As I have been accustomed to think thus, I have made a bolder attempt than he himself did of whom I am speaking. For Cato is accustomed to treat stoically of magnanimity, of modesty, of death, and of all the glory of virtue, of the immortal gods, and of patriotism, with the addition of the ornaments of eloquence.
But I have, for amusement, digested into common places those topics which the Stoics scarcely prove in their retirement and in their schools. Such topics are termed, even by themselves, paradoxes, because they are remarkable, and contrary to the opinion of all men. I have been desirous of trying whether they might not come into publicity, that is before the forum, and be so expressed as to be approved; or whether learned expressions were one thing, and a popular mode of address another.
I undertook this with the more pleasure, because these very paradoxes, as they are termed, appear to me to be the most Socratic, and by far the most true. Accept therefore this little work, composed during these shorter nights, since that work of my longer writings appeared in your name. You will have here a specimen of the manner I have been accustomed to adopt when I accommodate those things which in the schools are termed theses to our oratorical manner of speaking.
I do not, however, expect that you will look upon yourself as indebted to me for this performance, which is not such as to be placed, like the Minerva of Phidias, in a citadel, but still such as may appear to have issued from the same studio.
But I have, for amusement, digested into common places those topics which the Stoics scarcely prove in their retirement and in their schools. Such topics are termed, even by themselves, paradoxes, because they are remarkable, and contrary to the opinion of all men. I have been desirous of trying whether they might not come into publicity, that is before the forum, and be so expressed as to be approved; or whether learned expressions were one thing, and a popular mode of address another.
I undertook this with the more pleasure, because these very paradoxes, as they are termed, appear to me to be the most Socratic, and by far the most true. Accept therefore this little work, composed during these shorter nights, since that work of my longer writings appeared in your name. You will have here a specimen of the manner I have been accustomed to adopt when I accommodate those things which in the schools are termed theses to our oratorical manner of speaking.
I do not, however, expect that you will look upon yourself as indebted to me for this performance, which is not such as to be placed, like the Minerva of Phidias, in a citadel, but still such as may appear to have issued from the same studio.
—from Cicero, Stoic Paradoxes, Introduction
Sometimes a truth is best expressed with sophistication, and sometimes it is best expressed with simplicity. There are moments when I seek out a refined explanation, and there are moments when I desperately need a blunt pep talk. In the many aspects of our lives, these will rightly complement one another, not clash with one another.
Any philosopher runs the risk of divorcing his profound thinking from his daily living, but this can be especially true for the Stoic, because his values appear so alien to the assumptions of a herd mentality. When push comes to shove, what sort of words will most inspire us to change our attitudes? Do not necessarily frown upon a “popular” style; to get anywhere, we need to start from where we’re at.
In my own experience, the scholars have usually said the most, even as the rank and file have usually said it best. A dozen pages of Seneca would do me little good without some humble friend at my elbow, who pushes me ahead with one pithy saying.
No, Cicero is not mocking Stoicism, or selling it short, but rather submitting an account of the philosophy that can make it more available to the man on the street. Once he can understand more of it, on his own terms, let him then use it as he sees fit.
That Stoicism seems to depend upon paradoxes is surely an obstacle to taking it seriously, and we must learn why there is no contradiction within such principles, only a fitting irony: they will finally make sense once our priorities are no longer upside down. There is a great difference between saying that something is impossible and merely recognizing it as extraordinary.
I have long seen the Stoics as natural successors to Socrates, who so vigorously defended virtue as our defining good, so I am pleased that Cicero is approaching their dilemmas as a continuation of that noble tradition. In most every Socratic dialogue, I find myself realizing how what I had dismissed as ridiculous was actually quite sublime, and what I had believed to be the problem turned out to be the solution.
The Stoic Paradoxes are not an intricate piece of work, nor do they contain any elaborate syllogisms to totally eradicate all of our doubts. Instead, they employ everyday observations and appeal to suitable analogies, in order that we might reconsider our usual opinions about what counts as good in this life. This should be enough to make them worthy of our attention.
Sometimes a truth is best expressed with sophistication, and sometimes it is best expressed with simplicity. There are moments when I seek out a refined explanation, and there are moments when I desperately need a blunt pep talk. In the many aspects of our lives, these will rightly complement one another, not clash with one another.
Any philosopher runs the risk of divorcing his profound thinking from his daily living, but this can be especially true for the Stoic, because his values appear so alien to the assumptions of a herd mentality. When push comes to shove, what sort of words will most inspire us to change our attitudes? Do not necessarily frown upon a “popular” style; to get anywhere, we need to start from where we’re at.
In my own experience, the scholars have usually said the most, even as the rank and file have usually said it best. A dozen pages of Seneca would do me little good without some humble friend at my elbow, who pushes me ahead with one pithy saying.
No, Cicero is not mocking Stoicism, or selling it short, but rather submitting an account of the philosophy that can make it more available to the man on the street. Once he can understand more of it, on his own terms, let him then use it as he sees fit.
That Stoicism seems to depend upon paradoxes is surely an obstacle to taking it seriously, and we must learn why there is no contradiction within such principles, only a fitting irony: they will finally make sense once our priorities are no longer upside down. There is a great difference between saying that something is impossible and merely recognizing it as extraordinary.
I have long seen the Stoics as natural successors to Socrates, who so vigorously defended virtue as our defining good, so I am pleased that Cicero is approaching their dilemmas as a continuation of that noble tradition. In most every Socratic dialogue, I find myself realizing how what I had dismissed as ridiculous was actually quite sublime, and what I had believed to be the problem turned out to be the solution.
The Stoic Paradoxes are not an intricate piece of work, nor do they contain any elaborate syllogisms to totally eradicate all of our doubts. Instead, they employ everyday observations and appeal to suitable analogies, in order that we might reconsider our usual opinions about what counts as good in this life. This should be enough to make them worthy of our attention.
—Reflection written in 5/1999
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