#synkatathesis

[lionofchaeronea]

Current nonfiction reading is The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, by the great French historian of philosophy Pierre Hadot (1922-2010). It's an exceptionally fine book, rich in provocative insights. Hadot argues that the Meditations, far from being the random collection of jottings they may seem at first glance, are a coherent philosophical program of self-improvement, built around the three core dogmas of Stoicism as articulated by Epictetus in his Discourses. He carefully articulates these three dogmas, relating to desire (orexis), impulse (hormē), and assent (synkatathesis), and connects them to Stoic teachings on physics, ethics, and logic, respectively. I've read the Meditations multiple times, but I'll read them now with fresh eyes after having absorbed Hadot's insights.

[falco-cassini]

Synkatathesis – Sokratiko, Encyclo.co.uk

[the-lexicographer]

Word of the Day

Synkatathesis, n. /sin’kat-a’thē-sis/ - Assent of the mind to the reality of sensible appearances.

       Source: Funk & Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary, 1953