8 Principles of Stoicism

8 Principles of Stoicism The Stoics were people who followed a realistic but morally idealistic way of living, a philosophy of life developed by Hellenistic Greeks and eagerly embraced by the Romans. The Stoic philosophy had a strong appeal to Christian theologians of the early 20th century, which echoes in our own modern culture. I believe that [Stoicism] represents a way of looking at the world and the practical problems of life which possesses still a permanent interest for the human race, and a permanent power of inspiration. I shall approach it, therefore, rather as a psychologist than as a philosopher or historian.... I shall merely try as best I can to make intelligible its great central principles and the almost irresistible appeal which they made to so many of the best minds of antiquity. Knapp 1926 Stoics: From Greek to Roman Philosophy The philosophers who followed Aristotle (384-322 BC) were known as the Peripatetics, named for their walking around the colonnades of the Athenian Lyceum. The Stoics, on the other hand, were named for the Athenian Stoa Poikile or painted porch, where one of the founders of the Stoic philosophy, Zeno of Citium (on Cyprus) (344-262 BC), taught. While the Greeks may have developed the philosophy of Stoicism from the earlier philosophies, we only have fragments of their teachings. Their philosophy is often divided into three parts, logic, physics, and ethics. Many Romans adopted the philosophy as a way of life or art of living (tà ©chnà ª peri tà ³n bion in the ancient Greek)as it was intended by the Greeksand it is from the complete documents of imperial period Romans, especially the writings of Seneca (4 BC-65 AD), Epictetus (c. 55-135) and Marcus Aurelius (121-180) that we gain most of our information about the ethical system of the original Stoics. Stoic Principles Today, Stoic principles have found their way into accepted popular wisdom, as goals to which we should aspireas in the Serenity Prayer of Twelve Step programs. Below are eight of the main ideas in the area of ethics that were held by the Stoic philosophers. Nature - Nature is rational. Law of Reason - The universe is governed by the law of reason. Man cant actually escape its inexorable force, but he can, uniquely, follow the law deliberately. Virtue - A life led according to rational nature is virtuous. Wisdom - Wisdom is the the root virtue. From it spring the cardinal virtues: insight, bravery, self-control, and justice. Apathea - Since passion is irrational, life should be waged as a battle against it. Intense feeling should be avoided. Pleasure - Pleasure is not good. (Nor is it bad. It is only acceptable if it doesnt interfere with our quest for virtue.) Evil - Poverty, illness, and death are not evil. Duty - Virtue should be sought, not for the sake of pleasure, but for duty. Briefly, their notion of morality is stern, involving a life in accordance with nature and controlled by virtue. It is an ascetic system, teaching perfect indifference (APATHEA) to everything external, for nothing external could be either good or evil. Hence to the Stoics both pain and pleasure, poverty and riches, sickness and health, were supposed to be equally unimportant. Source: Internet Encylcopedia of Stoicism Serenity Prayer and Stoic Philosophy The Serenity Prayer, attributed to the Christian theologist Reinhold Niebuhr [1892-1971], and published by Alcoholics Anonymous in several similar forms, could have come straight from the principles of Stoicism as this side-by-side comparison of the Serenity Prayer and the Stoic Agenda shows: Serenity Prayer Stoic Agenda God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. (Alcoholics Anonymous)God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. (Reinhold Niebuhr) To avoid unhappiness, frustration, and disappointment, we, therefore, need to do two things: control those things that are within our power (namely our beliefs, judgments, desires, and attitudes) and be indifferent or apathetic to those things which are not in our power (namely, things external to us). (William R. Connolly) It has been suggested that the main difference between the two passages is that the Niebuhrs version includes a bit about knowing the difference between the two. While that may be, the Stoic version states those which are within our powerthe personal things like our own beliefs, our judgments, and our desires. Those are the things we should have the power to change. Read more about The Stoic Philosophers Sources Updated by K. Kris Hirst Annas, J. 2007. Ethics in Stoic Philosophy. Phronesis 52(1):58-87.Ierodiakonou, K. 1993. The Stoic Division of Philosophy. Phronesis 38(1):57-74.Internet Encyclopedia of StoicismKnapp, C. 1926. Professor Gilbert Murray on the Stoic Philosophy (Religion). The Classical Weekly 19(13): 99-100.McAfee Brown, R. (ed) 1986. The Essential Reinhold Niebuhr: Selected Essays and Addresses. New Haven: Yale University Press.Sellars, J. 2007. Stoic Practical Philosophy in the Imperial Period. Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies: Supplement 94: 115-140.Remple M. 2014. Stoic Philosophy and AA: The Enduring Wisdom of the Serenity Prayer. In: Miller JA, and Plants N, editors. Sobering Wisdom: Philosophical Explorations of Twelve Step Spirituality: University of Virginia Press. p 205-217.

