Short Book Review (A Guide to the Good Life: The Art of Stoic Joy--William B. Irvine)

I've actually read, ' A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy' (William B. Irvine). The book itself is a rather resourceful option for anyone at all curious to understand some of the key most principles behind Stoicism. Professor Irvine, more than likely due to his professorship in Philosophy, delves into the concepts thoroughly with examples and anecdotes (some of which I found him tending to linger a bit long in length of explanation, but they are indeed thorough).
Irvine's introduction (or reintroduction in another sense) of Epictetus' teachings as well as the dissertations of works belonging to Seneca (who ironically wasn't considered a major figure of Stoic practice even by Romans of his contemporary period, actually gaining notoriety in the Renaissance period--even being canonized), all categorize effectively basic ideological adherences in Stoicism.
What actually fascinated me the most was Irvine's insight into Musonius Rufus, a truly prolific figure obscured and shrouded through history's pacing. Considered the "Roman Socrates", Musonius apparently "lived through example", providing in part the livelihood for practicing Stoics and by how one should engage oneself in the larger spectrum in the public and private realm. Before this book, I had never even heard of Musonius Rufus.
Marcus Aurelius' qualities of leadership and abdication of virtuosity are the key factors Irvine focuses on. What has always been a profound notion to reflect upon for me is the scale of challenges, hardships, and overall scale of duty Marcus had to undergo--plagues, invasions, economic turmoil, etc.--during his reign in contrast to any minor "hardships" and "troubles" I have ever dealt with. Truly, I have nothing even remotely similar to complain over in any sense when placed against such a reality!
Overall, the book is definite recommendation for anyone (regardless if a Stoic or not) to read in order to become more knowledgeable of Stoicism in practice as well as understanding what principle concepts in Stoicism continue to render themselves into our daily perceptions of reality.

On the Wisdom of Epictetus

Discerning over the Wisdom of Epictetus, one of the major influences in the life of Marcus Aurelius.

"It is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows."
-The concept of already "knowing without actually knowing" is what I would say is to Epictetus: Ignorance in itself.
When one perceives to have fully grasped and understood something new or foreign to their own experiences, one can only assume something, and that assumption is based more on a superficial understanding than anything intensive.
Our thoughts and opinions are what hold this prospect the most often, since we tend to make judgement on our external elements (people, objects, events, etc.) without really understanding their natural complexity and by what reason its manifestation was brought about.



"It takes more than just a good looking body. You've got to have the heart and soul to go with it."
-Perception of strength in body over strength in mind. It can be correlated to the "Paper Mache Model", which can be shaped and formed to be very appealing ascetically externally while remaining hollow and baring little of any substance internally.
Physical prowess and superiority is often seen as what makes a person "strong", but I would argue that Epictetus (as well of many of his contemporaries before and after him) would mark this as trivially unsound reasoning, since true "strength" would be attributed more to the person's own moral and ethical character.
Epictetus is quoted as referring to the body as a corpse, merely a vessel that harbors a "burdened soul"; and he writes of one's ability to truly living a fulfilled life (virtuous and just) being able to be accomplished only after we have disregarded the body as the main focus of our attempts to understand Nature in a much larger context.



"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."
-Many people find themselves overwhelmed and distraught over the events and scenarios that occur in their lives, and it is this personal disharmony that stems outward onto a much larger social scale that brings about some of the problems pertaining to society.
Through our examination of our emotional state, Epictetus made note of our ability to be less inclined to act impulsively and irrationally, which can lead people to "act in the form of an animal" and against their usual nature.
Like many of the other figures of Stoicism put forward, our external influences exist as they are, and that any fate that can befall one person can befall another person neutrally; the concept of an external experience as "good" or "bad" is based solely on our judgement of it to be so.
The individual who achieves general tranquility within Nature is one who takes all events and experiences as they are and all views obstacles as essential aspects of developing character and truly living a full life instead of hindrances.

On the Value of Concerning over Wealth in Personal and Monetary Matters

There is something very fleeting to the nature of material possessiveness that permeates much of the inhabitants of the modern world, and this is not simply in the sense of quality or quantity; it is more of how in the long run what was once seemingly great in value (in terms of currency and personal value) all fall into obscurity.

Time renders all things subjective to its procession.

