Introduction To The Stoic Triage

“Such is the lesson of ancient philosophy;
an invitation to each human being to transform themselves, 
and a quest for wisdom.”
(Hadot 1996, p. 275)

In this presentation, I argue that understanding how to make a good decision might seem simple on the surface, but is complex in its depth, and potentially confusing in its effects, and on us as decision makers. However, I think a simple process can be applied to help us make consistently better decisions, by underpinning them with Stoic Philosophical Principles.  I call this the “Stoic Triage”, which I think will help developing Stoics:

• Make better decisions, underpinning them with Stoic Principles.
• Deal better with the consequences of their decisions.
• Make consistent progress to develop their characters.

When thinking about ethics, we tend to focus on dramatic examples, e.g. whether we should kill, how to vote, whether to eat meat, etc. But these are the most visible expression of the sum of our underlying beliefs, judgements and character in context. Every decision we make, no matter how simple, and how we deal with its consequences will cumulatively either:

• Reinforce our current disposition and character; or
• Move us towards either a virtuous, or vicious disposition.

As Stoics we are using philosophy to help us towards the end goal of 
Eudaimonia, and being able to make decisions more consistently in tune with Nature, will help us towards that goal.

“Practice, when aged by time,
turns into nature.”
(Stobaeus quoted in Christopher Jedan 2009, p. 102)

What seems more important than specific decisions themselves, is the intention behind the decision, e.g. two people might make the same purchase of a knife, but one to help with cooking, and another to commit a robbery. The intention itself sits on a foundation of our current disposition, how we view the world, and what we think is truly important.

Only the Sage can perform “right action” because they have the perspective of the whole. An aspiring non-sage will do things right some of the time, and not others, and will not really understand the difference.  However, within their ability, they can aspire to perform “appropriate actions” based on their current understanding of what is good, and their ability to be rational in daily life.

Although as Stoics, we aim towards virtue, actually being virtuous is seen as possible only to the Sage, who has the perspective of the whole.  However, making actions appropriately, and reviewing these decisions will help us develop a platform from which to get closer to this perspective, and so progressively develop wisdom.

An important step here is to see this as an iterative process of theoretical knowledge acquisition, practical application, review and refinement. 

The Good, The Bad and The Indifferent

The common task of ancient philosophy is to:

• Educate people to seek only those goods that they can obtain, and
• Try to avoid those evils that it is possible to avoid.
• The rest is indifferent to us, and is the domain of nature.

(Extracted from Hadot 1996, p. 83)

In the quest for wisdom, it will be helpful to clarify what we mean by good and bad.  As Stoics we equate virtue with the only good for human beings and vice its opposite as bad. This is also described as “living consistently with nature”. We derive our standard from nature and it is only to the extent we live consistently with this “common good” that we are either good, or bad.  It is important to note, that virtue and vice are choices that we make as humans, and they do not themselves exist in nature, i.e. there is no malign force or “evil” in Nature. Nature provides us a providential framework which enables us to flourish, and it is “up to us” to learn to choose wisely, within this framework. 

There is also a lesser category of value, neither good nor bad, of things which are called “the indifferents”. These range from preferred to dis-preferred.  Chrysippus argued that mistaking pleasure for the goal (telos – Eudaimonia) corrupts us as we develop as human beings.  In the same way, mistaking  things that are pleasing to us for preferred indifferents, makes the same kind of mistake, by placing pleasing things above those things that contribute towards virtue.

“The trick is to maintain oneself on the level of reason, 
and not allow oneself to be blinded by political passions, 
anger, resentment or prejudices.”
(Hadot 1996, p. 274)

Indifferent things that are “preferred”, are really in the context of aiming towards virtue, and are those things that:

• Contribute towards our survival (so that we may become virtuous), or
• Help lead us towards virtue (directly or indirectly).

For example:

• Eating healthily contributes to our survival, junk food does not.  
• Moderation helps lead us towards virtue although excess does not.
• Eating at regular times, assists us by not allowing ravenous hunger to skew our choices.
• Choosing chocolate cake over raspberry is neither here, nor there.