Abortion Essays (4361 words) - United States Law, Abortion

A couple decades ago, when abortion was illegal, thousands of women died because they did not want to bear an infant and attempted to terminate the child's life by themselves or with an unprofessional approach. After 1973's Supreme Court decision, which allowed women to have the choice to abortion, thousands of women were saved. Abortion can save thousands of lives of women and thus, should remain legal in the United States. Imagine you have a balance beam. On one side you have the physical life of an infant and on the other you have the mental and emotional life of a mother and her unwanted child. Which side can we, as civil humans, claim as more valuable? Up to this current day, abortion has become an exigent issue that faces everyone nationwide. As a moral and ethical issue, abortion is a dilemma for society. Abortion was illegal before the 1973 Supreme Court decision in the trial of Roe v. Wade, but now that abortion is legitimate, women have the freedom and the choice to live their life the way they want to. Albeit, abortion is criticized by religious sects in America and some of the public, the practice of abortion should remain legal in the U.S. because it allows a woman to choose her destiny and prevents unwanted children. Definitions are essential to define in this issue. Abortion is the forcible removal of a developing baby from the womb of his or her mother, using surgical, mechanical, or chemical means. Medical definition holds that abortion is any termination of pregnancy before 20 weeks. Medically defined, abortion is the "end of a pregnancy before viability." Therapeutic abortion is the termination of pregnancy via the intervention of a physician through surgery or the use of RU-486 or some other medications. Conception is a synonym for fertilization or creation. An embryo is a stage of prenatal mammalian development which extends from 2 to 8 weeks. Fertilization is the penetration of an ovum by a single sperm. A fetus is a stage of prenatal mammalian development which extends from 9 weeks after fertilization. Miscarriage is the interruption of pregnancy prior to the 7th month, usually used to refer to an expulsion of the fetus which starts without being induced by medical intervention. About a quarter of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage. An ovum is the mature sex cell generated by females in an ovary. Trimester is a period lasting nominally 3 months. A human pregnancy is often divided into three trimesters, from fertilization from birth. From a historical perspective, the purpose of abortion has been undoubtedly to act as a life saver for both child and mother. In the two decades before abortion was legal in America, it's been estimated that about one million women per year underwent illegal abortions. In the process, thousands of American women died and thousands more were maimed. Whenever a society outlaws abortions, it induces the women to seek abortions in the back alleys where they become deleterious, exorbitant, and tarnishing. Thus, to protect the woman's life, we must keep abortion legal in America. According to abortion statistics from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, about 15,000 women have had abortions each year because they become pregnant as a result of rape or incest. Fortunately, the nation's leaders were able to stop this butchery of women. In Roe v. Wade, a landmark Supreme Court decision in 1973, stated that a woman and her doctor may freely decide to abort a pregnancy during the first trimester, sta te governments can restrict abortion access after the first trimester with laws intended to protect the woman's health, and abortion after fetal viability must be available if the woman's health or life are at risk. In other situations, state governments have the right to prohibit abortions. Abortion, thereby, became authorized in the United States of America because the court decided to preserve the right to choose an abortion as a constitutionally protected liberty. It is possible for one to be supportive of abortion on a political level, but against abortion on a personal level. Although many individuals say this notion is contradictory, different people evidently have different morals and values based on religion, from parents, friends, family, experience, and knowledge.

African immigrants living in the U.S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

African immigrants living in the U.S - Essay Example They are looked down as colored people, who are inferior. Black students in schools suffer prejudice from the teachers and other students. Even after centuries, this racism and discrimination based on color can still be seen occasionally. However, situation has improved for the Africans. Despite racism, which exists even now, Africans are accepted in almost every field of study and professional work. Many Africans have become successful individuals who are viewed as role models for even the Americans. Africans have excelled in various fields like sports, politics and films. Here are three examples of African immigrants in America and their life experiences. When talking about the African immigrants in America, Barrack Obama is the name first to be mentioned. He is the first black President of America, which is reason enough for the Africans to be proud. Obama was born in Hawaii. The Punahou Academy, where he graduated with honors in 1979, is the place where he was introduced to racism. He success came after a lot of hard work put in by him. Even during his campaign before the elections, there occurred incidents of racial discrimination in various parts of America. From California to Maine, many types of crimes were reported, including threats of physical injury to Obama. Nooses were hung with messages, ‘Assassinate Obama.’ Despite all these incidents, Obama got elected as the President of America, which rewrote the American political history. (Washington). Obama, grew up mostly in America why his Americanized ways are justified. Still, he says, he is proud of his culture and tradition. The second example is of Toni Morrison, who was the first African American woman to get the nobel prize for literature in the year 1993. Her novels dealt with the injustices inflicted on African women in America, their sufferings and the cultural identity which the Africans must

