Ideas from 'fragments/reports' by Chrysippus [240 BCE], by Theme Structure
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1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 1. Nature of Wisdom
9199
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Wisdom for one instant is as good as wisdom for eternity
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1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 2. Wise People
20853
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Wise men should try to participate in politics, since they are a good influence [Diog. Laertius]
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1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 4. Divisions of Philosophy
20772
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Three branches of philosophy: first logic, second ethics, third physics (which ends with theology)
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2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 2. Sufficient Reason
5969
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Chrysippus said the uncaused is non-existent [Plutarch]
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3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 10. Making Future Truths
21388
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The causes of future true events must exist now, so they will happen because of destiny [Cicero]
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3. Truth / C. Correspondence Truth / 2. Correspondence to Facts
20780
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Graspable presentations are criteria of facts, and are molded according to their objects [Diog. Laertius]
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3. Truth / C. Correspondence Truth / 3. Correspondence Truth critique
20793
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How could you ever know that the presentation is similar to the object? [Sext.Empiricus]
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4. Formal Logic / B. Propositional Logic PL / 1. Propositional Logic
8077
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Stoic propositional logic is like chemistry - how atoms make molecules, not the innards of atoms [Devlin]
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4. Formal Logic / B. Propositional Logic PL / 2. Tools of Propositional Logic / e. Axioms of PL
20791
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Chrysippus has five obvious 'indemonstrables' of reasoning [Diog. Laertius]
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5. Theory of Logic / B. Logical Consequence / 5. Modus Ponens
8078
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Modus ponens is one of five inference rules identified by the Stoics [Devlin]
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5. Theory of Logic / D. Assumptions for Logic / 2. Excluded Middle
6023
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Every proposition is either true or false [Cicero]
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7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 6. Criterion for Existence
5992
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Chrysippus says action is the criterion for existence, which must be physical [Tieleman]
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7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 8. Facts / b. Types of fact
21673
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There are simple and complex facts; the latter depend on further facts [Cicero]
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7. Existence / E. Categories / 3. Proposed Categories
16652
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Stoics categories are Substrate, Quality, Disposition, and Relation [Pasnau]
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9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 3. Unity Problems / b. Cat and its tail
16058
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Dion and Theon coexist, but Theon lacks a foot. If Dion loses a foot, he ousts Theon? [Philo of Alexandria]
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9. Objects / E. Objects over Time / 2. Objects that Change
16059
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Change of matter doesn't destroy identity - in Dion and Theon change is a condition of identity [Long/Sedley]
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15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 7. Animal Minds
1875
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Dogs show reason in decisions made by elimination [Sext.Empiricus]
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16. Persons / F. Free Will / 4. For Free Will
20834
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Chrysippus allows evil to say it is fated, or even that it is rational and natural [Plutarch]
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16. Persons / F. Free Will / 5. Against Free Will
20833
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A swerve in the atoms would be unnatural, like scales settling differently for no reason [Plutarch]
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16. Persons / F. Free Will / 6. Determinism / a. Determinism
20808
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Everything is fated, either by continuous causes or by a supreme rational principle [Diog. Laertius]
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20835
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Chrysippus is wrong to believe in non-occurring future possibilities if he is a fatalist [Plutarch]
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16. Persons / F. Free Will / 6. Determinism / b. Fate
20836
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The Lazy Argument responds to fate with 'why bother?', but the bothering is also fated [Cicero]
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21679
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When we say events are fated by antecedent causes, do we mean principal or auxiliary causes?
