The word “pleasure”, for those well-read in ancient philosophy, suggests Epicureanism, and for good reason; Epicurus wrote much on pleasure. However, Seneca touched on the topic of pleasure in his writing as well. Stoicism considers virtue as the only good, and that it is the only path to eudaimonia. But does that mean that we must rob ourselves of joy in life?

Humanizing the Stoic

To be sure, a Stoic must keep their compass pointing towards the development of one’s character. Moral excellence is the ultimate goal. At the same time, Stoics are also human beings, and human beings are complicated creatures.

Much of the misconceptions surrounding Stoicism can be clarified by looking at a real, living Stoic (not the cool, calm, and collected figure you may be picturing). Many of the Stoics we come into contact with in daily life can be characterized by their cheerfulness.

Montaigne, in his time known as “the French Seneca”, writes:

The surest sign of wisdom is constant cheerfulness. - Michel de Montaigne

The point is that, even though joy may not be considered a Good in Stoicism, it seems to come to us through living according to the Stoic virtues. This is far from a hard-fast rule, but it appears to be empirically true.

Is Eudaimonia a pleasurable state?

Given this observation, it rather begs the question: is eudaimonia a pleasurable state?

Eudaimonia is described as a state of flourishing, and not by a particular feeling of pleasure. Surely, pleasure can and will come and go while in eudaimonia, but it is not defined by pleasure.

Consider the example of exercise. Exercise is a meaningful pursuit for many people because it develops one’s character. To be fit, one must have discipline, focus, intensity, courage, and fortitude (of course). However, there are few who would describe exercise as “pleasurable”. It’s positive, to be sure, but it’s far from pleasurable. Indeed, it’s far better than mere pleasure. It is deeper, digging its roots deep into your very soul.

No, we cannot truthfully say that pleasure defines the eudaimonic state.

However, what generally comes after exercise? Feelings of joy and satisfaction. In a similar way, when we conduct ourselves appropriately throughout our day, we cannot guarantee that pleasure will be felt at every moment. In fact, we could almost guarantee that it will not be.

But what we can suppose is that, if we act appropriately, we are setting ourselves up for a deeper sense of meaning, and joy and satisfaction are sure to come from that.

On not robbing oneself of joy

Seneca, in one of his letters to Lucilius, writes:

Do you think that I am now robbing you of many pleasures when I try to do away with the gifts of chance, when I counsel the avoidance of hope, the sweetest thing that gladdens our hearts? Quite the contrary; I do not wish you ever to be deprived of gladness. I would have it born in your house; and it is born there, if only it be inside of you. - Seneca, Moral Letters, 23.3

Virtue is the aim, and joy (and gladness) often come along for the ride. What we can say is not aligned with Stoic philosophy is that of robbing oneself of joy.

This idea may first sound strange; “why would anyone rob themselves of joy?”. The truth is that many of us have selfsabotaging behaviours. Perhaps we have very low self-esteem, and push away any positive thoughts about ourselves. Perhaps we have a twisted idea of Stoicism in our heads, and we squash out any positive emotion whatsoever.

That would be utterly ridiculous.

No Stoic would suggest to you that you should stifle your joy and gladness. When the cosmos grants you some grace and provides you some happiness, the Stoic response is to be grateful for it and to realize its impermanence. It is to always have a proper, rational perspective on every situation so that you can maximize your agency in the face of it.

Closing remarks

Stoicism is an antidote to difficult times in life. However, it is equally an antidote to pleasurable times. By all means, consider virtue the only good. Steam your ship towards a good character. At the same time, understand that joy and gladness can find you on your journey, and the only Stoic thing to do in such situations is to lean into it and enjoy it. Do not lose sight of the impermanence of all things; positive and negative alike. Pleasure may not be a Stoic’s direct aim, but that doesn’t mean it has to be void from a Stoic’s life.

Brandon is most well-known for his podcast, The Strong Stoic Podcast, where he discusses philosophical ideas both solo and with guests. He also coaches individuals to help them be their best selves, writes articles, plays music, manages projects, and several other things.

---