When Speaking Of Human Nature, What Animal Does Musonius Compare Us To?

Who is Gaius Musonius Rufus? Getting to Know "The Roman Socrates"

Stoic Philosophers Profiles, Uncategorized, and More

The name Gaius Musonius Rufus may not audio familiar, merely the work of "the foremost stoic of his day," as Roman historian Tacitus prefers referring to him, will. Musonius'due south influence in Stoicism was and is substantial. As so is the praise spoken in his name by those who were well familiar with information technology. Origen, himself called the greatest genius the early church e'er produced, wrote in his defense of Christianity, Contra Celsum, that in that location were ii men whose lives everyone else should model theirs – Socrates and Musonius. The Roman Emperor, nearly iii centuries after Musonius lived, Julian, wrote in a Letter of unexplainable admiration of Theodorus, comparing his display of "a clear proof of the philosophic mind" amid indisputably unfair handling, to that of Musonius'southward. And not to be outdone, in Gregory Hays' introduction to his translation of Marcus Aurelius'southward Meditations, makes an important rebuttal for criticism related to all the wealth the Roman Stoics enjoyed. That rebuttal was in the form of clarifying what was more than mutual of a Stoic's financial continuing,

"Not all stoics were wealthy senators. There was another kind of Stoic exemplar likewise: the outsider whose austere lifestyle won him the adoration of his wealthier contemporaries and enabled him to criticize the pretenses of upper-grade society with real authority. An early example of the type is Gaius Musonius Rufus, a fellow member of the Roman administrative class, the then-called knights (equites), who was banished by both Nero and Vespasian." (xxiv)

Exiled three times in all, Musonius'south unbreakable devotion to his Stoic beliefs and his steady though unaccompanied opposition to the emperor Nero'due south ruthless behavior, earned his undivided reverence. The homo that refused to obey Nero, we're every bit indebted to his contrarian view of exile. In his time, death would have been favored — preferable to control your circumstances than surrender to the command of another, or and so most perceived. Even Thrasea, Musonius'due south sometimes anti-Nero ally, would say, "I would sooner be killed today than banished tomorrow," in his moments of yielding to compliance. Musonius was perplexed but unpersuaded by such an stance,

"If you lot choose expiry considering it is the greater evil, what sense is there in that? Or if you lot cull it equally the bottom-evil, remember who gave you the option. Why not try coming to terms with what you accept been given?"

Musonius stood firm in his belief that having everything taken from you simply meant you were left with the only things yous needed: your soul, your torso, your mind. With those iii things, exile is far from an evil; it's an opportunity. An opportunity for one's own cultivation. An opportunity to practice virtue, decision-making what 1 tin can, maintaining indifferent of possessions, making a pick. His option was to accept banishment every bit an opportunity to use what Stoicism taught him, to non talk in theory merely brandish in activity. And afterwards the deaths of both Nero and Vespasian, Musonius returned to his native land, soon condign a prominent teacher of Stoicism. His fundamental teaching: practice trumps theory.

Some of his lessons survive, thank you to two of his students, Lucius and Pollio, in Lectures and Fragments, where frequent he analogizes Stoicism to other learned skills. He relates it to the musician who can regurgitate any book on the topic but never stopped to actually play an instrument, versus the musician who never put downwardly his instrument to option up a volume. Or the ship helm who has steered countless boats though tin can't precisely recite the operator's manual, while the other did memorize the manual though never piloted a transport. Or the physician who's depth of medical noesis in dialogue impresses but they've never tended to a patient, and the other who couldn't atomic number 82 give-and-take groups but heals the sick every day in accordance with the correct medical theories those groups might discuss. Musonius did teach stoic philosophy, simply students gathered more considering the lecturer, long before proclaiming the virtue in Stoicism, good it without diffusive even when stripped of life and banished without good reason. His students listened with great intent because he spoke from bang-up experience.

The proper noun of at least one of those students will sound familiar. Epictetus, who along with Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, make up the Big Three of Stoic Philosophers. The biography written inside Epictetus'south Discourses, details how once enslaved, Epictetus became a widely regarded instructor. Musonius Rufus receives much of the credit. A slave granted exceptional, cursory liberation, Epictetus spent whatever liberty afforded him attending Musonius's lectures. The influence Musonius had on Epictetus is both explicitly stated and implicitly evident in his teaching. Both men full-bodied on ethics without distracting in ethical theorizing, more focused on real-life awarding. And both, though having forgivable reasons to react in anger or with hatred, found forcefulness from within when life was unjustly difficult.

