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Living Properly
Betwixt Philosophy
February 21, 2024
📜 Wednesday’s Quote of the Day 📜
“No ordinary person will admit to being witless if asked whether he happens to be witless or wise; nor will he… Likewise if someone asks him whether he is self-controlled or self-indulgent, he answers upon being questioned that he is self-controlled.
What does this prove, other than that there is an inborn capacity in the human being’s soul for proper living and that the seed of virtue exists in each one of us?”
One lesser known Stoic that is not often mentioned when discussing Stoicism is Musonius Rufus. A lot of his texts have been lost from the past, however, there are still books about the notes his students made during his lectures.
Although there’s a lack of material, there’s quality over quantity. Musonius preached about a lot of different topics encompassing Stoicism, and one of which was the argument on why humans innately share virtue by nature.
Since most people prefer to answer that they are ‘not bad’, there is a natural desire for being good. Given the chance, mostly everyone would testify to being good, therefore proving there is a natural proclivity to good and virtue, according to Musonius.
And that’s what we should try to aim for in our day-to-day lives; virtue. Through following the 4 cardinal virtues of temperance, justice, courage and wisdom, Musonius tells us that virtuosity is how humans innately want to live.
So instead of wanting to live that way, we should instead take action and maintain living that way because it’s in our nature to do so.
Cheers,
Adam