Sisyphus, Stoicism, and Religion

In this week's edition, we embark on a journey to explore the realms of philosophical thought and perspective. From the myth of Sisyphus and the futility of life, to the teachings of stoic philosopher Epictetus, we delve into the profound depths of the human mind and the wisdom of centuries past and present. We also examine the relationship between religion and philosophy, challenging the notion that they are mutually exclusive. Join us as we navigate these thought-provoking topics and encourage personal growth and self-reflection.

Sisyphus, the cheater of death

Sisyphus is a mythic character, a man who cheated death several times and gained immortality, punished ultimately by being forced to roll a boulder up a hill- only to have the boulder fall all the way to the base again without ever being able to pass the peak of the mountain and finishing the task.

The myth itself is supposed to be a commentary on the general futility of life, how one goes throughout life rolling metaphorical boulders up hills only to have it come back down and to have to roll it up again, without ever getting past the peak. Some see this as a literal fact: We live our lives in cycles, and the process of rolling the boulder up the hill is one of them. Others see it as a metaphor: That although you do as a person get that boulder over the peak, your human desire wants more. One of the easier comparisons to make is that Sisyphus is akin to a body builder that gets the physique he wanted at the start, but then realizes that the physique he earns through training isn’t enough, that he has to train more. The moment he says, “I have to train more to get an even better physique”, the metaphorical boulder has landed at the base again. The same could be said for artists, honing their craft - or businessmen, starting up new companies with the money they made from the other and repeating the process over and over again. The end goal isn’t necessarily to discourage you from doing anything, but just to inform you of the nature of life. One quote I see passed around the internet is,

This myth, or philosophical idea of endless repetition of futile tasks has made itself a home on the internet, while sometimes used in an ironic setting to paint something doing a futile task, such as that video of a raccoon trying to clean cotton candy in a puddle of water, only to have it vanish right before his eyes. While the irony and “memes” that have sprung about based around this philosophical concept of repetition are exceptionally hilarious, I find it more interesting to see how people have reacted to the Sisyphean jokes, how they have internalized the teaching of this philosophy in their day to day life.

Whether than react in the same way many reacted in the past upon hearing the story, with horror and uneasiness, people have taken the story and embraced it. I think that is one of the good things about the culture we share on the internet and as a modern world as a whole. We have learned to accept these crucial details about life without batting an eye. “Sure, everything is futile,” we say, “It just means we have to cherish it more.”

Epictetus, the stoic philosopher

One of the common misconceptions I see around the internet is an interpretation of the stoic philosophy to be this idea that one simply becomes unemotive, and stops caring about everything around them and finds inner peace with nothing but themselves in mind. This idea is inherently wrong, and a twisted game of telephone from the original message of stoicism.

Epictetus, the founder of this specific school of thought, never taught to be emotionless - rather, in a crude summary of his work, taught us to not allow things which we have no control over to dictate our actions. Being emotive, crying, laughing, showing emotion in any other type of way isn’t the ideal condition of stoicism, but rather to cry and still work, to smile and still do what’s required of you without getting carried away in that emotion. It aims to teach you not to banish your emotion, but rather not let it control who you are.

Religion & Philosophy, two coins or one?

One of the biggest debates I hear surrounding Philosophy is its relation to Religion. I feel as though this is partly due to how many people are introduced to philosophy. Oftentimes, people who convert from their religion to a secularism decide to embrace philosophy in order to understand the world around them without the lens of their previous religion.

There are many perspectives on the relationships of Religion and Philosophy, though there are really two core stances on this relationship that I see more frequently than others.

The first emphasizes that philosophy and religion are not at all communicable, that it is either one or the other. Logically, this thought is innately flawed - both philosophically and religiously. Philosophically it is flawed because it draws an absolute where it bars the interaction between two concepts, which- quite frankly, are constantly overlapping. Philosophy and Religion both overlap when answering certain questions, such as Existentialist or Creationist questions. Philosophers and Religious teachers both ask the same questions, “Who are we, Where are we, and What are we supposed to do”. Now, it’s needless to say that this isn’t all that Philosophy does ask - it asks much more than that. The same can be said, however, for Religion. It answers more confidently that which Philosophy cannot answer - namely the specifics of God and who, what, where, and why God (as a concept) may be.

The second stance I see many take is that they are mutual aiders, that you can survive with one or the other, however that understanding of Philosophy as a broad and specific concept can elevate one’s faith in their respective God(s), and that the relationship extends reciprocally - That one can understand Philosophy better by studying Religion. I find this, personally, to be my stance on the relationship between the two. I have studied both Religion and Philosophy during times of my life where I only really needed one or the other, but it has made me more critical of what I read both religiously and philosophically.

People often find themselves shy of a second perspective on their core beliefs. I find, however, that those that allow their core beliefs to be examined and criticized by many lenses of various Religions and Philosophies tend to develop their beliefs more foundationally sound. There is no reason to hold onto a belief you cannot defend logically or faithfully - What is the point of a core belief if not to strengthen you as an individual? If you cannot criticize it lest it fall apart, it is incapable of being used as it is meant to be.

I think as an individual it is always important to remember that Religion and Philosophy are inevitably interwoven with one another. Many philosophical texts are not written secularly, but rather written by a Religious individual who has delved into philosophy in order to strengthen their belief.

Go out and live

As I ended my last newsletter, I will end this one as well, with a call to action - a demand for you to become a better person than you were before you read this.

If you have been feeling distanced from someone who wish to be closer with, reach out to them and ask them how they’re doing, ask what you can do for them and be of service.

Thank you all for reading this week’s letter, I hope to catch your attention next week. Grow wiser, grow stronger. Goodbye.

fun fact: I love photography, I often go out and take photos while doing urban exploration. If you love photography, I recommend Photosnack.

One of the greatest ways to make art is to first be inspired.