[Buddha-l] The Buddha, an 'emotional weakling'?

[curt]

Like Erik I think that this criticism sounds like it comes either from 
someone with an agenda, or from someone who is setting a straw man by 
arguing against the misapplication of Stoic ideas rather than arguing 
honestly against Stoicism proper. Neither Epictetus nor Marcus Aurelius 
come close to Hospers' caricature of a Stoic who is "afraid" to "play 
for great stakes" and avoids "tasting the full joy of life".

A little about John Hospers: he is an editor of a right-wing magazine 
(Liberty), a supporter of George Bush in 2004, and was the first 
presidential candidate to run on the "Libertarian" Party ticket.

I find it unlikely that anyone who has bothered to seriously study some 
actual Stoic philosophy (like Epictetus' "Discourses") would have such a 
shallow appreciation of Stoicism. People like Hospers and Alan Bloom 
specialize in anachronistic misrepresentations of classical philosophy 
and literature to promote and support contemporary right-wing 
intellectual fads and fancies.

- Curt

Stefan Detrez wrote:
> Dear Listmembers,
>  
> Reading an introduction to ethics, I encountered this citation on the 
> Stoic.
>  
>    'The Stoic, though he seems strong and brave and imperturbable, is 
> really an emotional weakling who cannot stand to get hurt and so takes 
> out insurance against failure in advance by toning down his desires 
> and hopes to the point where he knows they can be fulfilled. ... He is 
> afraid to gamble lusitly and play for great stakes. ... In his fear of 
> suffering the death of great dissappointment, he chooses to live 
> half-dead rather than taste the full joy of living, with all its 
> possibilities of tragic ending.'
>  
> (from John Hospers, 'Human Conduct. Problem of Ehtics', 
> Thomson-Wadsworth, 1996, p. 55.)
>  
> How does this differ from the Buddha's attitude towards life and 
> suffering? Could it be that the Buddha, too, tried to tone down his 
> desires and hopes in order to escape dissappointment? Would, if so, 
> that not be illustrative of a person who doesn't like to run the risk 
> of getting emotionally hurt and rather locks himself up emotionally? 
> How does 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved 
> at all' apply to the Buddha? Does the Ariyapariyesana Sutta not 
> suggest that the motives for leaving a luxury life were not only the 
> feeling of discomfort and boredom from the incapacitating power of 
> excess, but more so an existential an emotional handicap to deal with 
> live's tougher issues. Or maybe the fear of having to handle the 
> responsibilities of a worldly leader?
>  
> Best wishes,
>  
> Stefan
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