Musonius Rufus: A Complicated Guy

Of all my books, I return to Cynthia King's translation of Musonius Rufus the most often. It's a short read because we have little left of Rufus's teachings. What we do have is illuminating. It paints a picture of a Stoic philosophy that had strong opinions concerning every aspect of life; sex to sexism, eating habits to parental discipline. I return to the book because I like to be reminded of the Stoa's realness. This was an actual school. Its students were trying to change their approach to life and its teachers gave hard answers concerning how to go about it. Musonius Rufus, more than any other Stoic, reminds me to both respect and challenge the ancient teachers whose ideas I am incorporating into my life.  

Rufus was the head of the Stoic school in his time. In fact, one of his students was to become the more famous stoic teacher, Epictetus. Musonius Rufus spoke to be understood. He didn't want to come up with a hundred ways to explain a principle, instead he would present one clear argument. He continuously advocated for a practical, lived philosophy. As he put it, "Just as there is no use in medical study unless it leads to the health of the human body, so there is no use to a philosophical doctrine unless it leads to the virtue of the human soul." True to his word, Rufus lays out some strong medicine for his students. It's through Rufus that we know Stoics approved of equal education for women. Two of his letters lay out an uncompromising proto-feminist stance. At the same time, other letters are massively homophobic and also claim that all sex is for procreation and only procreation. So it's a mixed bag! This is why I like it. Musonius Rufus isn't sanitized. His works aren't a greatest hits of Stoic quotes. They're a glimpse into history and a reminder that Stoicism was built by flawed and brilliant men. I suggest reading Musonius Rufus with a notebook to capture some great ideas and multiple grains of salt to work through the rest.

Musonius Rufus : Lectures and Sayings translated by Cynthia King

Stoic Podcast: Painted Porch Episode 1

I'm now part of a podcast team and we just published our first episode! Painted Porch is a monthly show focused on modern stoicism; its practices, our community, and the voices that are helping to spread the word. Mark Johnston, Greg Milner, and myself are excited to have started this project and I hope it becomes a useful resource for all you Stoics out there.

In the first episode we talk a bit about how Stoicism speaks to people with a variety of philosophical and religions backgrounds and then Mark interviews Micheal Jones, a stoic who also happens to be the pastor of a church in Taylor, Michigan. I really enjoyed the interview and I hope you find it interesting as well.

Painted Porch, by the way, is a reference to the Stoa Poikile. That's the ancient painted porch from which Stoicism earned its name. Zeno was a fan of open air classrooms!

If you want to give the podcast a listen, it will always be posted on PaintedPorch.org. It will also be on iTunes soon, though I didn't see it last I checked. I will, of course, mention each episode here on Immoderate Stoic and I'll post the RSS feed below for anyone that wants it. Also, we definitively welcome feedback. We're new to this and we can't get better without knowing what you think.

Thanks for listening!

Painted Porch RSS

Robin Williams, Suicide, and "Choice"

I've had a variety of thoughts since hearing about the death of Robin Williams. I haven't, and will not be, voicing most of them. There is so much involved in our cultural response to death, suicide, and mental illness, that I think it's nearly impossible to speak about such things without having a long, long conversation. All the more so if we take our words seriously, and that is what Stoicism asks of us.

I do, however, have one thing to say. I have read many statements in sympathy and in anger that talk about how suicide was Mr. Williams' "choice." As Stoics, the concept of choice is pretty damned important, and I want to suggest that we think deeply before using it.

Suicide is often the outcome of mental illness, which it definitely seems to be in this case. Suicidal ideation is a symptom of depression, with which we know Mr. Williams struggled. Such thoughts are not the product of a rational mind sizing up life and finding it wanting. They are the outcome of a chemical imbalance that strips the world of meaning. Those dismal thoughts are also then evaluated by a "rational faculty" that itself is barely worth the term since it too is hobbled by the physical imbalances in the brain. Actions during a depression are chosen, yes, but in a manner that makes the word "choice" a caricature of what we should commonly mean. I would suggest we reserve "choice" for clearer instances and leave it be when it comes to situations where we can never know, like this one.

Well, as I said, there is too much to say on these topics. Concerning Robin Williams, I would like to see the man's life celebrated by those who felt a connection to him. I also hope that his death sparks a conversation, but one that doesn't drag him into it. Death, suicide, and mental illness are worthy topics for Stoics to discuss. Speculation on the final moments of a man's life? Not so much.

If you or a friend need someone to talk to follow this link: National Lifeline

Thumbnail image for posted links attributed to Vincepal on Flickr.