The philosophy of Stoicism - Massimo Pigliucci

Filozofija stoicizma - Masimo Piljuči (Massimo Pigliucci)

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

You've been stranded thousands of miles from home

Nasukani ste hiljadama kilometara daleko od kuće

with no money or possessions.

bez novca ili imovine.

Such a predicament would make many people despair and curse their awful fate.

Slična neprilika bi mnoge učinila očajnim i zbog nje bi proklinjali užasnu sudbinu.

But for Zeno of Cyprus, it became the foundation of his life's work and legacy.

Ali za Zenona kiparskog, to je postalo temelj njegovog života i zaveštanja.

The once wealthy merchant lost everything when he was shipwrecked in Athens

Nekada imućni trgovac je sve izgubio kada je doživeo brodolom u Atini

around 300 BCE.

oko 300 p.n.e.

With not much else to do, he wandered into a book shop,

Kako nije imao pametnijeg posla, odlutao je u knjižaru,

became intrigued by reading about Socrates,

postao zaintrigiran čitanjem o Sokratu

and proceeded to seek out and study with the city's noted philosophers.

i zaputio se da traga i izučava kod čuvenih gradskih filozofa.

As Zeno began educating his own students,

Kada je Zenon počeo da podučava sopstvene đake,

he originated the philosophy known as Stoicism,

stvorio je filozofiju poznatu kao stoicizam,

whose teachings of virtue, tolerance, and self-control

čija su učenja o vrlini, toleranciji i samokontroli

have inspired generations of thinkers and leaders.

inspirisala generacije mislilaca i vođa.

The name Stoicism comes from the Stoa Poikile,

Naziv stoicizam potiče od Stoa Poikile,

the decorated public colonnade

dekorisanih javnih kolonada

where Zeno and his disciples gathered for discussion.

gde su se Zenon i njegovi učenici okupljali radi rasprava.

Today, we colloquially use the word stoic

Danas, kolokvijalno upotrebljavamo reč stoik

to mean someone who remains calm under pressure

podrazumevajući nekoga ko ostaje smiren pod pritiskom

and avoids emotional extremes.

i ko izbegava ekstremne emocije.

But while this captures important aspects of Stoicism,

Međutim, iako ovo obuhvata važne aspekte stoicizma,

the original philosophy was more than just an attitude.

prvobitna filozofija je bila više od pukog stava.

The Stoics believed that everything around us

Stoici su verovali da se sve oko nas

operates according to a web of cause and effect,

odvija prema mreži uzroka i posledica,

resulting in a rational structure of the universe,

što dovodi do racionalno struktuiranog univerzuma

which they called logos.

koga su nazivali logosom.

And while we may not always have control over the events affecting us,

I, iako možda nemamo uvek kontrolu nad događajima koji utiču na nas,

we can have control over how we approach things.

možemo da imamo kontrolu nad time kako pristupamo stvarima.

Rather than imagining an ideal society,

Umesto zamišljanja idealnog društva,

the Stoic tries to deal with the world as it is

stoik pokušava da se bavi svetom kakav jeste,

while pursuing self-improvement through four cardinal virtues:

dok traga za samounapređenjem kroz četiri glavne vrline:

practical wisdom,

praktičnu mudrost,

the ability to navigate complex situations in a logical, informed, and calm manner;

mogućnost snalaženja u složenim situacijama

na logičan, informisan i smiren način;

temperance,

umerenost,

the exercise of self-restraint and moderation in all aspects of life;

vežbanje samoobuzdavanja i skromnosti u svim aspektima života;

justice,

pravednost,

treating others with fairness even when they have done wrong;

tretiranje drugih pošteno čak i kada su zgrešili;

and courage,

i hrabrost,

not just in extraordinary circumstances,

ne samo u izvanrednim okolnostima,

but facing daily challenges with clarity and integrity.

već i tokom suočavanja sa svakidašnjim izazovima s jasnoćom i integritetom.

As Seneca, one of the most famous Roman Stoics wrote,

Kako je napisao Seneka, jedan od najčuvenijih rimskih stoika:

"Sometimes, even to live is an act of courage."

"Ponekad je i samo postojanje čin hrabrosti."

