What an amazing piece, Bill. Not just incisive, insightful and eloquent (as usual), but masterful. You're exploring an issue that every person who deals with terminal illness must eventually encounter, assuming they're not in complete denial: how best to handle the inevitable confrontation with your own mortality. Not just as an abstract philosphical idea, but in physical reality! The question is, can you prepare yourself mentally to be strong enough -- or philosophically armored enough -- to withstand the threat, the existential and highly emotional assault, of approaching death? This comes up for everyone who meets with life-threatening illness personally, professionally or both. Much gratitude and admiration for your response to this basic question of human existence.
Thank you for those kind words, Brad. They mean a lot coming from a physician who has contributed so much to so many patients, to the field of palliative care, and who has written so thoughtfully about the end of life.
The "founder" of my faith while nailed to a board took time to comfort a thief. Perhaps a stoic as defined here would have just gritted through it alone.
Also...
>I was educated at Andover and Harvard, schools that select and anoint you to rule. Many classmates ascended to roles in government or finance; I stepped away. The Pax Americana is greater than Rome’s and superior to its totalitarian rivals, but it’s not my moral home.
Although not directly on point, am reminded of this:
The Prime Ministers We Never Had by Steve Richards book review (the-tls.co.uk):
"In his latest book, the political commentator Steve Richards makes a valiant attempt to explain why some key political figures never made it to 10 Downing Street."
...
"In his conclusion, Richards notes that, 'on the whole, prime ministers need to be flexible with their convictions', a depressingly accurate observation."
Great summary, Bill, thank you. As an undergraduate philosophy student I paid no mind to the Stoics preferring instead to enjoy the Metaphysics and the Sceptics. Now, facing cancer as I am, I'm taking great comfort and finding great peace in the writings of the Stoics.
Beautifully written and researched (although you perhaps have command of these topics and can write without research!) As I reflect upon my former next door neighbor in Nathan Hale dorm, you struck me as an ascetic (a word not in my regular vocabulary so pardon if inappropriate). That impression is consistent with your account of what you describe as occurring to you the summer after your junior year; I arrived at Andover only for senior year (that's another story) so did not see the contrast that took place. Thank you again for these insights. Hoping for the best for you and your family. Peter
What an amazing piece, Bill. Not just incisive, insightful and eloquent (as usual), but masterful. You're exploring an issue that every person who deals with terminal illness must eventually encounter, assuming they're not in complete denial: how best to handle the inevitable confrontation with your own mortality. Not just as an abstract philosphical idea, but in physical reality! The question is, can you prepare yourself mentally to be strong enough -- or philosophically armored enough -- to withstand the threat, the existential and highly emotional assault, of approaching death? This comes up for everyone who meets with life-threatening illness personally, professionally or both. Much gratitude and admiration for your response to this basic question of human existence.
Thank you for those kind words, Brad. They mean a lot coming from a physician who has contributed so much to so many patients, to the field of palliative care, and who has written so thoughtfully about the end of life.
Bill, I shared your essay with Michael Chase, the translator of Pierre Hadot's Inner Citadel. His response, shared with permission, is below.
On Fri, Sep 8, 2023, 5:06 PM Mike wrote:
Hi Louis!
That is indeed a very well-written and thought-provoking article.
Thanks a million.
All best, Mike
Michael Chase
Chercheur, CNRS Centre Jean Pépin-UMR 8230-ENS-PSL, Paris, France
Adjunct Professor, Department of Greek and Roman Studies, Victoria, B.C., Canada
The "founder" of my faith while nailed to a board took time to comfort a thief. Perhaps a stoic as defined here would have just gritted through it alone.
Also...
>I was educated at Andover and Harvard, schools that select and anoint you to rule. Many classmates ascended to roles in government or finance; I stepped away. The Pax Americana is greater than Rome’s and superior to its totalitarian rivals, but it’s not my moral home.
Although not directly on point, am reminded of this:
The Prime Ministers We Never Had by Steve Richards book review (the-tls.co.uk):
"In his latest book, the political commentator Steve Richards makes a valiant attempt to explain why some key political figures never made it to 10 Downing Street."
...
"In his conclusion, Richards notes that, 'on the whole, prime ministers need to be flexible with their convictions', a depressingly accurate observation."
Great summary, Bill, thank you. As an undergraduate philosophy student I paid no mind to the Stoics preferring instead to enjoy the Metaphysics and the Sceptics. Now, facing cancer as I am, I'm taking great comfort and finding great peace in the writings of the Stoics.
Beautifully written and researched (although you perhaps have command of these topics and can write without research!) As I reflect upon my former next door neighbor in Nathan Hale dorm, you struck me as an ascetic (a word not in my regular vocabulary so pardon if inappropriate). That impression is consistent with your account of what you describe as occurring to you the summer after your junior year; I arrived at Andover only for senior year (that's another story) so did not see the contrast that took place. Thank you again for these insights. Hoping for the best for you and your family. Peter
Thank you, Peter, and all the best to you and your family.
Thank you for doing that, Louis
And thank you for your comments on my posts.
Barry, thanks for the kind words. I'm sorry to learn you are a fellow citizen of the Kingdom of Cancer. But I am glad that stoicism works for you.