Is there joy in Stoicism?

We all know that Stoicism helps us cope with everyday problems, unforeseen hardships, and the tragedies we face in life. It helps us manage our anger, blunts our anxieties and worries, trains us in being wise, courageous, restrained, and just.

All good. But what about pleasure? Where is joy in Stoicism? Where is happiness?

Happiness. Joy. Pleasure. These words are not interchangeable. But, these words can be be synonymous. A pleasurable life is a joyful one and a joyful life is a happy one. There is a great deal of overlap between happiness, joy, and pleasure, if they are pursued properly.

The term ‘pleasure’ is often interpreted negatively by the Stoics to imply the thoughtless pursuit of something that is fleeting and hence not worth pursuing. It is this narrow focus on the negative side of pleasure that gave the impression that Stoics were mirthless and serious.

And there is another reason.

Epicurus believed that pleasure is the main good. We need to act virtuously because a virtuous life leads to a pleasant life:

It is not possible to live pleasantly without living prudently and honourably and justly, nor again to live a life of prudence, honour, and justice without living pleasantly. - Epicurus, Principal Doctrines

So, according to Epicurus, virtues are the means by which we attain a pleasant life. They are a means to an end.

Stoics disagreed. They believed that virtue is the main good. A virtuous life is not a means to a pleasant life, but a virtuous life by definition is a pleasant life. They did not spell this out but implied it. The Stoics did not talk much about pleasure, except in the context of excess. Pursuit of pleasure is not good if it interferes with a virtuous life or if we pursue it excessively.

This doesn’t mean the Stoics were too serious to enjoy life. There is evidence that they did enjoy life but, unfortunately most of our direct knowledge of Stoicism comes from three ‘Roman’ Stoics who went through difficult times in their lives:

• Marcus Aurelius wrote his Meditations while fighting wars he would rather not fight.

• Epictetus, whose Discourses Arrian transcribed, was a former slave and later exiled by the emperor.

• Seneca, was not only exiled, but also had the misfortune of serving Nero, only to be forced to commit suicide.

Naturally what they wrote most about was coping with life, no matter how tough. So, when we read what they wrote there is very little of the joys and pleasures of life.

Stoics were cautious about the pursuit of pleasure, because when we pursue pleasure, if we are not careful, we may fall into the trap of losing control over the things that will bring us real joy.

Pleasure, unless it be moderate, becomes a punishment. - Seneca, Moral Letters 59

Yet, if we read their works with attention we will see that thepleasures of life (no matter what other term you use to describe it) are Continued on Page 3 THE STOIC 3 MAY 2024 always in the background.

The joy of the Stoic

The Stoic attitude to pleasure was summed up neatly by Marcus Aurelius:

Pleasure is always a by-product of activity, and the activity is not undertaken for the sake of pleasure. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.24

Pleasure is the result of our activity and not the other way around.

Being joyful is a Stoic value. Seneca advises his protege Lucius to make it his priority:

Above all, Lucilius, make this your business: Learn to feel joy. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 23

Pythagoras used to compare life to a festival. Seneca expands this thought further:

Why don’t you enjoy the festival of life when it is given to you to do so? Don’t be like the common people, who complain about the good times and kick against the bad. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 16

And we shouldn’t wait to feel the joy of living. If we keep postponing, it may be too late.

We must hurry, not because every hour we are closer to death but because, even before death, our perception and understanding start going down. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 3.1

But where do we find such pleasures? If you look around, suggests Marcus Aurelius, you will find it everywhere.

Almost everything – even if it is only incidental to something else – adds extra pleasure to someone who is sensitive and insightful about how the universe works. The way loaves of bread split open on top in the oven; the ridges are just by-products of the baking, and yet pleasing, somehow: they rouse our appetite without our knowing why. Or how ripe figs begin to burst. - Marcus Aurelus, Meditations, 3.2

Yes, everything in life holds pleasure if only we know how to look for it. Things that we don’t pay much attention to can be a source of pleasure when we start observing them closely.

So is the mature beauty of an old man or an old woman, and the loveliness of children. Things like these will not appeal to everyone, but the person who has developed a real friendship with nature and her works will be fascinated. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 3.1

What’s the bottom line?

As Piotr Stankiewicz says in his article in this issue, it is a matter of semantics. Some people use pleasure, joy, happiness, and eudeimonia interchangeably. The Stoics were more strict in their interpretation. In their continuum, pleasure is at the bottom, just one step above vice. They were not against pleasure, but were concerned about where the pursuit of pleasure might take us if we are not careful.

I am sure the ancient Stoics were all for the good things in life. They had pleasure, joy, and happiness in their lives. They enjoyed the pleasures of life but were careful not to pursue them directly, lest they fall into the trap of the pursuit of pleasures with undesirable consequences.

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