BETWEEN GODS AND HUMANS:
STOIC APATHEIA AND KANTIAN METRIOPATHY
Keywords:
Stoicism, Kant, Aphaty, Metriopathy, PassionsAbstract
This essay examines the concept of ἀπάθεια (apatheia) in Stoicism, focusing on Zeno of Citium, and contrasts it with Kant’s approach to passions and inclinations. Initially, it analyzes the Stoic conception of apatheia as the absence of disturbing passions, highlighting how virtue, in this context, is seen as a state of freedom from passions, oriented towards a self-mastery that aspires to divine perfection. Next, it introduces Kant's critique, which, while acknowledging the value of discipline over inclinations, rejects the idea of their complete eradication, advocating instead for metriopathy (moderation) that aligns emotions with reason. Kant proposes a moral apathy that subordinates inclinations to duty without entirely extinguishing them. The analysis concludes that while the Stoics advocate for absolute emotional insensitivity, Kant values rational control over inclinations, guiding them towards moral action.
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