increasing in ability, gradually expanding in scope. Before I take to building a structure, I am called to becoming proficient with the tools.
Hence the apprentice commits awful blunders, while the master has learned to flow effortlessly with his materials. As it will be in any particular trade, so it will be in the universal vocation of living well. Strive for the goal of wisdom and virtue, though do not forget to properly train the mental muscles for the task.
The professional “philosopher” is inclined to get all tangled up in the discipline of reason, while the amateur “philosopher” is inclined to dodge the discipline of reason entirely, and between these two extremes lies the mean of trying to be a thoughtful and decent human being, of putting each component in its appropriate place. Begin by perfecting the habits of mind, however tedious it may initially feel, and only then move on to perfecting the habits of character, by which all other things become meaningful.
Or, as an old-school teacher once told me, “Don’t go messing with the ethics until you’re a pro at the logic. You need to earn the big-boy pants.”
In the current academic climate, you will be hard-pressed to find a program of study that pays any more than a cursory attention to a schooling in dialectic. It’s bad enough that Johnny can’t read or add, but even more tragic is that Johnny has never been encouraged to think for himself with any rigor and consistency. If we ask him how he “feels” about racism or nuclear war, how will this help him if he lacks a proficiency in putting together a solid argument?
Indeed, we further ignore the development of conscience, perhaps with the exception of blindly imposing the political fads of the moment, and there is certainly little exercise in critical reasoning about measures of the true, the good, and the beautiful.
These principles can’t be discussed, of course, because no one is fluent in defining clear terms, combining true judgments, and developing valid demonstrations.
We make the excuse that logic is beyond Johnny’s capacities, which is really rather degrading, for we are saying that Johnny lacks the power to grow into a mature human being. With regular attention and effort, I find rather that adolescents are brilliant at logic, much as younger children have an uncanny knack at soaking up languages.
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