“We should accept what happens as the order of nature, and not resist what we cannot change.”
— Zeno of CitiumCommonly cited paraphrase of Stoic doctrine on fate and acceptance, attributed to Zeno in popular sources; no verbatim source identified
Commentary
This paraphrase expresses the Stoic counsel of acceptance, which holds that events beyond our control are part of a rational cosmic order and should be met with equanimity. The idea connects to the doctrine of providence, under which nature is governed by reason and no event is wholly arbitrary. A. A. Long and D. N. Sedley, in The Hellenistic Philosophers, discuss how the Stoics distinguished between what is up to us and what is not, and show that acceptance applies only to the latter. Brad Inwood argues that the doctrine of acceptance does not imply passivity, since the Stoic agent still acts on what is within his power. Julia Annas notes that critics, including the Epicureans, found the Stoic position fatalistic, and that the Stoics responded by insisting on the role of assent. Malcolm Schofield observes that the counsel of acceptance supported the Stoic ideal of civic duty, since accepting the order of nature did not mean withdrawing from action. The sentence is a paraphrase and should not be quoted as Zeno's exact wording without checking the ancient sources.
Commentary
This paraphrase expresses the Stoic counsel of acceptance, which holds that events beyond our control are part of a rational cosmic order and should be met with equanimity. The idea connects to the doctrine of providence, under which nature is governed by reason and no event is wholly arbitrary. A. A. Long and D. N. Sedley, in The Hellenistic Philosophers, discuss how the Stoics distinguished between what is up to us and what is not, and show that acceptance applies only to the latter. Brad Inwood argues that the doctrine of acceptance does not imply passivity, since the Stoic agent still acts on what is within his power. Julia Annas notes that critics, including the Epicureans, found the Stoic position fatalistic, and that the Stoics responded by insisting on the role of assent. Malcolm Schofield observes that the counsel of acceptance supported the Stoic ideal of civic duty, since accepting the order of nature did not mean withdrawing from action. The sentence is a paraphrase and should not be quoted as Zeno's exact wording without checking the ancient sources.