Ask Stoics source guide · Stoic Virtues
Moral Progress in Stoicism
Moral progress in Stoicism is not about achieving an impossible perfection, but rather a continuous journey of self-improvement. It involves understanding what is truly good and bad, aligning one's desires and aversions accordingly, and consistently working towards a life free from external disturbances. This path emphasizes self-awareness and the deliberate cultivation of virtuous habits.
On this page you will get a clear explanation, a way to examine the idea, exact evidence from public-domain Stoic texts, and links for continuing the study.
Understanding Desire and Aversion
A key aspect of moral progress is learning that desire should be directed towards good things, and aversion towards bad things. This understanding is foundational for achieving happiness and tranquility.
True happiness and tranquility are attained by successfully obtaining what one desires and avoiding what one wishes to avoid, which requires careful consideration of what is truly within one's control. This is a central tenet of Stoic practice.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 1.4
Focusing on What is Within Control
The individual making progress learns to defer desire altogether, employing aversion only on things dependent on their will. This means carefully choosing what to engage with.
If one attempts to avoid anything independent of their will, they risk encountering what they wish to avoid, leading to unhappiness. This highlights the importance of distinguishing between what is and is not controllable.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 1.4
Virtue as the Path to Tranquility
Virtue promises good fortune, tranquility, and happiness. Therefore, the progress towards virtue is inherently linked to these desirable states of being.
This journey towards virtue is not about external achievements but an internal transformation that leads to a stable and contented mind, regardless of external circumstances.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 1.4
Avoiding Ostentatious Practices
Exercises should not be contrary to nature or designed to cause admiration, as this would make philosophers indistinguishable from performers or jugglers.
Practices that are difficult and dangerous, like walking on a rope, are not suitable for moral development. The focus should be on what genuinely contributes to one's proposed goal.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 3.12
The Goal of Unrestrained Living
The true purpose of practice is to live with desire and aversion free from restraint. This means cultivating a state where one's inner life is not hindered by external factors.
This freedom from restraint is achieved by aligning one's will with what is natural and rational, ensuring that desires and aversions are properly directed and controlled.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 3.12
Self-Assessment and Inner Goodness
A good person does not lament, groan, or weep, nor are they pale and trembling. These are not characteristics of someone who has cultivated inner goodness.
Worrying about how others perceive or receive one's actions is a concern about what belongs to others, not what is truly one's own. True goodness comes from within.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 2.13
What the primary texts say
These excerpts keep their work and exact locator so you can check the claim in context rather than accepting a detached quotation.
“He who is making progress, having learned from philosophers that desire means the desire of good things, and aversion means aversion from bad things; having learned too that happiness and tranquillity are not attainable by man otherwise than by not failing to obtain what he desires, and not falling into that which he would avoid; such a man takes from himself desire altogether and defers it, but he employs his aversion only on things which are dependent on his will.”
“We ought not to make our exercises consist in means contrary to nature and adapted to cause admiration, for if we do so, we who call ourselves philosophers shall not differ at all from jugglers.”
“Because no good man laments or groans or weeps, no good man is pale and trembles, or says, “How will he receive me, how will he listen to me?” Slave, just as it pleases him. Why do you care about what belongs to others?”
Frequently asked questions
What is the Stoic definition of moral progress?
Moral progress in Stoicism is the continuous effort to align one's desires and aversions with what is truly good and within one's control, leading to tranquility and happiness. It is a journey, not a destination.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 1.4
How does one achieve happiness and tranquility according to Stoicism?
Happiness and tranquility are achieved by not failing to obtain what one desires and not falling into what one wishes to avoid. This requires directing desires and aversions only towards things dependent on one's will.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 1.4
What kind of practices are suitable for Stoic moral development?
Suitable practices are those that conduce to living with desire and aversion free from restraint. They should not be contrary to nature or designed for admiration, like difficult physical feats.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 3.12
Why should one not worry about others' opinions?
Worrying about how others receive or perceive you is caring about what belongs to others. A good person focuses on their own inner state and actions, as external reactions are not within their control.
Sources: Epictetus, Discourses 2.13
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