Big idea 6. Be just 

When we deal with others, we need a second skill—justice. What is justice? It is giving what is due to others, being fair in your dealings with them, and not taking anything that belongs to them. This is the second “wall” of our Stoic house. 

Stoicism is very clear in saying that a person’s happiness or unhappiness does not come from others. If it is true that no one can hurt us no matter what they do, it also follows that we can hurt no one, no matter what we do. So why be just? Why not steal, lie, cheat, or even commit murder for personal benefit? 

Because it will hurt us. 

Because we are first related to our family, then to our friends, then to the society we live in, and to the world, we are also a part of the universe. We cannot be unjust to others without it indirectly affecting ourselves. Since we are a part of society, when we hurt soci-ety, we hurt ourselves. 

The rational principle that rules us has this quality: it is content with itself when it does what is just and thus achieves peace. 

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 7.28 (Chuck Chakrapani, Stoic Meditations, 7.28) 

Our relationship to others 

The first skill—wisdom—taught us how to deal with ourselves; how to judge our im-pressions the right way and to decide on the next course of action. We need the skill of wisdom not only when we deal with our-selves but also when we deal with externals. Although wisdom is of primary importance, we need additional skills as well. 

The next skill we need relates to our interac-tion with others—those we know, those we don’t, and, more broadly, the world at large. For Stoics, happiness does not depend on the place they live in. They are fully in-volved in this world. They don’t retreat from it or go to a secluded place to find happiness. Their refuge is the “inner citadel” and not an outward place. Wherever they are—in their own city, in exile somewhere or in a prison—they are fully engaged in the world. 

One of the basic beliefs of Stoicism is that we have a natu-ral affection for others. It is natural, normal, and therefore necessary to cultivate concern for others and the world we live in. 

Whatever is rational will not be in conflict with natural affec-tion. 

The two things cannot be in conflict. 

Epictetus, Discourses 1.11 (Chuck Chakrapani, Stoic Foun-dations Ch. 11) 

Our relationship to the world 

When we take what is due to others, we are not acting in accordance with nature. We start believing external things such as injustice to others can bring us happiness. We create disharmony by putting our personal part in conflict with our universal part. Disharmony with nature can-not result in happiness. When we are in con-flict with others, we are in conflict with our-selves. When we think we need something external (the main reason for injustice) or others don’t deserve justice and act on that thought, we unwisely believe that externals will bring us happiness. Our life stops flowing smoothly. Hence the need for acting justly in our dealings with others. 

The Stoic philosopher Hierocles thought of a person as being in the center of a set of con-centric circles (the Hierocles circle.) Our rela-tionship starts with ourselves and expands to include family, friends, neighbors, society, the city, the world, and the universe. 

We are a part of the whole and therefore we are related to others and to the world. What is not good for others cannot be good for us. 

What is not good for the beehive is not good for the bee. 

M. Aurelius Meditations, 6.54 (Chuck Chakrapani, Stoic Meditations, 6.54) 

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This is the twelfth excerpt from our 10-week course on Stoicism. The book covering all course material, readings and exercises is available from https://amzn.to/2Ck0fje

 

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