But while Stoicism focuses on personal improvement,

Ali, iako se stoicizam usredsređuje na lični napredak,

it's not a self-centered philosophy.

ne radi se o filozofiji samoobuzetosti.

At a time when Roman laws considered slaves as property,

U vreme kada su rimski zakoni smatrali robove vlasništvom,

Seneca called for their humane treatment

Seneka je pozivao da se humano odnose prema njima

and stressed that we all share the same fundamental humanity.

i naglašavao je da svi delimo istu temeljnu čovečnost.

Nor does Stoicism encourage passivity.

Stoicizam takođe ne ohrabruje pasivnost.

The idea is that only people who have cultivated

Zamisao je da samo oni ljudi koji su ovladali

virtue and self-control in themselves can bring positive change in others.

vrlinom i samokontrolom u sebi samima mogu da donesu pozitivne promene u drugima.

One of the most famous Stoic writers was also one of Rome's greatest emperors.

Jedan od najčuvenijih pisaca stoika je bio i jedan od najvećih rimskih careva.

Over the course of his 19-year reign,

Tokom 19 godina vladavine,

Stoicism gave Marcus Aurelius the resolve to lead the Empire through two major wars,

stoicizam je pružio Marku Aureliju

odlučnost da vodi Carstvo kroz dva velika rata,

while dealing with the loss of many of his children.

dok se borio sa gubitkom velikog broja sopstvene dece.

Centuries later, Marcus's journals would guide and comfort Nelson Mandela

Vekovima kasnije, Markovi dnevnici će da vode i budu uteha Nelsonu Mandeli

through his 27-year imprisonment

tokom njegovog 27-ogodišnjeg utamničenja

during his struggle for racial equality in South Africa.

tokom njegove borbe za rasnu jednakost u Južnoj Africi.

After his release and eventual victory, Mandela stressed peace and reconciliation,

Nakon izlaska na slobodu i kasnije pobede, Mandela se zalagao za mir i pomirenost,

believing that while the injustices of the past couldn't be changed,

verujući da iako se nepravde iz prošlosti ne mogu promeniti,

his people could confront them in the present

njegovi ljudi mogu da im se suprotstave u sadašnjosti

and seek to build a better, more just future.

i da teže izgradnji bolje, pravednije budućnosti.

Stoicism was an active school of philosophy for several centuries

Stoicizam je nekoliko vekova bio aktivna škola filozofije

in Greece and Rome.

u Grčkoj i Rimu.

As a formal institution, it faded away,

Nestala je kao formalna institucija,

but its influence has continued to this day.

ali je njen uticaj opstao do danas.

Christian theologians, such as Thomas Aquinas,

Hrišćanski teolozi, poput Tome Akvinskog,

have admired and adopted its focus on the virtues,

divili su se stoicizmu i usvojili su njegovu usredsređenost na vrline,

and there are parallels between Stoic Ataraxia, or tranquility of mind,

a postoje paralele između stoičke ataraksije, to jest spokoja uma,

and the Buddhist concept of Nirvana.

i budističkog koncepta nirvane.

One particularly influential Stoic was the philosopher Epictetus

Jedan naročito uticajan stoik je bio filozof Epiktet

who wrote that suffering stems

koji je napisao da patnja potiče

not from the events in our lives, but from our judgements about them.

ne iz događaja iz naših života, već iz naših sudova o njima.

This has resonated strongly with modern psychology

Ovo je imalo snažan odjek na savremenu psihologiju

and the self-help movement.

i pokret samopomoći.

For example, rational emotive behavioral therapy

Na primer, racionalno emotivna bihevioralna terapija

focuses on changing the self-defeating attitudes

se usredsređuje na menjanje samoporažavajućih stavova

people form about their life circumstances.

koje ljudi formiraju o svojim životnim okolnostima.

There's also Viktor Frankl's logotherapy.

Imamo takođe logoterapiju Viktora Frankla.

Informed by Frankl's own time as a concentration camp prisoner,

Potkrepljena Franklovim iskustvom zatvorenika u koncentracionom logoru,

logotherapy is based on the Stoic principle

logoterapija se zasniva na principu stoika

that we can harness our will power to fill our lives with meaning,

da možemo da upregnemo našu snagu volje kako bismo ispunili život smislom,

even in the bleakest situations.

čak i u najbeznadežnijim situacijama.