The aim of this paper is the approach of the fundamental principles and concepts of the Stoics' theory on humans and the soul, as well as the designation of the scientific solidity and impact this theory exerts on the psychological research, establishing the full harmonisation between the behaviour and acts of mankind and the natural development of facts as the purpose of human existence. In particular, the role of cognition, of sensation and experience, the role of impulse and familiarity, the power of reason, what passion is and its impact on mental life are some of the key issues of the Stoics' psychological theory which this paper endeavours to address, primarily employing the Hermeneutics methodology, that of text interpretation. It considers of primary importance to provide an in-depth interpretation of the Stoics' "Fragments" and reveal their essence and real meaning, without, of course, underestimating the importance of secondary literature.
The purpose of this brief study is to indicate that humans are distinguished from all other beings, mainly due to their metaphysical nature and because-unlike other beings-they are able to communicate rather than merely associate. More importantly, human communication takes various forms: communication with beings, with peers, with the self as well as with the cause for the self, that is God. Of course, scientists analyse obvious forms of communication or ones that can only be perceived by the senses, similar to the ones that occur within the context of human interactions and social conventions. A different approach was indicated by Karl Jaspers, one of the pioneer scholars who rejected uncritical positivism. This approach showed that there is something more profound than what meets the eye, therefore illuminating new directions for the study of Psychology and expanding its horizons. Beginning with Plato, who characterizes human existence as "binary" and "bilateral", and ending with the Christian Word of Saint Paul, which suggests that we seek "the future city"-our home, we approach the feeling of human inadequacy in relation to the metaphysical hope. Mankind-with the aim to achieve ideal goals as a creative motive-adopts a series of attitudes and decisions, capable to influence the course of social and historical evolution. This struggle stems from the human longing to exalt and rise above the world of perceived reality and to walk towards an alternative world, that of metaphysical hope.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.