Diogenes Laërtius · fl. 3rd century CE
Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.116 — Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
Translation by R. D. Hicks (1925)
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.116
Reported speech · Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
Also they say that there are three emotional states which are good, namely, joy, caution, and wishing. Joy, the counterpart of pleasure, is rational elation; caution, the counterpart of fear, rational avoidance; for though the wise man will never feel fear, he will yet use caution. And they make wishing the counterpart of desire (or craving), inasmuch as it is rational appetency. And accordingly, as under the primary passions are classed certain others subordinate to them, so too is it with the primary eupathies or good emotional states. Thus under wishing they bring well-wishing or benevolence, friendliness, respect, affection; under caution, reverence and modesty; under joy, delight, mirth, cheerfulness.
Cite this passage
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.116 (on the Stoics), tr. R. D. Hicks (1925)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/lives-of-the-stoics/7.116
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII, tr. R. D. Hicks (Loeb, 1925). Text: Perseus Digital Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesStoics do not reject all emotion. Three good emotional states are joy (reasoned elation), caution (reasoned avoidance, in place of fear) and wishing (reasoned desire). Kindness, respect and affection come under wishing, reverence under caution, and cheerfulness under joy.
Older wording
- “eupathies”
- — good emotional states, the healthy counterparts of passions
- “wishing”
- — a reasoned wanting of what is truly good
- “benevolence”
- — good will toward others
Themes and situations
- Emotions and the passions
- Virtue and character
- Peace of mind
- Fear and anxiety
- Anxiety about the future
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