International and Non International Armed Conflict Essay

International and Non International Armed Conflict - Essay Example Humanity has witnessed wars since time immemorial and the ancient civilizations were observed as being particularly horrific in their conduct of war. However, the numerous conflicts of the relatively modern era are likely to cause many to question if any restrictions do exist to the behavior of parties involved in a conflict. In the present day and age, the law of war is known as the ‘international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflict’ or ‘humanitarian law’. International law has now evolved and attempted to prescribe rules that govern the resort to force and an attempt is also made to try to regulate the conduct of hostilities (Shaw, 2003, Pp. 1054 – 1055) and (Bouvier, 2006, Chapter 1). The law of war has been shaped by customary rules and conventional or codified rules. A long history of evolution is to be observed in the development of the law of armed conflict. Military leaders or those in political authority used to issue instructions a bout the treatment of civilians or enemy soldiers that tried to restrain excesses and these gradually developed into customary rules of war (Kalshoven, 2001, Pp. 15 – 17) and (Carrillo Salcedo, 2005, Chapter 1). However, the scope and the content of the customary rules of war had generally remained elusive and uncertain. The development of the law of war as treaty law can be traced back to the early 1860s when international conferences at The Hague and Geneva resulted in international treaties related to humanitarian aspects of armed conflicts.

Racism Kills :: Racial Relations, Racism

Racism dates back thousands and thousands of years back to the caveman times. In the short story â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†, Kate Chopin shows how discrimination by skin color can affect people. Desiree was abandoned and raised by Madame Valmonde. Armand, the father of the baby, was a member of the most notable families in Louisiana. He falls in love with Desiree and marries her. After they have a baby, their relationship quickly corrodes. A few months later, Armand realizes the baby’s skin has a darker tint than usual. He accuses Desiree of being black. Armand tells Desiree he wants her to leave so Desiree takes the baby and â€Å"disappears among the reeds and willows that grew thick along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou† (Chopin 91) and never returns. Armand finds out that Desiree is black when he reads a letter that her mother sent her that read â€Å"she belongs to the race which is cursed with the brand of slavery† (Chopin 92). The story’s ironic ending has a connection with the story’s setting, imagery, and Chopin’s use of similies. The setting has a major role to the ironic ending because it takes place in antembellum South where blacks are not treated equally to whites. There are several hints at where and when the story takes place. First, Armand’s last name, Aubigny, was â€Å"one of the oldest and proudest in Louisiana† (Chopin 89) which tells us it takes place in Louisiana. Also, Chopin says that Armand owns a plantation and many slaves which wouldn’t have been possible after the Civil War times showing that the story takes place during the antebellum period. The name of Armand’s plantation, L’Abri, is also ironic because it means â€Å"the shelter† in French which is ironic for Desiree because it is a bad place for her not a good place. Chopin explains how â€Å"there was something in the air menacing her peace†. The story wouldn’t take place in any other time period or location because if it did, Desiree wouldn’t be discriminated f or being black, therefore wouldn’t of run of into the bayou along with the baby. Chopin’s use of imagery leads up to the irony at the end of the story the greatest because Chopin contrasts black and white skin colors.

