What Do I Care About Atoms?

Theory and practice

The Roman Stoics focused on the practical side of philosophy.

They took the other aspects of the philosophy seriously – logic and physics but Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, or Seneca didn’t pay as much attention to those aspects of the philosophy as the logic chopping Greeks.

This doesn’t mean that we should ignore those aspects of Stoicism – sometimes it figures in the background and a background can make or break a picture.

But it does mean that we shouldn’t overinvest in them. Of course, few of us are involved in disagreeing over the abstruse matters of Stoic metaphysics (perhaps I am guilty enough). But there’s another lesson here too.

Epictetus once said:

What do I care whether all existing things are composed of atoms, or of indivisibles, or of fire and earth?

Fragments, 1

In other words, what’s the importance of these theoretical questions? The simple path to a good life resides in acting well and that does not change if we are made of atoms or indivisible parts.

The Fragment continues:

Is it not enough to learn the true nature of the good and the evil, and the limits of the desires and aversions, and also of the choices and refusals, and, by employing these as rules, to order the affairs of our life, and dismiss the things that are beyond us?

Fragments, 1

I think this is an awesome reminder. To clear away the cobwebs of dialectics, debates, and distraction and simply focus on our duty. Who are you, what’s happening, and what’s your role. Don’t waffle in indecision, take account of the basic facts and then act. Oftentimes the right path, the straight road, is easy enough to see. All we need to do is walk.