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Articles

Stoics in Need of Anger Management

David Ashton finds that the Stoic view of anger needs updating.

Stoics have a well-known aversion to strong emotions, but anger seems to fill them with a particular dread. Seneca, one of the best-remembered Stoics of ancient Rome famously described anger as ‘a form of madness’. Hence Stoics’ best response to anger is always couched in terms of control: they talk of ‘taming’, ‘domesticating’, or ‘modulating’ anger. Seneca went further:

“We shouldn't control anger, but destroy it entirely – for what ‘control’ is there for a thing that’s fundamentally wicked?”

Stoics are not alone in their aversion to anger. Society in general takes a dim view of it, which is why anger management has become such a thriving industry.

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