With the reducing of personal plans and goals, a road of pain, no cure, and preparing for a potential death a Stoics lifestyle seems to fit well. One can tell that the advice from the doctor is that of a Stoic view, which can be helpful in dealing with a life altering and threatening disease. This because Stoicism stresses the control over strong emotions and that pleasure is not simply the only thing in life (White, Pg.24). The Stoic seeks to lead a life at peace with themselves and the world around them, controlled at all times by self-discipline and integrity in accordance with nature (White, Pg.8). If emotions were kept in check and one did remorse over their unfortunate illness, pain, loss of belongings and those close to them than no feeling of sorrow would be felt. With that accomplished one would not feel sadness but only have time to enjoy happiness, which one should do when they have little time left to live.
Most Stoic teachings dealt with ethics and the search for the most noble life. Then what is happiness? As having what is really good in one's life defines happiness then the question of what good is takes place. A Stoics view of good is seen as the path to happiness, Stoics thought that there is only one good, which is essentially integrity and control over one's self. Only through living a moral life can happiness be attained. For this reason one with little time to live in search for happiness should search to conquer themselves, as only then can they truly be happy. There is also one evil, which is that being the lust for events to happen a certain way and possessions. For example if a person hopes that a cure will be found for their illness and there is not, then disappointment will befall them. Hence, if one does not seek to have events happen as they want to, but instead want them to happen as they do happen their life will go well. Not Claiming that if you adopt this attitude then external events in the world will go well for you, but that the best possible human condition, not being a matter of such external events but of one's state of mind, precisely is one of adopting just this attitude (White, Pg.
The Illusion of Utopia Matthew E. Hudson April 20, 2002 INTRODUCTION Since the beginning of history, man has tried to devise a perfect political system. Plato designed a utopian Republic, while Karl Marx radically changed the face of the earth by offering up a secular state that is supp...