So much of what generalizes "personal ambition" in many of the minds in first world societies is that of obtaining and withholding more and more material goods, which in turn is perceived to promote more freedom in an individual or group of individuals to allow true happiness to manifest in their lives.

"The more, the merrier."

This conception of "quantitative happiness" does not only, however, pertain to only those with wealth. It pertains as well to those with little in their possession, individuals who strive to live simply without such luxuries. Rather more, they would seek to be content with what they have and desire nothing more to complicate their lives. In a sense, they would find serenity at its most prominent when they are in control of what personal objects and how they are conceptually unchecked by anything that would create disharmony within themselves.

"Less is more."

Yet, even though both ideologies promise some principle formula for obtaining happiness, the question raised to both prospects remains:

Does either lifestyle truly coincide with the notion of the individual's happiness as a contribution and replication of that same happiness to the whole of society?

And if one in fact does so, by what source does this perception of happiness stem from, and how does the nature of either lifestyle allow it to be discerned near universally as a logically deduced good?

In what can be understood of either notion, the individual is inherent to the equation, but the end means allot to a much wider social scale. If in all, this should be always kept in thought as we mediate through this ebb and flow of "wealth" both in the sense of personal(self ambition) and monetary(possessions material and immaterial), honing ourselves to direct our actions rationally if we wish to shape our world to function rightly and with good president.

On Being Steadfast through Tranquility

"While you are the object being thrown against the rocks, caught at the mercy of the torrent sway of wave and force, I am the rock."

On the Future

"The Future is never a period, but a question mark."

On the Beauty of Natural Surroundings in All Places

Each place holds its own beauty, its own characteristic quality that exists nowhere else in the world. Replication may be attempted, but never perfected to the point of exactness.

Which element makes this always so?

It is change.

And with change comes the forever renewal of old to new and, consequently, new to old.
Therein this process the "naturalization" of each space inhabited and uninhabited renders continuously to reshape to what beauty is in itself.

Nature holds profound example to this occurrence.

But is such a prospect of Nature available with man made creations?

Of course.

All objects that exist simply exist with the entirety of their inherent qualities. It is only by our own rationally set minds that the attributes and characteristics of all entity forms of this world have any change in conception.

As such, what manifests from the workings and innovations of mankind have their own natural "beauty" since everything and anything that manifests in this world derives from the Rational Universe.

It is only from our own judgement on them that anything inhibits a "positive" or "negative" aspect.

A New Life in an Old World

Nearing exactly one month since my return from my academic yearlong study in Italy, the perspective of life in which I hold now when compared to that of which I withheld before leaving is indeed profoundly different.
Truly, in the time before departing, my mind, body, and soul desired only nothing but to leave the perceived "chaos" and "hardship" I was involved within; be it my work, my school, or even my own home, the people in which were my day-to-day associates began to draw a heavy pull on my whole self. A yearning to simply "get away" grew all the more until its relief once the day in turn came.

After all that transpired abroad in my experiences and undertakings, I find all of my behavior of past as both incredulous and pitiful.

My readings into Stoicism and classical works and teachings by Stoics (such as Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and others) has given me a much more clear perception of the current standing of my life. I now look upon the troubles that were of my past as being absolutely made as impactful as they becasue I made them so. And as such, all of the same realities of my life before studying abroad are still here, still functioning as they were before, and still an intricate part of my overall livelihood.

But they do not bare any negative prospects anymore. I am actually more than anything grateful for their association to myself, all of which are essential parts of the whole shaping and crafting of my inner self. I shall strive always to continue withholding this conceptualization to all facets of my life both in the next present state and the proceeding future.

Heading Forth with Stoicism

I traverse my time, now, upon reflection of the teachings of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus.
The world and the Nature that is existence...all further instill and withhold in me much not only in clarity upon my association to Stoicism, but to such in that of humanity's limitless capabilities and endless opportunities to live life to the fullest.
I am not a religious person, yet very much religious in the sense of seeking to obtain wisdom and to never stop learning, discovering in the process my own place amongst what is bestowed by Nature.
Philosophy has always been and will continue to be a wonderful guiding point for my decisions, associated always with those I've made in the past, have made now in present, and will make in the future ...
Stoicism in itself provides an unhindered approach to understanding the world in which we reside: Logic above Emotion, yet Emotion essential to Logic.
May all here now continue to strive to live stoically and with great affection for the eternal energy that drives all of us to accomplish great things.