The Jamaican Early Childhood Curriculum Education Essay

The Jamaican Early Childhood Curriculum was late crafted. The course of study is built on the rule that kids learn best when content from assorted subjects along with accomplishments from the developmental spheres are integrated in line with the kids ‘s holistic position and experience of the universe. These rules are larning through drama, sequenced acquisition, single acquisition, the practicians ‘ multiple functions, inclusion of all scholars, integrated course of study and the spheres of development, the acquisition environment, appraisal in early childhood, affecting parents and community ( Davies, 2008 ) . While the course of study address assorted aims that need to be met in furthering Early Childhood acquisition and outlines the needed instructions, there are challenges to the execution of the course of study. Broadly talking, these factors are normally internal and external. These factors cut down the effectivity of the course of study and weaken the opportunity of effectual acquisition at the Early Childhood Level. The factors occur as challenges when there is a mismatch between the state of affairs that the course of study was designed to aim and the world. This difference causes the existent acquisition result to divert from the intended acquisition result. The course of study is usually assume that the pupil is runing at a peculiar degree, the pupils parent and environmental background offer a certain degree of support, and the instructor operates at a certain degree. The existent job occurs when the course of study does non provide for â€Å" the bulk instance † of pupil s. Internal factors normally include instructors, pupils, school substructure and resources. Teachers are the driving force of implementing the course of study efficaciously. A instructor ‘s creativeness, capablenesss and making enables him/her to reassign the content of the course of study in a meaningful manner that will link with the diverseness of scholars. Harmonizing to Jalongo and Isenberg ( 2012 ) a instructor ‘s cognition of the kids and the content of the course of study will enable him/her the ability to supply for the kids ‘s strengths and failing, their involvement and to develop the cognition, accomplishments, values, and temperaments they will necessitate to go productive members of the society. Hence the instructor ‘s function in developing the course of study is to determine what kids should larn and how they should larn it. In making so the instructor ‘s methodological analysis is indispensable in brining the course of study alive. Jalongo and Isenberg ( 2012 ) postulate that the instructor schemes and program for acquisition is the yarn that weaves the course of study. This they say is what of learning and the how of instruction. It ‘s hence, imperative that instructors plan for the pupils larning so as to provide for the diverse acquisition manners in their schoolroom. The methodological analysiss that the instructor employs should suit the pupil ‘s ability to derive cognition and develop the necessary accomplishments. Teachers should therefore choose content that are developmentally appropriate to accomplish required learning result. On the other manus a instructor should besides be competent and get acute penetrations on the capablenesss that kids posses in order to provide for holistic development. If this is non achieved so the execution of the course of study would hold fails to provide for the kids demands and development. The cardinal ingredient for any course of study is ever the scholar ( Jalongo and Isenberg, 2012 ) . They posit that a course of study should concentrate on what a kid know and can make and what a kid should cognize and can make. Hence the content of the course of study should take into history the demands, involvement, age and phase of development and the societal and cultural context if the kid. The kid as the scholar possesses the ultimate success of the course of study. This takes into history the abilities, accomplishments, background cognition and exposure /experience that the kid get before come ining the acquisition environment. Harmonizing to Puckett and Diffily ( 2004 ) being cognizant of the differences in kids ‘s development, strengths and challenges will let course of study contrivers and instructors to be after efficaciously in order to run into each kid ‘s developmental demands. Jalongo and Isenberg ( 2012 ) stated that a course of study should see the foll owers, Child development and acquisition, Child needs, abilities and involvement and Social and cultural context in which kids live. The considerations of these will enable the instructors to execute efficaciously within the instruction and acquisition environment. The school substructures and resources play a critical function in the bringing of the school ‘s course of study. External factors normally include parents, place and community. This is another driving force in the execution of the course of study. The importance of parental engagement is cardinal in the success of academic accomplishment. This sets the foundation of the learning attitude that kids carry to the acquisition environment. Support from parents increases the academic accomplishment in ulterior old ages. Burke ( 2010 ) concurred kids whose parents are actively involved in their instruction at an early age aids the nurturing of a kid ‘s instruction and overall development and is one of the nucleus indexs of ulterior accomplishment. It is through this engagement that kids understand and appreciate the importance of a solid instruction. The engagement of parents can interrupt or construct the execution of any course of study. Parents are incognizant of the powerful consequence that have on what and how the content of a course of study is designed and implemented. I strongly believe that parents are the first line of support for all kids. They are the primary beginning of socialisation and set the foundation for formal acquisition to take topographic point. The place is the initial environment for optimum nurturing and it ideally creates a sense of belonging. Admiting that meaningful parental engagement is need it ‘s non a â€Å" one-size fits all † . We have to take into consideration the socio economic position of these parents every bit good as their educational background. The background of these parents particularly in urban environments allows for restriction on the input they can offer to the execution of the course of study. Hence, few or no engagement occurs and the inability to keep instructors accountable for hapless course of study execution is hapless. Burke ( 2010 ) provinces that when parents are involved in the educational procedure of their kids and, as such, they will be able to include or add extra information a nd penetration from their ain personal experiences to instructors in order to back up their kid ‘s acquisition and development. The community is seen as the secondary beginning of socialisation.

Ice Cream Recipes You Make Using Science