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The Courage of Natural Living

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The Ethics of Courage

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Abstract

Epicureanism and Stoicism explain how the mind and the habit of courage can help people master all fears and useless desires and reach a state of personal happiness through natural living. Since death awaits all humans, they must find the best way to achieve wellness in this world. Showing wisdom, following the laws of nature, co** with existential anxieties, and staying away from politics are important points of convergence between the two schools. Students of the Stoa follow their own path by acknowledging the fear of suffering and death and, importantly, asserting the primacy of philosophical and prudential wisdom over existential concerns. They also reconcile the workings of Fate with the principle of voluntary assent, at some cost to the power of free will.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Jacques M. Chevalier

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  1. Jacques M. Chevalier
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Correspondence to Jacques M. Chevalier .

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Chevalier, J.M. (2023). The Courage of Natural Living. In: The Ethics of Courage. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32739-1_6

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