However, as we develop into more reflective human beings, as John Sellars states in “Hellenistic Philosophy”, we start to value not just those things that contribute to our survival, but also the frame of mind that enables us to select those things successfully and consistently. This state of mind is called homologia, and as we become rational adults, we see that this is the only thing that we can choose that is good for its own sake.    

Thus, although we try to orient to the good, our everyday actions are really based on choosing value in the indifferents, and ultimately, we come to realise that those things that contribute to being able to make appropriate decisions are more valuable than the things themselves. 

Improving our Understanding of Virtue

“Harmony makes small things grow; 
lack of harmony makes great things decay.”
(Marcus Agrippa, quoted in Sen 2016, Let 94.46)

The Stoics described all virtues to be equally good, and all vices to be equally bad. Also, that only the Sage can act rightly, because they have the cosmic viewpoint and are fully rational. Everyone else is described as being to a lesser or greater extent “insane”, due to lack of full rationality.  In this context it might be argued that “progress” is not really possible, and is expressed somewhat negatively, by Cicero in De Finibus, IV.48, in the common metaphor of the Sage being able to swim, while everyone else is drowning by degrees, whether deeper or nearer the surface.

However, Stoics like Chrysippus and Seneca did feel that virtue could be taught, or at least a process of transformation could be embarked upon, and where a more positive analogy used by Christopher Jedan in Stoic Virtues, is that we are climbing to a summit from which we will be able to see from the cosmic perspective – the view of the Sage. And that although we may never reach the summit, our perspective will change as we make the effort to climb higher and will progressively permit us a better view of the whole.

We do this by acquiring knowledge, applying what we have learned, and being alert to inconsistencies when making the effort to live in harmony with nature. 

Skill in Everyday Choices

“The accomplished chess-player :
“understands the rules defining the strengths and weaknesses of different positions, 
and he also understands that the values of the pieces can vary in different circumstances; 
he will offer a pawn or even a queen in order to win the game.”
(David Sedley, quoted in Christopher Jedan 2009, p. 139)

Virtue is a form of techne, or skill, and as such deliberate practice done consistently will lead to progress over time.  This skill is sometimes compared to the skill of an actor in a play, or a player in a game.  Importantly, the nature of the play, our roles, the rules of the game, or the behaviour of others, is not up to us. What is up to us, is to play as well as we can, and importantly to learn to keep improving our skill as we do so.  

For those of us on the Stoic Path, we have chosen to align towards virtue and away from vice, and we can use the “cardinal virtues” as guides to this orientation.  However, because we do not have the cosmic perspective, we cannot fully understand virtue or use this knowledge in day-to-day circumstances. In reality then, our day-to-day decisions really deal with indifferents in the form of appropriate actions and preferred indifferents, on a scale of value that we progressively begin to understand. 

If we deal with these as well as possible, our skill will improve. If we don’t, our progress will either stall or we will become progressively less skilful. If we use the image of a large chessboard to show the complexity of the game of life, then eudaimonia is the end goal, virtue is the strategy, and value is what guides our tactics and skill in appropriate actions.

Appropriate Actions – Differences of Opinion

“ We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, 
like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower.”
(Marcus Aurelius 2023, 2.1)

At any given time, it is tempting for us to assume that our opinions and judgements are right and that others wrong. But as we mature, we will experience that our opinions and priorities change, sometimes radically, sometimes subtly. Also, that rational people of ‘good character’ might differ from our opinions. We come to realise that this variance is based on motivation, knowledge, education, culture, life experience, maturity and disposition, as well as specific circumstances.

Each person has their individual nature, which expresses a unique aspect of Universal Logos that has come together in this person at that time. What seems wrong to one, can seem right to another, but the dynamic flux of differences makes the whole. As intelligent social beings, the variance of opinions allow us to pool our resources and cope better with new challenges, by finding innovation, and the common ground between extreme viewpoints. Even if we feel that ours is the right view, working with others, despite these differences, allows society to function and to make progress as a whole, despite occasional setbacks.

Example – The Ethics of Selling

A classic example is the difference of opinion between two famous Stoics, Diogenes of Babylon and his student Antipater in the ethics of selling, as related by Cicero. 

