Slide 1
An impression is not yet a judgment
Stoicism is an ancient Greek and Roman philosophical tradition. It asks how the judgments we make shape our responses to events.
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For the Stoics, an impression and assent to it are distinguishable. Something can appear frightening before a person accepts the judgment that it is an evil.
Slide 2
Accepting an impression is a further step
Stoics call accepting an impression as true assent. Examining assent means asking whether that acceptance is justified.
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The school connects good judgment with virtue and rational action. Its ethics is broader than a technique for feeling calm.
Slide 3
Pause to examine what you are accepting
Observe what happened without adding to it. Separate what you can influence from what you cannot. Then choose a judgment and action worthy of your character.
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Imagine hearing an insulting remark. The sound and the judgment that your worth has been damaged are distinguishable. This illustration explains the distinction; it is not a quotation from a Stoic text.
Slide 4
Examining feelings does not mean feeling nothing
This discipline does not require numbness. It asks how our judgments about what matters guide both emotion and action.
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Stoic accounts distinguish destructive passions from appropriate rational feelings. The tradition should not be reduced to suppressing every emotion.
Slide 5
Better judgment should lead to reasoned action
The aim is reasoned conduct, not withdrawal from the world. Examining a judgment matters partly because of the action it supports.
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Stoic ethics also concerns duties toward others and life in a community. Examining assent is one entry point, not the whole philosophy.
Sources
- Stoicism
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy