Chapter 6 of How To Be A Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci, titled God or Atoms?, discusses the Stoic view of God. As I have discussed this chapter with friends it becomes easy to conflate Stoism with religion. I remind myself in these conversations that Stoicism is not a religion. The difference is that philosophy seeks to understand and question while religion often provides answers and a framework for belief and practice. Both the difference and the interrelationship are stark.
Stoicism does not postulate a personal, intervening God (theism) but rather shades toward a creator god that does not intervene in the universe after its creation. Every major Stoic philosopher has had a different take on the concept of God, the debate of large philosophical and metaphysical concepts seems to be at the core of philosophers. Stoics believe developing clear and logical thought processes helps them to pursue an understanding of the universe around them (logos). This is closer to the modern concept of deism or Einstein’s God. As change leaders and enablers, my main takeaway from this chapter is that this philosophy focuses on controlling emotion and clarity of thought rather than focusing on a catechism. It makes no attempt at supplanting other Gods or metaphysical frameworks (except where they clash with the common good or when they force their beliefs on others). Epictetus sets the tone for the chapter in the opening quote:
“What is the nature of God? Is it flesh? God forbid.
Land? God forbid. Fame? God forbid.
It is intelligence, knowledge, right reason.
In these then and nowhere else seek the true nature of the good.”
I have interviewed Jeff Dalton, Author, Speaker, and Chairman of Boardsword, several times for the Software Process and Measurement Cast. During one of the interviews, he suggested that many change leaders were invested in hope-ium. They expected chance or divine intervention to favor them even when the laws of nature were against them. Instead of putting in hard work and making difficult decisions they “hoped” for lightning to strike. He reflected that they never saw the resultant lack of success as their fault. Stoics would see that what drives success is how we pursue the outcome; our behavior, effort, and ethics rather than miracles.
The author relates a dialog between Epictetus and one of his students late in the chapter. The student comes to his teacher with a severely injured leg and complains “Am I to have a maimed leg? Epictetus responds “Slave do you mean to arraign the universe for one wretched leg?“ (Remember Epictetus’s history – he was a former slave, whose first owner broke his leg in a fit of pique and then sold him.) The point is how we respond to adversity and comport ourselves is within our control (on us) and not dependent on others.
Previous entries in our re-read of How To Be A Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci (buy a copy and read along)
Week 1: Logistics and Opening Thoughts
Week 2: The Unstraightforward Path
Week 3: A Roadmap For The Journey
Week 4: Some Things Are In Our Power, Others Are Not
Week 5: Live According To Nature
Week 6: Playing Ball With Socrates