"Musonius used to exam me past saying, 'Your master is going to afflict you with some hardship or other.' And when I would answer, 'such is life,' he would say, 'Should I all the same intercede with him when I can get the aforementioned things from you? For in fact it is silly and pointless to attempt to become from another person what one can get for oneself. Since I tin can get greatness of soul and nobility from myself, why should I look to get a farm, or money, or some part, from you? I will not be so insensible of what I already ain." – Epictetus

Musonius kickoff outlasted banishment and the very tenets he so steadfastly employed later guided his pupil, Epictetus, and his response to and overcoming of enslavement. We, not only Epictetus, owe Musonius tremendous amounts of gratitude. Consider, if Musonius engaged the influences of popular opinion and precedent, he wouldn't take withstood the manipulations of the tyrannical and deranged Nero, he would have rathered expiry than exile, or when exiled, he would not have returned to the place where he endured so much cruelty, violence, and political gridlock. Had Musonius yielded to Nero, called expiry, or opted to live out his years happily removed from Rome and its turbulences — any one of which historians still would pardon without hesitancy — his teaching career never happens. Where, and then, would Epictetus take gone when his master allowed him momentary liberty? It'due south Musonius we can give thanks for the work of Epictetus. Therefore, it is Musonius too we can give thanks for the work of Marcus Aurelius. In the first book of his Meditations, titled "Debts and Lessons," Marcus thanks i of his philosophy teachers, Rusticus, "for introducing me to Epictetus's lectures – and loaning me his ain copy."

Musonius Rufus set the standard for many core Stoic principles: Amor Fati, Premeditatio Malorum, Obstacles as Opportunity, training perception, controlling what you tin command, while indifferent to everything else. These, at varying degrees, can all be traced to the kind of life Musonius lived then taught. Below are iii themes recurring amidst any still discoverable text he's mentioned:

On Practice and Theory

"When the problem arose for the states [his students] whether habit or theory was ameliorate for getting virtue — if past theory is meant what teaches us correct conduct, and past habit we mean existence accustomed to act according to this theory — Musonius thought addiction to exist more effective." From Lectures.

The Roman Stoics, in hopes of making progress in the fine art of living, emphasized habitual behavior. "Nosotros are a production of our habits," they'd say. Musonius was the forebearer of taking what you learned from books or admirers and putting information technology in practise – the merely way a adept addiction can form. And in making habitual a virtue, he had this to say,

"Virtue is non only theoretical knowledge, but it is practical application as well…And then a man who wishes to become good not simply must be thoroughly familiar with the precepts which are conducive to virtue but must also be earnest and zealous in applying these principles." – Musonius Rufus, Lectures.

Courage tin can't simply be something you read near, notes thoroughly kept, then all of a sudden what before seemed dreadful is no longer feared. No, courage is claimed but through diligent displays where proving unmoved in the face of danger. That goes the aforementioned for temperance, prudence, patience, any Stoic virtue hoped to be clean-cut into a habit.

On Coin and Materials

"That God who made man provided him food and drink for the sake of preserving his life and non for giving him pleasure, one can come across very well from this: when food is performing its existent function, it does non produce pleasure for man, that is in the procedure of digestion and absorption." – Musonius Rufus

Musonius, if presented the selection, said he would rather exist ill than to alive luxuriously. Sickness just harms the body. Living in luxury harms the trunk and the soul. Enquire, as he liked to, why am I spending coin on this thing? To fulfill a need or for an outward brandish of extravagance? Society wants us to be fancy, to take expensive things, to ane-up that coworker, go on up with the Joneses. Musonius would moving ridge the Joneses on by and use his money to for what's truly impressive, "How much better is it to be known for doing well by many than for living extravagantly? How much worthy than spending on sticks and stones is to spend on people?" (Lectures, nineteen.91.26-28). What do y'all want to exist known for? Having prissy things or doing good things?

On Having Everything Y'all Demand

"Indeed, how could exile be an obstruction to person'south own cultivation, or to attaining virtue when no i has e'er been cut off from learning or practicing what is needed past exile?" – Musonius Rufus, Lectures, ix.37.30-31, ix.39.one

Epictetus frequently said some version of the following, "Philosophy does not claim to secure for us anything exterior our control. Otherwise, it would be taking on matters that exercise not concern information technology. For as wood is the material of the carpenter, and marble that of the sculptor, then the subject matter of the art of life is the life of cocky." Even a skim through his teacher's Lectures makes obvious that Musonius'south model of always existence content with i did take rather than mulling over what one could have, became a significant, shared conventionalities of Epictetus.

