Those of our school, it is true, would have men think that Zeno’s syllogism is correct, but that the second I mentioned, which is set up against his, is deceptive and wrong.
But I for my part decline to reduce such questions to a matter of dialectical rules or to the subtleties of an utterly worn-out system.
Away, I say, with all that sort of thing, which makes a man feel, when a question is propounded to him, that he is hemmed in, and forces him to admit a premise, and then makes him say one thing in his answer when his real opinion is another.
When truth is at stake, we must act more frankly; and when fear is to be combated, we must act more bravely. Such questions, which the dialecticians involve in subtleties, I prefer to solve and weigh rationally, with the purpose of winning conviction and not of forcing the judgment.
But I for my part decline to reduce such questions to a matter of dialectical rules or to the subtleties of an utterly worn-out system.
Away, I say, with all that sort of thing, which makes a man feel, when a question is propounded to him, that he is hemmed in, and forces him to admit a premise, and then makes him say one thing in his answer when his real opinion is another.
When truth is at stake, we must act more frankly; and when fear is to be combated, we must act more bravely. Such questions, which the dialecticians involve in subtleties, I prefer to solve and weigh rationally, with the purpose of winning conviction and not of forcing the judgment.
—from Seneca, Moral Letters 82
In our crazy times, when the internet can dumb down most anything, even philosophy has its fifteen minutes of fame.
What happens when a self-promoter gets his hands on Stoicism? We are blessed with memento mori t-shirts, and amor fati medallions, and Marcus Aurelius comic books, and a whole variety of gimmicks for selling the consumer a feel-good creed that calls for absolutely no commitment to principles.
And yet I would be a fool to believe that the sophists haven’t been milking us all along, in one form or another.
When I was a bit younger, I was still being promised an exclusivity to philosophy, if only I went to graduate school and practiced my syllogisms in the mirror, which would grant me the superpower of taking down opponents from thirty paces with my razor-sharp wit. The transformation would be complete if I could then cite an impressive source, to administer the coup de grace.
Whether they are marketing to the mob or to the elites, the hucksters would like you to believe that reasoning can be reduced to a bag of tricks, and in no way demands a lifetime of developing self-discipline.
Seneca’s example of bickering about dialectics shows us how quickly we surrender to being pressured, instead of taking our time at being persuaded. A conscience is not formed by mind games; don’t just settle for being clever, but insist upon following what is right.
The loyal Stoic will immediately want to agree with Zeno, and he will frown upon any attempt to deviate from this norm, but neither of these syllogisms can, in and of themselves, decide the matter for us, since both of them are playing tricks with the terms.
No, death is not glorious, unless it is employed with virtue. No, an indifferent thing can certainly become glorious, if it is employed with virtue. Each argument wishes to stack the cards in favor of a certain conclusion, and however cunning the logic, it is of no use in building character, which rather thrives under integrity and constancy.
I think of how often I have abandoned an option because I was intimidated by the sophisticated deductions, or because I felt coerced by the fancy rhetoric. Like the student who is afraid to contradict his teacher, and so nods his head in submission, we are too keen on yielding our judgments to impressive displays of skill.
A conformity under duress can never make a man any better—he will need to speak with honesty and to forge his own habits with conviction.
In our crazy times, when the internet can dumb down most anything, even philosophy has its fifteen minutes of fame.
What happens when a self-promoter gets his hands on Stoicism? We are blessed with memento mori t-shirts, and amor fati medallions, and Marcus Aurelius comic books, and a whole variety of gimmicks for selling the consumer a feel-good creed that calls for absolutely no commitment to principles.
And yet I would be a fool to believe that the sophists haven’t been milking us all along, in one form or another.
When I was a bit younger, I was still being promised an exclusivity to philosophy, if only I went to graduate school and practiced my syllogisms in the mirror, which would grant me the superpower of taking down opponents from thirty paces with my razor-sharp wit. The transformation would be complete if I could then cite an impressive source, to administer the coup de grace.
Whether they are marketing to the mob or to the elites, the hucksters would like you to believe that reasoning can be reduced to a bag of tricks, and in no way demands a lifetime of developing self-discipline.
Seneca’s example of bickering about dialectics shows us how quickly we surrender to being pressured, instead of taking our time at being persuaded. A conscience is not formed by mind games; don’t just settle for being clever, but insist upon following what is right.
The loyal Stoic will immediately want to agree with Zeno, and he will frown upon any attempt to deviate from this norm, but neither of these syllogisms can, in and of themselves, decide the matter for us, since both of them are playing tricks with the terms.
No, death is not glorious, unless it is employed with virtue. No, an indifferent thing can certainly become glorious, if it is employed with virtue. Each argument wishes to stack the cards in favor of a certain conclusion, and however cunning the logic, it is of no use in building character, which rather thrives under integrity and constancy.
I think of how often I have abandoned an option because I was intimidated by the sophisticated deductions, or because I felt coerced by the fancy rhetoric. Like the student who is afraid to contradict his teacher, and so nods his head in submission, we are too keen on yielding our judgments to impressive displays of skill.
A conformity under duress can never make a man any better—he will need to speak with honesty and to forge his own habits with conviction.
—Reflection written in 12/2013
IMAGE: Paolo Veronese, Dialectics (c. 1582)
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