Chapter 5Chapter 5

The Hellenistic The Hellenistic PhilosophersPhilosophers

Why is Hellenistic philosophy claimed by Why is Hellenistic philosophy claimed by some to represent a decline in Greek some to represent a decline in Greek

thinking? Who was Diogenes and how did thinking? Who was Diogenes and how did he live out the philosophy of Cynicism? he live out the philosophy of Cynicism?

How did Stoicism attempt to systematize How did Stoicism attempt to systematize the insights of the Cynics? What is the insights of the Cynics? What is

apathiaapathia? In what ways did the Epicureans ? In what ways did the Epicureans disagree with the Stoics? What is disagree with the Stoics? What is ataraxiaataraxia? Who were the Skeptics?? Who were the Skeptics?

Philosophical Rebellion!Philosophical Rebellion!

As the world slides out of As the world slides out of Greek control…Greek control…

…….a new type of philosophy emerges…..a new type of philosophy emerges….

HELLENISTIC PHILOSOPHY!HELLENISTIC PHILOSOPHY!

A question you MUST answer.A question you MUST answer.

How should you live?How should you live?

Be wary, for deciding not to answer this Be wary, for deciding not to answer this question is itself an answer!question is itself an answer!

Free yourself from care!Free yourself from care!

Wouldn’t you be better off if you stopped Wouldn’t you be better off if you stopped desiring things that you cannot have? desiring things that you cannot have?

Wouldn’t you be better off if you just reigned Wouldn’t you be better off if you just reigned in your desires?in your desires?

Are you worried about an Are you worried about an exam?exam?

Wouldn’t you be better off if you just stopped Wouldn’t you be better off if you just stopped caring about it?caring about it?

CynicismCynicismAre you worried about Are you worried about

denting your SUV?denting your SUV?

Are you concerned about Are you concerned about staining your new pair of staining your new pair of jeans, or losing your new jeans, or losing your new

sunglasses?sunglasses?

Has a virus infected your Has a virus infected your hard drive, causing you hard drive, causing you

misery?misery?

Wouldn’t your life be Wouldn’t your life be simpler and happier if simpler and happier if

you simply owned you simply owned less?less?

Ignore Convention!Ignore Convention!

Wouldn’t we all be happier if we just lived Wouldn’t we all be happier if we just lived naturally, and ignored the oppressions naturally, and ignored the oppressions

of convention?of convention?

Wouldn’t it be great…Wouldn’t it be great…

..to be so self-sufficient that you could tell ..to be so self-sufficient that you could tell Bill Gates that he has nothing you want—Bill Gates that he has nothing you want—

and so never have to be nice to him and so never have to be nice to him unless you wanted to be?unless you wanted to be?

Wouldn’t this be the most honest and Wouldn’t this be the most honest and authentic way to live?authentic way to live?

So…So…

……why don’t you live like this?why don’t you live like this?

Stoicism!Stoicism!

Maybe being a Maybe being a Cynic would involve Cynic would involve too great a change too great a change in how you live. in how you live. Maybe your nature Maybe your nature is more social than is more social than Cynicism allows. Cynicism allows.

Perhaps you should Perhaps you should become a Stoic?become a Stoic?

Stoicism!Stoicism!

The self-sufficiency of Cynicism with the The self-sufficiency of Cynicism with the sociability of Aristotelianism!sociability of Aristotelianism!

What’s a number?What’s a number?

Is it an abstraction, or a physical entity? Why Is it an abstraction, or a physical entity? Why do you think as you do?do you think as you do?

And why does it matter what numbers And why does it matter what numbers are? are?

Action at a distanceAction at a distance

Yell at someone in another part of the Yell at someone in another part of the classroom—or open a window and yell at classroom—or open a window and yell at

someone passing by. someone passing by.

Could they hear you? What does this tell us Could they hear you? What does this tell us about the interconnectedness of all parts about the interconnectedness of all parts

of the universe?of the universe?

The Fated ButterflyThe Fated Butterfly

If all events are links in a long and If all events are links in a long and unbreakable chain of events, including unbreakable chain of events, including

your actions, isn’t everything your actions, isn’t everything predetermined?predetermined?

Over and over and over again….Over and over and over again….

If there is a finite amount of matter in the If there is a finite amount of matter in the universe, there is only a finite number of universe, there is only a finite number of

combinations and states that it can make.combinations and states that it can make.

What is an implication of this view?What is an implication of this view?

Are you destined to repeat this class Are you destined to repeat this class eternally?eternally?

BUT….BUT….

…….if you cannot change the world, wouldn’t .if you cannot change the world, wouldn’t it be best to try to align yourself with it?it be best to try to align yourself with it?

APATHYAPATHY

A good thing?A good thing? Or a bad thing?Or a bad thing?

Why…Why…

……was the last slide Stoic?was the last slide Stoic?

EPICUREANISMEPICUREANISM

The Stoics’ main competitor!The Stoics’ main competitor!

AtaraxiaAtaraxia

Wouldn’t your life be much happier if you Wouldn’t your life be much happier if you had satisfied all your desires, and so had satisfied all your desires, and so

extinguished them?extinguished them?

Oh death, where is thy sting?Oh death, where is thy sting?

If you’re alive, you haven’t been harmed by If you’re alive, you haven’t been harmed by your own death.your own death.

If you’re dead, you don’t exist—and non-If you’re dead, you don’t exist—and non-existent things can’t be harmed!existent things can’t be harmed!

Since you’re either alive or dead, death can’t Since you’re either alive or dead, death can’t harm the person who dies!harm the person who dies!

Really?Really?

Do you believe that you cannot be Do you believe that you cannot be harmed by your own death? harmed by your own death?

If If so—why not kill yourself now, to avoid so—why not kill yourself now, to avoid future painsfuture pains??

SKEPTICISMSKEPTICISMForget Truth!Forget Truth!

Why worry about Truth? Why worry about Truth?

Be Happy!Be Happy!

But…. What is happiness for a person But…. What is happiness for a person deliberately divorced from reality?deliberately divorced from reality?

Timon’s ArgumentTimon’s Argument

We can never use an argument to establish We can never use an argument to establish Truth, because we could always question Truth, because we could always question

the premises—and any support for the the premises—and any support for the premises could itself be questioned.premises could itself be questioned.

So, we can never arrive at the Truth!So, we can never arrive at the Truth!

And Timon’s Problem!And Timon’s Problem!

But isn’t Timon’s argument But isn’t Timon’s argument

self-defeating?self-defeating?

Are Skeptics really philosophers?Are Skeptics really philosophers?

Why—or why not?Why—or why not?

If you really want to flee the world….If you really want to flee the world….

……why not kill yourself? why not kill yourself?

After all, in life there is suffering—in After all, in life there is suffering—in death, nothing. death, nothing.

Wonder and Distress in Hellenistic PhilosophyWonder and Distress in Hellenistic Philosophy

How are the Hellenistic philosophies similar How are the Hellenistic philosophies similar to each other?to each other?

Do you any of them appeal to you as an Do you any of them appeal to you as an answer to the question of how you should answer to the question of how you should

live?live?

If so, will you put it into practice?If so, will you put it into practice?

And if not…. And if not…. Are you really persuadedAre you really persuaded??