Thomas Carlyle and Stoicism

Abstract

Recent studies have pointed to the importance of Thomas Carlyle’s engagement with classical thought, especially Epicureanism and Cynicism. However, in these recent studies, Carlyle’s debts to Stoicism have received only passing attention. Previous scholars hardly considered the question at all, and those who did argued that Carlyle could never have accepted the passive withdrawal and indifference of the Stoics. By way of corrective, the current article offers a comprehensive account of Carlyle’s engagement with Stoicism, showing that he subscribed to an active interpretation of the latter that emphasized will, duty, and heroic action. Indeed, contemporaries were well aware of Carlyle’s debts to Stoicism, pointing out that his thought stood in stark contradiction to Christian doctrines of original sin. Thus, while Carlyle’s Stoicism was compatible with his hereditary Calvinism insofar as divine providence and duty were concerned, there was a significant contradiction regarding the question of sin. In this sense, Carlyle’s Stoicism made an important contribution to the ‘meliorist’ revolt against orthodox Christianity.

Interactive Effects of Stoicism and Religious Coping on Psychological Distress, Fatigue and Intercultural Communication: Muslim Health Workers in Bali

“…The same happened in pandemic times; the health workers with Stoic personality features overcome the psychological distress of being infected; in turn, they remained firm and enthusiastic about saving their people from a deadly virus, which is evident from Bali's low Covid-19 death rates (Katipana et al, 2021). Moreover, results also found a negative and significant association between stoicism with physical fatigue, reflecting that Stoic belief can suppress feelings of stress, tiredness, and exertion (Jordan, 2020). Stoicism motivates individuals to fight and survive any situation, turning tiredness into feelings of achievement and accomplishment.…”

“…Studies show that an unfit and unhealthy person can easily get tired and feel fatigued, but training the body through proper exercise can increase the body's endurance and ability to overcome the physical challenges of an illness (Al et al, 2006;Maman et al, 2020). Literature supports that Stoic belief in all human actions focused on acquiring happiness, which can eliminate feelings of displeasure, stress, and tiredness in an individual (Jordan, 2020). Therefore, this study argues that stoicism can reduce health workers' fatigue by providing them with a sense of accomplishment in their work and motivation for physical exertion amid challenging times of Covid-19.…”