This discussion tackles the heavy moral implications of horrific acts, like rape, through Stoic ethics. It emphasizes that moral value is determined by context, not just actions. Rape is framed as an absolute moral failure, always unjust and vicious. The conversation delves into how intention matters in defining virtue and vice. Listeners are encouraged to critically evaluate their ethical beliefs and appreciate the intricate nature of understanding good and evil within Stoicism.
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Virtue and Vice as Absolute Values
Virtue is the only good because it is always good regardless of context.
Vice is the only evil because it is always evil regardless of context, emphasizing moral character over actions.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Commit Fully to a Philosophy
Understand the reasons behind moral beliefs to live a coherent life.
Commit to one philosophy fully to avoid moral inconsistency and strengthen character.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Complex Stoic Examples of Indifferents
Sometimes buying a slave temporarily is preferred to free them later.
World peace might be dispreferred if achieved by oppressive dictatorship preventing war.
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In this episode, I respond to a challenging and emotionally heavy listener question: how can Stoicism claim that only Virtue is Good and only Vice is Evil, even in the face of horrific acts like rape? This isn’t a theoretical exercise in cruelty—it's a serious inquiry into Stoic ethical nuance. The heart of the issue is understanding what Stoicism means when it calls something "indifferent," and why it insists that moral value resides not in actions themselves, but in the moral character of the person choosing them.
I explain the two definitions of indifferents in Stoicism: one refers to things that don’t affect our own character (if we’re not the actor), and the other refers to things whose moral value is undefined until context is applied. Through that lens, I show how horrific acts like rape are always unjust—and thus always vicious—not because of the physical actions involved, but because of the context in which they occur.
This episode isn’t easy listening, but it’s essential for any serious student of Stoicism who wants to understand how Stoic ethics holds together even in the hardest moral cases.
NO MEDITATION CITED THIS EPISODE
THREE TAKEAWAYS
— Stoicism distinguishes between actions and contexts; moral value is always determined by context.
— Rape is not an indifferent in the moral sense; it is always an act of injustice, and thus always vicious.
— Virtue and Vice remain the only true Good and Evil because context—not action—defines moral quality.
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Practical Stoicism