– Diogenes thought that you should only disclose what the law requires, in order to make as much profit as possible. 

– But his student Antipater thought you should reveal all information including faults which might affect your price.

Was one absolutely right and one wrong? Or does the common good flow from the flux of both perspectives, and the debate that this stimulates?

Stoic Triage – Overview

The three tasks which must be kept in mind:

• Vigilance over one’s thoughts (Prosoché),
• Always act in the service of the common good (Extended Oikeiosis),
• Consent to the events imposed by destiny (Amor Fati).

(Extracted from Hadot 1996, p. 274)

Triage is a term used to denote the prioritisation of treatment. Using the metaphor that Philosophy is “medicine for the soul” we can apply this process to improving the quality of our choices, i.e. a “Stoic Triage”. This will be based on Stoic Principles and will have clear steps to be taken in order of importance to better align with virtue. The three key stages are:

Stage 1 – Virtue as Orientation

This is the foundation for Stoic Prokoptons, and I would recommend that this is done regularly, if not at least before taking any important decisions.  As Seneca said, reminders can be useful. Pausing and re-committing ourselves to the fact that virtue is the only good to which we aspire, re-orients us and sets the foundation for all our subsequent choices.

Stage 2 – Stoic Triage

This stage relates to the day-to-day skill of making choices with indifferents and appropriate actions, which can often seem disconnected from Stoic Principles. This is given in detail in the following section of Stoic Triage Detailed Steps.

Stage 3 – Review and Refine

At some point, whether soon, or some days later, your choice, and the way you chose to apply it, can be reviewed in the light of its consequences, and further reflection.  This will help you to improve the skill you might apply in future situations, and helps you to continue to “make progress”.

Stoic Triage – Detailed Steps

1. Identify and Remove Unhealthy Motivations.  

Unhealthy motivations can include: unhealthy emotions, irritations and passions. They derail our judgement and skew our choices. They are sometimes obvious and are sometimes subtle. These blind us to virtue, and we can usually see them more clearly than identifying virtue itself.  Any decisions we make when subject to unhealthy motivations are highly suspect, like having a conflict of interest.

When we realise that we are subject to them, we can reduce, or even remove their impact, by visualising how differently we would choose, and choose to act if we did not have them. Sometimes this difference will be quite revealing.

2. Act for the Common Good.

The temptation to further our interests at the expense of others, or to make ourselves exceptions to the rules is insidious. Equally laziness, or rashness can side-track us from living up to our duties.  This reminder helps us to re-orientate us towards the virtues of moderation, justice and courage. 

We should ask ourselves how we would choose if we are acting for the common good.

3. Choose Skilfully.

Whether playing our role in a play, or playing the ball in the game of life, our job is to play skilfully. Remember that we initially choose based on our survival, but then as we progress, we value more those things contributing to a consistent rationality, which allows us to move towards a position of seeing virtue more clearly. The rest we should remind ourselves is more or less indifferent, and so free ourselves from attachment to them. This last point is key to allowing us to prioritise spiritual, as opposed to material development.

Focus on what truly has value, and practice the application of practical wisdom

4. Be Prepared to Fully Accept the Consequences

Things don’t always go to plan, “some things are not in our control”, sometimes we shift our goals, and sometimes we need to go back to the drawing board to review our choices. But, being prepared to fully accept the results of our actions, helps us build a base from which to make better future decisions. Remember to act with reservation, and be clear what is up to you, and what is not.

Stoic Triage – Further Considerations

1. Examples of Unhealthy Motivations and Emotions

• Obvious – anger, lust, fear, hate
• Subtle – irritation, greed, neediness for attention / control / status
• Imagine how you would act if you did not have these feelings?

2. Examples of Not acting for the Common Good

• Check for: bias, selfishness, laziness, rashness, lack of attention to duty
• Are you just choosing to avoid discomfort?
• Imagine how you would choose if you did not have these dispositions.

