“The wise person will take part in public life, unless something prevents him.”
— Zeno of CitiumStoic doctrine reported in Diogenes Laertius 7.121; approximate English rendering, attribution to Zeno uncertain
Commentary
This doctrine, reported in Diogenes Laertius, holds that the wise person should engage in politics as a natural duty, except where circumstances make it impossible. It runs against the stereotype of the Stoic as withdrawn from public affairs, and it reflects the school's commitment to social responsibility. Malcolm Schofield, in The Stoic Idea of the City (1991), argues that the Stoic conception of political life was deeply ethical, and that participation in civic affairs was an expression of virtue rather than a distraction from it. A. A. Long and D. N. Sedley, in The Hellenistic Philosophers, note that the Stoics distinguished between the ideal city of the wise and actual political communities, and that engagement in the latter was justified when the wise could act virtuously. Brad Inwood's study shows how this doctrine connects to the account of appropriate action, which governs choices made in ordinary life. Julia Annas observes that Zeno's own reported withdrawal from political office is sometimes contrasted with this doctrine, and that the tension between theory and practice is worth noting. The attribution to Zeno personally is uncertain, and the English is approximate, so the passage should be checked in Diogenes Laertius.
Commentary
This doctrine, reported in Diogenes Laertius, holds that the wise person should engage in politics as a natural duty, except where circumstances make it impossible. It runs against the stereotype of the Stoic as withdrawn from public affairs, and it reflects the school's commitment to social responsibility. Malcolm Schofield, in The Stoic Idea of the City (1991), argues that the Stoic conception of political life was deeply ethical, and that participation in civic affairs was an expression of virtue rather than a distraction from it. A. A. Long and D. N. Sedley, in The Hellenistic Philosophers, note that the Stoics distinguished between the ideal city of the wise and actual political communities, and that engagement in the latter was justified when the wise could act virtuously. Brad Inwood's study shows how this doctrine connects to the account of appropriate action, which governs choices made in ordinary life. Julia Annas observes that Zeno's own reported withdrawal from political office is sometimes contrasted with this doctrine, and that the tension between theory and practice is worth noting. The attribution to Zeno personally is uncertain, and the English is approximate, so the passage should be checked in Diogenes Laertius.