Musonius'due south exercise of severe cocky-subject field and abstention from all forms of indulgence became a trait fifty-fifty the wealthy envied. Musonius wasn't born to fabulous wealth nor did he seek to acquire fabulous wealth. At that place'due south that fable of the fisherman returning to shore with his minor rowboat filled with fish. He'due south approached past a businessman with an offering that promises the fisherman keen successes if they first a company, go a bigger boat, take hold of more than fish, build a grand distribution facility. In a few short years, the businessman assures, he'll have a mansion and not long afterward that, they'll accept the company public; the fisherman will be filthy rich, he'll be able to finally retire and spend the balance of his years fishing. The fisherman is confused, "Isn't that what I am doing now?" For the fisherman, like Musonius, seeking cloth pleasures only stole time from pursuing where life's pleasures actually lived: the self.

The obscurity which has dimmed the name of Musonius Rufus is one of the peachy historical accidents. The testimonial of ancient writers lends to the realization that Musonius was indeed ane of the most meaning figures of his time. A wildly more captivating luminary than his surviving works enable the states to be made aware, Musonius Rufus should here forward be a name mentioned among Great Stoics similar Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus.

Gaius Musonius Rufus Quotes:

"If you achieve something skillful with hard work, the labor passes speedily, only the skillful endures; if you do something shameful in pursuit of pleasure, the pleasure passes quickly, only the shame endures"

"Nosotros brainstorm to lose our hesitation to do immoral things when nosotros lose our hesitation to speak of them."

"The homo being is born with an inclination toward virtue." Musonius Rufus

"What expert are aureate rooms or precious stones-fitted on the floor, inlaid in the walls, carried from great distances at the greatest expense? These things are pointless and unnecessary-without them isn't it possible to live healthy? Aren't they the source of constant trouble? Don't they toll vast sums of money that, through public and private clemency, may have benefited many?"

"You lot will earn the respect of all if you begin past earning the respect of yourself. Don't wait to encourage good deeds in people conscious of your ain misdeeds."

"For mankind, evil is injustice and cruelty and indifference to a neighbor'south trouble, while virtue is brotherly love and goodness and justice and beneficence and business organization for the welfare of your neighbour."

"For what does the man who accepts insult do that is wrong? It is the doer of wrong who puts themselves to shame-the sensible man wouldn't go to the law, since he wouldn't even consider that he had been insulted! Besides, to be annoyed or angered about such things would be petty-instead easily and silently acquit what has happened, since this is appropriate for those whose purpose is to exist noble-minded."

"Wealth is able to buy the pleasures of eating, drinking and other sensual pursuits-yet can never afford a cheerful spirit or liberty from sorrow."

"But equally there is no use in medical study unless it leads to the health of the human being body, and so there is no utilise to a philosophical doctrine unless information technology leads to the virtue of the human soul."

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Meet The Stoics:

Who Is Marcus Aurelius? Getting To Know The Roman Emperor

Who Is Seneca? Within The Mind of The World's Most Interesting Stoic

Who Is Epictetus? From Slave To Globe's Most Sought Later Philosopher

Who is Gaius Musonius Rufus? Getting to Know "The Roman Socrates"

Who Is Cleanthes? Successor to Zeno & Second Head of the Stoic School

Who Is Athenodorus Cananites? An Introduction To The Royal Mentor

Who Is Chrysippus? The 'Second Founder of Stoicism' Who Died Laughing

Who Is Cato? Roman Senator. Mortal Enemy of Julius Caesar.

Who Is Zeno? An Introduction to the Founder of Stoicism

Who Is Cicero? Getting To Know Rome's Greatest Pol

Who Is Posidonius? The Most Academic Stoic

Who Is Panaetius? Spreading Stoicism from Hellenic republic to Rome

Who Is Paconius Agrippinus? An Introduction To The Red Thread Contrarian

Who Is Porcia Cato? An Introduction To The Stoic Superwoman

Who Is Gaius Rubellius Plautus? An Introduction To Nero'southward Rival

Who Is Publius Rutilius Rufus? An Introduction To The Man Who Could Non Be Corrupted

Source: https://dailystoic.com/musonius-rufus/

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