Cezar,+Raymond

= = =**Virtues in Stoicism and Bushido** =

Stoicism, a school of thought that existed during the Hellenistic period in Greece, is known for its creation of a set of standards in which humans should work towards, coping and dealing with the negative aspects that life inevitably and unfortunately bring upon. These virtues also came to be known as Eupatheiai. This concept is similar to the virtues created by the Japanese for the warrior way of life, Bushido. This ethical code of conduct served as a medium in which honor and loyalty would be in existence and followed by a samurai until he died.

=Stoic Virtues=

Before Stoics could come up with a list of virtues, they had to figure out the root cause of suffering. What had arisen is the theory that passion is an underlying causation of suffering. The Stoics classified passion in four different aspects:


 * 1) Good in the present moment (Pleasure)
 * 2) Good in the future (Desire)
 * 3) Bad in the present moment (Distress)
 * 4) Bad in the future (Fear)

From these four aspects, the Stoics came up with their positive counterparts:


 * 1) Joy
 * 2) Wish
 * 3) Caution
 * 4) N/A

Notice that they did not come up with a counterpart to fear. This is because the Stoics did not believe that if wish, joy, and caution are followed and experienced effectively, then there should be no room for the existence of fear.

=Eupatheiai in Japanese Literature=

Although this is western philosophy, that does not dispel the presence of eupatheia in other cultures. One book that showcases these positive virtues is Yukio Mishima’s //The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea.// The story has wish, joy, and caution all mixed in together to make the novel feel like a western read. However, the virtues that Mishima do present are not fully attributed to resulting in positive situations and outcomes. In doing so, one can pinpoint where the protagonist went wrong, and how he could have and should have handled whatever had happened.

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=Virtues of Bushido= Bushido came into existence in the late twelfth century, during Japan's Golden Age. Bushido is the samurai way of life, and is transliterated as "military knight ways." Unwritten, it is the code of moral principles that drive the samurai to live everyday like he is his dead self, judging his life every step of the way and guiding himself to act in accordance to the way. It comprises seven virtues, which include:

義 - Gi - Rectitude (Right Decisions) 勇 - Yu - Courage 仁 - Jin - Benevolence 礼 - Rei - Respect 誠 - Makoto - Honesty 名誉 - Meiyo – Honor 尽忠 - Chugi - Loyalty

=Bushido in Japanese Literature=

If one takes these virtues of Bushido and applies them to personified characters and characters other than samurai warriors, one can see that these virtues are prevalent in Yukio Mishima’s //The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea.// The story is allegorical and is somewhat historical in its viewpoints and perspectives of each character. However, it is the protagonist, Ryuji, that embodies all of these virtues, although not excelling at all of them.

=References=

[|Bushido: The Seven Virtues]

[|Stoic Philosophy of Mind]