STOIC PHILOSOPHY

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 153, 25 March 1937, Page 8

STOIC PHILOSOPHY

Rule of Life in Ancient Rome MEANS TO FACE DEPRESSION Stoicism, the philosophy of life embraced by the Romans as an escape from long years of depression that set tn with the decline of the Empire, was the subject of an address by Mr. C. H. Weston, K.C., at the monthly luncheon of the Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association, at Kirkcaldie and Stains, yesterday. Colonel A. Cowles presided* over a large attendance. Mr. Weston said it was possible to epeak dispassionately of a philosophy of rule of life that had been dead for 200(1 years, and it was with that attitude that he approached the subject. The Roman nation of the age when Stoicism was practised had many aspects of life in common with modern times under democracy as it was known in the world to-day. The Romans were astonishingly like people of these times. Their philosophy took them successfully through a period of depression infinitely worse than the world had experienced during the last six years, bad though it was. Stoicism as a rule of life was actually born in Semitic Asia. From there it influenced Greece ami then found acceptance in Rome. The Romans were people who loved liberty under their democratic institutions. If 100 men of Wellington could have been transported to Rome in that day they would have found themselves quite at home. The Roman Empire was suffering under a depression covering about six centuries. From living in an orderly democratic regime the Romans came under the heel of dictators. So hard was the lot of the citizens that they looked about for a philisophy that would help them to endure their privations. Tints they turned to Stoicism. They wanted a rule of life that would help them for seven days a week and something that would assist them in facing their troubles with equanimity. There were three tenets of this philosophy. First, they were fatalists, a term he employed for want of a better one. They regarded everything as coming from the gods and acquiesced in what the gods decreed. The second tenet was that the spice of life was achievement. This belief came under two categories, (a) things that were in their power to 1 achieve of their own will, and (b) those beyond their power of achievement. This attitude, briefly put, led them to recognise that it was no use worrying over what could not be helped. They therefore restricted their desires to things they could attain by their own efforts, and they disciplined themselves accordingly. The third tenet was simply that if a man no lopger cared about life he could end it.

Three great Stoics were Seneca, a money-lender. Epictetus, a crippled slave, ami Marons Aurelius, the Emperor. As a philosophy or religion, Stoicism was replaced by Christianity and all that was left to-day of that hard rule of life was the word Stoicism itsel f.

Proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Weston, the Bishop of Wellington, the Rt. Rev. 11. St. Barbe Holland, congratulated him on his lucid and Intensely interesting address.