3. Further Considerations in Choosing Skilfully?

• Are you really accepting things as they are, as a starting point?
• Do you have enough reliable knowledge to make a decision?
• When must you decide?
• Are you taking the stage of development of others involved into account, e.g. children? 
• How much do you really need to survive and be comfortable?
• Does this choice contribute towards a consistent rational state of health / mind?
• Are you choosing pleasure over consistent well-being and rationality?
• Focus on what truly has value and practice the application of practical wisdom.

4. Further Considerations in Fully Accepting the Results

• Are you clear what is up to you / what is up to Fate?
• Have you made the best decision you can at this time?
• Have you applied a Reserve Clause?

Remind yourself that:

• Making the best decision you can, will help you to fully to accept the results of that choice
• We all have a role to play, and outcomes you might personally experience as “bad”, might be viewed differently over time, as well as from the cosmic perspective.

Stoic Triage – How to Use it Practically

Although it would be ideal to have the time to apply the Stoic Triage in full at each decision point, most decisions generally need to be taken more quickly than this would allow.  However, applying even parts of the Stoic Triage in the correct sequence will improve the quality of the choices, by underpinning them with Stoic Principles. And, incorporating it retrospectively as part of a review process, will have a consistent transformative effect on the Prokopton’s underlying disposition.

Elements of The Stoic Triage could be used in the following ways:

Before making a major decision, if not on a daily basis, we should remind ourselves of our commitment to virtue as the only good, to which we aspire.

Step 1: When we sense a disturbance in our equanimity, either before, during, or after a decision point, we should look carefully at, and remove, the blinds of unhealthy motivations and emotions.

Step 2: At the time of making a decision, as a broad guide to aligning with virtue, we should prioritise the common good.

Step 3: When we have time to make our best decision, we should, 

• first, ensure our needs to survive and participate in society, given our circumstances
• second, choose those things that help us towards a more consistent and rational disposition
• lastly, apply any personal preferences or choices, reminding ourselves that these are more or less indifferent.

At some point afterwards, or nightly as per Seneca’s recommendation, we should review our choices using the Stoic Triage, to help us correct errors in judgement, improve further choices and help move us forward on our path as Stoic Prokoptons.

Stoic Triage Summary

There are two reasons why we go astray: 

Either there is in the soul an evil quality which has been brought about by wrong opinions, Or, even if not possessed by false ideas, the soul is prone to falsehood and rapidly corrupted by some outward appearance which attracts it in the wrong direction.

(Seneca 2016, Let 94.13)

Key Steps

1. Are you in the grip of an unhealthy motivation?

How would you choose if otherwise? 

2. Are you acting for the common good?

How would you choose if yes?

3. Have you chosen skilfully?

If not, what do you need to do?

4. Are you prepared to fully accept the consequences?

Be clear about what is up to you, and what is not.

Concluding Remarks

As Stoic Prokoptons, we are Stoic Philosophers in training.  Because we have understood that, and chosen the path committed to virtue as the “only good”, we are attempting to complete the Herculean task of learning to become more rational, while at the same time, knowing that we are more or less insane. We are attempting to ascend to the cosmic perspective, while realising that our view, and so our understanding is, compared to the right understanding of the Sage, limited.  

However, we are aided by the presence of the divine rationality that exists within us, and the logos that is manifesting in us uniquely, in circumstances that make our choices at any given moment, “up to us”. We know that by doing our best, by being our “best selves”, we are living in accord with nature and thus harmonising with the unfolding logos and manifesting that “good flow” within our lives.

However, that flow is not static, it is developing over time, and the good flow of the whole is made up of the dynamic flux between different perspectives and different interpretations of what has value and what is appropriate.  Over time we come to realise that participating meaningfully in this flux requires more than just our personal survival and success, it requires our ability to make consistently rational choices for the good of the unfolding whole.

I am proposing a method to help us to live progressively more in agreement with nature as human beings using The Stoic Triage. This is a simple practical approach orientated towards virtue, underpinned by Stoic principles, and containing a feedback mechanism that helps us to calibrate our reasoning based on our prior choices and reasoning. Completing this work has helped me to make progress, and I offer it to my fellow Stoic Prokoptons as an aid to their progress, and so to our combined “good flow”.