The growing popularity of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and modern self-help literature has triggered renewed interest in the practical side of ancient philosophy. Although most ancient philosophical traditions had concepts and practices that prefigure aspects of modern psychological therapy and self-help, Stoicism is widely-recognised as the school of thought with the most explicit “therapeutic” orientation. The Stoics saw themselves as standing in the broad Socratic tradition. However, they placed greater emphasis than their rivals, Plato’s Academy, upon the practical lifestyle and psychological exercises associated with the Socratic ideal of psychological flourishing (eudaimonia), freedom from irrational, unhealthy or excessive fears and desires (apatheia), and freedom from distress (ataraxia). Stoicism is based on the philosophical premise that the chief good in life is for us to excel in terms of our essential nature as rational beings, something they refer to as the attainment of “virtue” (aretê), although “excellence” is often considered a better translation. The Stoics define human excellence as the attainment of wellbeing and the four cardinal “virtues” of practical wisdom, justice (fairness and kindness), courage, and moderation (or self-control). The analogy between medicine and philosophy was well-known in the ancient world and the Stoics even described the philosopher’s lecture room as being like a doctor’s clinic, there is no doubt they saw philosophy itself as a kind of psychological “therapy”.
Their general precept, as explained at the beginning of the famous Stoic “Handbook” (Enchiridion) of Epictetus, sometimes called the “Sovereign” principle of Stoicism was that we should carefully distinguish between things under our control and things not under our control. In my previous book on the subject, The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (2010), I called this the “Stoic Fork”. It clearly resembles, and probably inspired, the famous “Serenity Prayer” used in Alcoholics Anonymous and by many modern therapists:
]]>God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;The Courage to change the things I can;
And the Wisdom to know the difference.