Epicureans & Stoics on Anxiety vis a vis Religion and Politics: Ushering Hobbes

• In Event: Poster Session: Foundations of Political Theory I

Abstract

Given that the indebtedness of Hobbesian philosophy to Epicureans (Strauss 1953; Tuck 1988; Abizadeh 2018) and Stoics (Tuck 2014) has been written upon by existing Hobbes scholars, I focus this paper keeping in mind the ancients as an inspiration for Hobbes on the question of the meaning of religion and the emotion of anxiety itself. This paper raises the question of whether the Epicureans can be argued to be apolitical in their approach, which Hobbes later politized (Strauss 1953). I argue that looking at the Epicureans and the Stoics together as a historical background to Hobbes helps to explain the connections between ‘apolitical’ and the ‘political’ in Hobbes better, specifically on the question of anxiety vis. a vis religion and politics. This question is especially relevant today as the rise of anxiety in individuals and its use as a force in the politics of fear in several parts of the world begs the question of how to comprehend and then respond to the challenge of anxiety.
In this respect therefore it is useful to turn to the ancients on what they had to say about anxiety in minds as well as politics. I frame the discussion of anxiety through two registers of the ‘apolitical’, i.e. the one of individual minds and the other of ‘political’, i.e. how anxiety can be experienced collectively, in order to explore the relationship between them. The Epicurean view leans on the side talking about two greatest fears which plague men with anxiety – the fear of death and the fear of Gods and the question for Epicurus was how does one do away with them in order to live a life of tranquillity. The solution of Epicurus laid out not only in his own writings, but best articulated through his disciple Lucretius in On the Nature of Things, was to give up desires. Epicurean philosophy focused on maximising pleasure and minimising pain, by giving up desires the fulfilment of which can lead to pleasure, and the lack of fulfilment thereof to pain. That is the only way to overcome anxiety, which for the Epicureans was the fundamental obstacle to happiness, and thereby remains a challenge.
The intersection with Hobbes of the Epicurean view was that both were critical of religion which amplifies anxiety and desired to explain nature scientifically. In the paper I directly draw on some of Hobbes’s own work too which has direct traces of Epicurean influence. The Epicureans however, were also critical of another form of collective life: politics and considered its pursuit the source of anxiety due to the desire for public office. The Stoics such as the likes of Epictetus and Seneca however, also considered separating themselves from politics a fine solution and this can be understood better by Epictetus’ (The Manual) advice to minds – freedom consists in only what is in one’s control and what is not so, must not be seen as the realm of freedom. Was politics therefore, in one’s control or outside it? Was it the realm of freedom or the source of anxiety? Understanding the ethical stances of the Stoics (Epictetus and Seneca) on these questions on the connection between individual ‘apolitical’ and collective ‘political’ anxiety gives us insights into what extent the Stoics are different from the Epicureans, in itself and thereby in their influence on Hobbes.
Finally, I look at at Cicero’s De Finibus in so far as it examines the Epicureans and the Stoics for their ethical questions on justice and virtue which reflect on their respective views of politics. The connections between the ‘apolitical’ and the ‘political’ or the lack thereof in the ancient view of anxiety particularly in connection with religion and politics, form one of the most important influences on Hobbes when he talked about questions of the kind of political collective life which continues to characterise the modern states. The examination of the ancients brings us closer to answer the question for Hobbes – was Hobbesian politics apolitical?

Author

• Vertika Vertika, McGill University