The “Hopefulists” 

It seems that there was a little-known group of Greek philosophers known as the “Hopefulists’ (Elpistikoi). 

What did they believe in? 

The Hopefulists believed hoping is the most essential thing for life, because when hope is not present to make life pleasant, then life is unbearable—just as what is most essential to the desire for food is whatever makes every nourishment ungratifying and disagreeable by its absence. 

One dogma and one rationale 

They give one dogma and one rationale for it. The dogma is that hoping is the most essential thing for life. The rationale is that life is unbearable when hope is absent and is not sweetening it. 

They did not present hope as what makes life worth living. Neither did they claim that hope is the purpose for which we do other things. 

The only source 

What else do we know about them? Nothing. All we know about them comes from this single source: In Symposiaka 668 E, Plutarch deals with the question "whether better relishes (opsa) are found on land or in the sea.” During the course of what follows, one of the characters refers to this philosophy. 

(Source: The Elpistikoi: A little-known School of Greek Philosophers Tad Brennan, January 2019. I believe this is an unpublished paper.) 

Stoics, on the other hand, were never big on hope to see them through life’s tribulations. 

… not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. 

Seneca 

 

Don't hope that events will turn out the way you want, welcome events in whichever way they happen: this is the path to peace.' 

Epictetus 

I wonder if any of you had heard of the the Hopfulists. Do you think a Stoic would ever agree that, if we don’t hope, life would be unbearable? I would like to hear from you. 

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Chuck Chakrapani

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