Apatheia vs Ataraxia

Ataraxia refers to ongoing freedom from distress and worry. For Epicureans and skeptics, ataraxia was the goal of their Hellenistic philosophy. Being completely free from distress and worry was characteristic of the only true happiness that is possible for a person to achieve. It occurs after one is able to stop fearing the gods, who seem distant and unconcerned with humanity, avoiding any faith in an afterlife, avoiding politics, and surrounding oneself with trustworthy compassionate friends. Epicurus stated in his letter to Menoeceus that it is important to understand how death is nothing to mankind in order to remove the longing for immortality (29). Similarly, Epicureans and skeptics believed that “whenever a pleasurable feeling is present, for as long as it is present, there is neither a feeling of pain nor a feeling of distress, nor both together” (32). Finally, in order to experience ataxia, one must also be an affectionate, virtuous person who is worthy of trust

Apatheia was a goal of stoic philosophy and refers to a state of mind in which a person is unaffected by passion. According to Aristotle, the virtue of apatheia was found in the balance between having excess and a deficiency of emotion. By being free from emotion and passion, people would be better equipped to make logical decisions and be in control of their own will.

According to the characteristics of both of these philosophic goals, apatheia appears to be less negative than ataraxia. Regardless of whether or not it is enjoyable, both experiences of pain and trouble have a role in the world. Without experiencing the bad things in life, it would be impossible for an individual to know pleasure and happiness. Furthermore, it is impractical to live in a world where trouble and pain do exist as if they do not exist. It appears that Epicurus was trying to assert that people should not let hardships prevent them from experiencing pleasure but forgot that pain is a necessary comparison from which pleasure is derived. Additionally, fearing the Gods or believing in an afterlife is a strong motivating force for some people. Religion usually encourages positive behavior among those who believe and can serve as a set of moral guidelines for society. Without the motivation of trying to please a higher divine being, many people may simply resort to living selfishly instead of living a moral life.

Stoicism believed more in the forces of reason, which make apatheia a much more positive goal than ataraxia. By encouraging people to live without passion, stoicism is not encouraging apathy. Instead, it aims for people to take control of their uncontrolled emotions or physical desires which may cause them to behavior irrationally and immorally. Instead of promoting freedom from the gods, stoicism promotes the opposite idea and believes that in order to live virtuously, a person must submit to God’s will. Cicero states in his piece On the Nature of the Gods that “nothing is superior to god; therefore, it is necessary that the world is ruled by God” (151). Furthermore, Epicurus believed that the wise man neither “rejects life nor fears death” (29). The problem with this kind of mentality is that does not encourage people to value their lives or the time that they have on this earth, which can make some people lazy and unambitious. The concept leaves little for people to differentiate between being alive and being dead. Some may argue that the inevitability of death is what makes life enjoyable because people must make decisions in act knowing that the opportunities for achieving their goals are limited and therefore must make sure they are not wasting them.

Work Cited

Inwood, Brad, and Lloyd P. Gerson. Hellenistic philosophy: introductory readings. 2nd ed. Indianapolis, Ind.: Hackett Pub. Co., 1997. Print.