Andrew Fildes
afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On 06/01/2008, at 7:53 PM, Winsor Crosby wrote:
> And yet Epictetus did. ""Where is the good? In the will. Where is the
> evil? In the will. Where is neither of them? In those things which are
> independent of the will."
Was he saying that 'evil' is the polar opposite of good, or the Good,
or....
And what word was used for evil - at present I'm trying to unpack the
problems caused by the two meanings of ethos, depending on whether it
a long or short 'e'. Critical to Aristotle.
>
> I did not mention any nice folk or discuss the morality of their
> actions. You are making my argument for nihilism, I think.
'Nice' was ironic. Aristotle claimed that everyone is trying to do
the right thing. problem is that they all have a unique view of right
- Hitler thought he was right.
> Well so do the other characters have a sense of what is right.
> Motivation alone does not determine morality. And the path talk.
> Please. That is such a common movie cliche from the Buddha connection
> in Kung Fu movies to wise Indian speech in American westerns, to jump
> on stoicism is a great leap of faith. :-)
>
Yes, so? Never claimed that motivation did determine morality - let
alone an ethos.
Path - never mentioned one. These people aren't on a path although
they are part of a continuum. Chigirh want completion, which is
unavailable.
> Another quote that better describes, in my opinion, our serial killer:
> in regards to those who lack Stoic virtue; Cleanthes once opined that
> the wicked man is "like a dog tied to a cart, and compelled to go
> wherever it goes." Chigurh's cart obviously has a bunch of hard
> little rules obviously tied to an easily bruised ego that demands
> satisfaction and which probably give some temporary stability, but I
> hardly think that constitutes a stoic philosophy.
>
The Stoics (Roman) claimed that we are ALL like a dog tied to a cart.
Fight it and you get dragged - co-operate by keeping up and you will
get enough slack to move around. It's a compelling image. Chigurh is
not easily bruised but is puzzled by the moralities of others.
>
> I agree that the sheriff is the only character with a strong moral
> sense and I could go along that he had a stoic approach to life but he
> was not a victor in the stoic way of looking at things. He is greatly
> troubled at the end in his retirement. As Mr. Bertrand Russell said, "
> A Stoic of virtue, by contrast, would amend his will to suit the world
> and remain, in the words of Epictetus, "sick and yet happy, in peril
> and yet happy, dying and yet happy, in exile and happy, in disgrace
> and happy." Sheriff's not happy. His philosophy is not enough for the
> world and has to retire from it.
>
I think Sheriff Tom Bell is exactly that. He is unhappy about the
outcomes but accepts them honourably as a Stoic should. He has
amended his will in that he has retire from the fray and will not
further involve himself. The cliché would require him to spend the
rest of his days hunting down Chigurh.
> I still think it is nihilism, but I realize I am way over my head
> here. So whatever you say.
>
Stop changing the subject! We are all treading water.
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