Pessimism and optimism from the perspective of Stoic philosophers depends on our perception of the bigger picture – our place in the grand scheme of things.
When we are dealing with the optimistic and pessimistic attitude of stoics, it is necessary to note that there is a difference in attitudes of stoic philosophy as a whole, and the personal-psychological attitude of individual philosophers. We will deal with the first one more in this article.
Pessimism and optimism usually refer to our attitude towards external events that include ourselves. However, this is not the only way to denote these two worldviews. Considering the stoic philosophy, we will talk about pessimism and optimism as related to character.
Therefore, a pessimist is a person who tends to see the worst aspects of things or believe that the worst will happen, while an optimist is a person who believes that this world is the best of all possible worlds or that good must ultimately prevail over evil.
Following from the stoic restrained nature and mindful relationship to the world, with a character which aims to be indifferent to anything affective, you could think that stoics behave as if they see adversity all around them, as if the whole universe is there to disturb their well being, classic canons of pessimism But stoics are not trapped in their tiny philosophical boxes unaffected by the world. A Stoic is not someone who simply ignores and endures. For this reason, we will explore how stoics saw the world.
We are Integral to God and Nature
Stoic philosophy is materialistic in principle. The world as they perceived it is only made of matter. There are many types of matter. For example, there is one matter from which the body is made of, and the other – more sublime – which composes souls and God. However, the matter that surrounds us is immobile and passive. In other words, it cannot change or move by itself.
The active force of the universe is God. God is also material and is understood as the mind and soul of the universe. By the very fact that God is the mind (logos) of the universe, the universe is made up in the best possible way. This is because ordinary matter is passive and God is the active force arranging nature with the best possible laws.
Since human beings are gifted with reason, the best possible way to live their lives is to follow it in every circumstance. The stoic worldview, then, cannot be a pessimistic one, but is by its nature optimistic. Living in accordance with the natural law is, therefore, the best possible way of being.
Stoics and their Place in the World
Stoic philosophy is not trapped in the narrow safe of one’s mind. On the contrary, stoics always respond to the world and its changes. The mind can adapt to different situations and we can choose how to react to different obstacles:
Our actions may be impeded…but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our actions.
Marcus Aurelius
This other quote by Marcus Aurelius has tinges of eastern philosophies:
‘The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.’
We can notice how the Emperor tackled obstacles. That which stands in the way will change your point of view, will challenge your mind and wit, and it will change you in the process, thus becoming the way. This is anything but a pessimistic attitude.
A pessimistic worldview could arise if you are deeply influenced by emotions and conditions like: fear, anger, solitude, anxiety, pain and depression. Therefore, a negative pessimistic worldview will appear if one isn’t living in accordance with their reason. It is worth emphasizing that a pessimistic mind is the one that surrenders to troublesome emotions.
A pessimistic mind is not active because its power of acting is inhibited, and its value downgraded. Stoics would probably pity this kind of mind which forsakes itself or avoids negative states to not feel overwhelmed by them:
I judge you unfortunate because you have never lived through misfortune. You have passed through life without an opponent—no one can ever know what you are capable of, not even you.
Seneca
One should be able to acknowledge the fact that when it comes to the mind, control is absolute. From this control stems the power to resist and overcome the hardships and obstacles which are thrown our way.
The whole universe is indifferent and our mind (which stems from nature/God) is the only thing that is good. It is good because it is the only constant which can make us happy and content through our lives if we are following it.
Stoics then, are optimistic since they are content with their own minds and their place in the world. And no matter how often life changes, they will always be able to exercise their control on how best to deal with it.
