Stoiķu teorija par vērtībām

The study focuses on issues like what value theory did the ancient Stoics have, what is its most well-known way of application, and how contemporary Stoics interpret it. Conclusions of the study in brief: the Stoic theory of values can be expressed in a single phrase: “we pronounce Moral Worth to be the sole good” (Cicero, 1914, p. 277 [III.58]). From this, the Stoics deduce what is valuable, what is harmful, and what is indifferent, that is, what does not apply to the valuable or harmful to it. Contemporary Stoics essentially accept this hierarchy of values but develop more precise explanations so that they do not sound foreign to today's reader, for example, in relation to the “indifferents”. Epictetus is considered to be the popularizer of the most famous and widespread interpretation of how to apply the value theory of Stoicism – by using a formula “what is in our power and what is not” (Epiktēts, 1991, 130. lpp. [I]). This formula is still widely used today (including various self-help advice outside of Stoicism), although it needs to be applied with caution to preserve its Stoic flavor.