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20837
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Fate is an eternal and fixed chain of causal events
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16. Persons / F. Free Will / 7. Compatibilism
5971
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Destiny is only a predisposing cause, not a sufficient cause [Plutarch]
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19. Language / D. Propositions / 1. Propositions
20787
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A proposition is what can be asserted or denied on its own
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20. Action / B. Preliminaries of Action / 2. Willed Action / d. Weakness of will
20850
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Passions are judgements; greed thinks money is honorable, and likewise drinking and lust [Diog. Laertius]
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20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 5. Action Dilemmas / c. Omissions
20869
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The highest degree of morality performs all that is appropriate, omitting nothing
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21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 7. Art and Morality
3044
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Stoics say that beauty and goodness are equivalent and linked [Diog. Laertius]
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22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / g. Moral responsibility
20838
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Fate initiates general causes, but individual wills and characters dictate what we do
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22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / e. Human nature
20813
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Human purpose is to contemplate and imitate the cosmos
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22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / j. Ethics by convention
3045
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Stoics say justice is a part of nature, not just an invented principle [Diog. Laertius]
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22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / k. Ethics from nature
20774
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Only nature is available to guide action and virtue
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22. Metaethics / B. Value / 1. Nature of Value / f. Ultimate value
20864
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Live in agreement, according to experience of natural events
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22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / d. Good as virtue
5972
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Living happily is nothing but living virtuously [Plutarch]
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22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / f. Good as pleasure
1777
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Pleasure is not the good, because there are disgraceful pleasures [Diog. Laertius]
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5973
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Justice can be preserved if pleasure is a good, but not if it is the goal [Plutarch]
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22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 3. Pleasure / c. Value of pleasure
20845
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There are shameful pleasures, and nothing shameful is good, so pleasure is not a good [Diog. Laertius]
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23. Ethics / A. Egoism / 2. Hedonism
5967
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People need nothing except corn and water [Plutarch]
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23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / a. Nature of virtue
5966
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All virtue is good, but not always praised (as in not lusting after someone ugly)
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23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / b. Basis of virtue
20855
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Chrysippus says virtue can be lost (though Cleanthes says it is too secure for that) [Diog. Laertius]
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5970
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Chrysippus says nothing is blameworthy, as everything conforms with the best nature [Plutarch]
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24. Political Theory / A. Basis of a State / 1. A People / b. The natural life
20842
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Rational animals begin uncorrupted, but externals and companions are bad influences [Diog. Laertius]
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25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 2. The Law / c. Natural law
20856
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Justice, the law, and right reason are natural and not conventional [Diog. Laertius]
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25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 6. Animal Rights
1779
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We don't have obligations to animals as they aren't like us [Diog. Laertius]
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20857
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Justice is irrelevant to animals, because they are too unlike us [Diog. Laertius]
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26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 2. Natural Purpose / a. Final purpose
20812
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Covers are for shields, and sheaths for swords; likewise, all in the cosmos is for some other thing
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26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / f. Ancient elements
21403
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The later Stoics identified the logos with an air-fire compound, called 'pneuma' [Long]
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20828
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Fire is a separate element, not formed with others (as was previously believed) [Stobaeus]
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5975
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Stoics say earth, air, fire and water are the primary elements [Plutarch]
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27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 1. Nature of Time / h. Presentism
20819
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The past and the future subsist, but only the present exists [Plutarch]
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27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 3. Parts of Time / e. Present moment
20818
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The present does not exist, so our immediate experience is actually part past and part future [Plutarch]
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20821
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Time is continous and infinitely divisible, so there cannot be a wholly present time [Stobaeus]
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28. God / A. Divine Nature / 3. Divine Perfections
3048
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Stoics say that God the creator is the perfection of all animals [Diog. Laertius]
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28. God / A. Divine Nature / 6. Divine Morality / a. Divine morality
20773
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The origin of justice can only be in Zeus, and in nature
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28. God / A. Divine Nature / 6. Divine Morality / d. God decrees morality
3042
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Stoics teach that law is identical with right reason, which is the will of Zeus [Diog. Laertius]
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5965
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The source of all justice is Zeus and the universal nature
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29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 1. Monotheistic Religion
1782
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Stoics teach that God is a unity, variously known as Mind, or Fate, or Jupiter [Diog. Laertius]
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29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 2. Immortality / b. Soul
20830
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Death can't separate soul from body, because incorporeal soul can't unite with body
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29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 3. Problem of Evil / d. Natural Evil
21404
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There is a rationale in terrible disasters; they are useful to the whole, and make good possible
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