When Pneuma met Logos... - Understanding Stoicism: Stoic Cosmology

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I’ve been hanging around on Steemit for a while now and have noticed that Stoicism is quite a popular philosophy in this crazy neck of the woods. Some people reference it literary in their post or comments, while others think and write things that closely resemble a Stoic outlook on life (whether they are aware of it or not).

To understand why this ancient philosophy is still popular today, I’ve decided to start a series of posts critically analysing Stoicism and its various revivals and influences throughout the ages. Welcome to Understanding Stoicism!

In the previous episodes we've concluded an overview of the historical context of Stoicism. In the following parts we'll take a closer look at some of the core tenets of Stoic cosmology, epistemology and especially ethics. Links to previous episodes can be found at the bottom of this post.

Stoic Cosmology: When Pneuma met Logos...

Camille Flammarion - L'atmosphère (Source)

If you’ve read the historical episodes of Understanding Stoicism, you might have noticed that all Stoic thinkers shared an absolutely essential idea: the idea that man can only live a virtuous life if he lives in accordance with his natural Reason.

Although on the surface this seems like quite a simple and maybe even random presupposition, it is actually predicated on a complex cosmology. So in order to fully understand Stoic ethics, we must first familiarize ourselves with the way classic Stoics perceived the universe around them.

Stoic cosmology is founded on three principles: materialism, dynamism and monism. These concepts don’t exist in a vacuum and rely on each other constantly.

- Materialism is the idea that everything in the cosmos is corporeal, made of matter. And this means absolutely everything: your body, your soul and even the idea of justice. The whole cosmos is made out of the same primitive substance called pneuma.

- Dynamism is the next step: since the cosmos consists of material bodies, everything that exists is capable of acting and being acted upon. So everything consists of a passive part which gives it substance, and an active part which gives it quality. These qualities define all actions and causes in the cosmos. For example a tree only grows to be a tree because it carries within itself the corporeal quality of a tree. These causes aren’t random however and are guided by a Universal Reason, or logos.

- Monism brings everything in harmony. Since all things are corporeal and everything has a passive and active part, pneuma (the ultimate passive) and logos (the ultimate active) must be part of one supreme and ultimate being: God, or Reason, or Nature.

So, let’s summarize: everything in the universe is made out of primordial substance called pneuma and all things are guided by a single principle called logos. Both pneuma and logos originate and come together in the divine Nature or God.

Obviously for us modern thinkers (who are embedded in modern science and physics), this worldview holds little to no practical value. If you want to investigate further into Stoic philosophy as a whole, it is however essential that you always keep this cosmology in the back of your head. It is the universal canvas on which every Stoic thinker paints his ideas.

Take for example how Stoics view the human soul. If the human soul exists, it must be corporeal. Since things can only exist if they are made out of matter or pneuma. All matter is guided by the divine Reason or logos. Thus, every human being carries in his heart a divine spark. Just as the logos guides the pneuma in the universe, so does the soul guide the being of man. Or to put it more simple: what God is for the world, the soul is for humans.

So now you can see why Stoics believe that to live a virtuous life man must align himself with his natural Reason. Since in their worldview there is no distinction between the divine and the human soul. To not answer the call of the logos, of the human soul, is to go against the divine principle of the universe itself. And obviously this can only lead to suffering.

Next time, before we dive head first into Stoic ethics, we’ll take a quick look at Stoic epistemology (or the theory of knowledge).

But in the meantime think about this!

Does your soul or conscience ever call out to you? And why do you choose to accept its guidance or simply ignore it? Where do you feel these calls to action stem from?