[SydPhil] University of Sydney Philosophy Seminar Series, Tyler Paytas, (Australian Catholic University, Sydney)

[Ryan Cox]

Hi everyone,

This week's speaker in the University of Sydney Philosophy Seminar Series is Tyler Paytas, (Australian Catholic University, Sydney)

The title of the talk is "Stoic Faith". Here is an abstract for the talk:

The human condition is inherently challenging. Our lives are coloured by toil, limitation, pain, illness, impermanence, and death. Added to these obstacles is an apparent lack of moral economy in the universe. These circumstances render us susceptible to mental disturbance in the form of despair, nihilism, anxiety, and grief. Ancient spiritual traditions aim to provide a bulwark against these afflictions by reframing the human condition in a manner that allows us to face it with equanimity and courage. In the Western context, two traditions have been particularly influential. Christianity teaches that while the human condition is fundamentally bad in several respects (e.g., suffering, sin, death), thanks to God’s grace, the faithful can look forward to an afterlife that is free from the woes of terrestrial existence. Stoicism proceeds by challenging common assumptions about value and well-being; pain, illness, and death are not bad for us because well-being depends solely on virtue. In this paper, I argue that accepting the Stoic account of well-being, which is the core Stoic doctrine, is ultimately a matter of faith, and that we have good reasons to cultivate this faith. I also argue that Stoic faith is more attainable and stable than conventional religious faith.

The seminar will take place at 3:30pm on Wednesday May 21 in the Philosophy Seminar Room (N494).

Enquiries about the seminar series can be directed to ryan.cox at sydney.edu.au

Ryan Cox
Associate Lecturer in Philosophy
Discipline of Philosophy
School of Humanities
University of Sydney
ryan.cox at sydney.edu.au
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