BASIC CONCEPTS OF STOIC ETHICS

Abstract

In the philosophy of the Porticus, there is a great concern with the ethical moral aspect of human beings, in their ethical doctrine, the Stoics urge us to live according to nature, this is the maximum point that anyone can reach in terms of human excellence, for stoicism. Living according to nature implies, living according to our rational nature and universal intelligence, we need to know in depth all aspects of our human condition, so that we can act in accordance with our rational nature. For the Stoics, the human essence is rational, so man must realize his nature through a life guided by reason, and this human aspect places him as a being able to choose and thus decide for a certain way of acting, the that makes human actions rational, ethical and moral. In the search for understanding human nature, the Stoics identify a primary impulse that conditions beings to action, which guides them to seek the things that are beneficial to them according to their nature and the repulsion to things contrary to nature. According to the Stoics, this principle of oikeíōsis remains a structural element, but rationality allows the human being the possibility of choosing between what is in agreement or what is contrary to nature, so we can think of reason as a modeler of the impulse, being she and no longer the impulse who should guide our actions. According to this principle, we must seek what is proper and necessary for our full development and reject everything that is harmful to us. For Stoicism there are good things, bad things and even the indifferent ones. The Stoic is indifferent to external things because they are not fundamental to human development or because they do not contribute to his happiness.