The Stoic’s view on death and dying is heavily influenced by their broader philosophy of living in harmony with nature and reason.
Stoicism holds that death is a natural and inevitable part of life, something that happens to every living being.
For them, death is not something to be feared or resisted; instead, it is something to be accepted.
Since death is beyond our control, the Stoics argue that our resistance to it should not take up too much of our time or cause unnecessary suffering. Instead, they encourage a rational and calm acceptance of death as part of the natural order of the universe.
Simply put, the Stoic view of death is based on acceptance and rational thinking. It is through recognizing death as a natural and inevitable part of life, and avoiding needless suffering in resisting it that the Stoics free themselves from the fear of dying. They also use the acceptance of our mortality to add beauty and enjoyment to the short time we have.
“Death overshadows you. While you’re alive and able—be good.”
– Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, IV, 17
The Stoic Philosophy on Mortality Acceptance
The ancient Stoics believed in accepting life as it is, rather than resisting it and suffering uneccessarily.
Part of this acceptance is the embracing of our mortality as a fundamental part of life.
The Stoics argue that since death is something that happens to all living things, it should be met with acceptance rather than fear or resistance. For the Stoics, death is part of the natural order of the universe, a process that unfolds according to the same principles that govern all of nature. This means that a Stoic learns to see death not as a tragedy or an end, but as a natural transition that is beyond our control.
The existential view within Stoicism means that death doesn’t cause fear and anxiety, it looks at life as a finite thing with a natural end, something which can be oddly comforting. The time we do have seems more valuable and the things we do are more precious to us.
Seneca says:
“Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day… The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.” — Seneca
A daily practice involving the contemplation of death can do a lot to help us overcome our fear and prepare for it. It helps us focus on what matters to us, stripping away the needless and silly things that can clog up our time.
This is the existentialism that resonates with me: finding some meaning and clarify through reminding ourselves of our mortality and finite amount of time.
Below are some things we can think about:
| Stoic Idea | Daily Meditation | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Embracing the natural processes of life and death | Meditation on nature and the cycle of living things | A greater acceptance of life and death and a reduction in fear |
| The acceptance of our mortality | Reminding ourselves that our time is limited | Increased focus on what matters and gratitude for what we have |
Memento Mori:
The practice of “memento mori,” which means “remember you must die,” is a well known Stoic practice which simply has us remind ourselves regularly that one day we will die.
Again, this practice is not intended to create fear but simply to remind us of the impermanence of our lives through thinking about the inevitability of death. This can help us live more fully in the present, help develop gratitude, and make the most of the time we have.
Mortality and Death from Different Stoics
I think it’s worth taking a look at how different Stoics from the ancient world viewed death and mortality. Below are some short accounts of how Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca viewed death.
Marcus Aurelius on Using Death as Motivation
As a Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius often reflected on death in his journals, now collectively published as Meditations.
Aurelius’ approach to death seems to be heavily influenced by the Stoic understanding that everything in the universe is interconnected and follows a natural order.
For Marcus, death is simply a return to nature, a dissolution of the physical body into the elements from which it came. He encourages acceptance of death by reminding himself that life is fleeting and that every living being is destined to die.
He wrote:
Not to live as if you had endless years ahead of you. Death overshadows you. While you’re alive and able—be good.” – Meditations, IV, 17
Marcus Aurelius frequently contemplates the shortness of life. He uses this reminder to prompt himself to live a good life and follow his duty while he still has the time.
Seneca’s Insight on Life’s Transitory Nature
Seneca, a Roman statesman, playwright, and philosopher, offers a more philosophical and at times poetic exploration of death in his essays and letters.
In works like Letters to Lucilius and On the Shortness of Life, Seneca reflects on the nature of life and death, often highlighting the shortness of life and the importance of living wisely and fully.
“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested.” – Seneca, On The Shortness of Life
Seneca’s approach to death is characterized by a focus on the importance of living each day as if it were our last.
He argues that death should be considered a constant companion, a reminder to live virtuously and to make the most of the time available. Seneca also views death as a liberation from the suffering and burdens of life, a natural end that should be embraced rather than feared. He often points out that death is not the end of existence but a transition, a return to the state of non-existence from which we came.
Epictetus and Overcoming the Fear of Death
Epictetus, a former slave who became a Stoic teacher, offers a more practical and direct approach to death (as is his style with all of his teachings).
In his Discourses and Enchiridion, he emphasizes that death is beyond our control and therefore should not be a source of any anxiety. He teaches that the only things within our control are our judgments, desires, and actions. Since death is not something we can control, he argues that it should be accepted with indifference.
I’ve made a quick summary below to help outline the views of each philosopher:
| Philosopher | Concept | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Marcus Aurelius | Death as Motivation | Use death to prioritize life’s values, duty, and actions. |
| Seneca | The Transitory Nature of Life | Live each day as if settling your accounts. Live life fully and waste no time. |
| Epictetus | The Fear of Death | Clarify the difference between what is controllable and uncontrollable to learn how to accept death and remove fear |
Stoicism on Grief
When confronted with the existential weight of loss, unlike other philosophies that may lean towards either overt emotional expression or ascetic suppression, Stoicism has a slightly different take.
Stoicism does not advocate for the complete suppression of grief. Instead, it encourages what can be called “appropriate grief”—a response that acknowledges the loss without allowing it to overwhelm our ability to reason.
Stoicism recognizes that it is natural to feel sadness when a loved one dies or when we experience other significant losses. However, they also believe that these feelings should be kept in proportion and should not lead to full despair or a loss of self-control.
Seneca wrote extensively about grief in his letters and essays. He acknowledged that grief is a natural human emotion, but he cautioned against allowing it to turn into chronic mourning or excessive emotional turmoil.
Seneca advised that after a period of initial mourning, one should return to the duties and responsibilities of life, focusing on the Stoic core of living in accordance with virtue and reason.
Stoicism and How to Die Well
The pursuit of dying well goes all the way back to Socrates, who believed that the pursuit of philosophy was part of a process in which a person could learn to die well. By well we mean at ease, without resistance, and content.
Stoicism contains a number of different practices to help us face death well:
- Focusing on what we can and can’t control – Epictetus was a champion of the dichotomy of control often seen in Stoicism. He believed that we can rid ourselves of stress, anxiety and other negative emotion through the simple act of accepting what we can’t control and taking responsibility for what we can. Death is something we can’t control and, learning to accept it, dissolves it’s power over our wellbeing.
- Practicing detachment – In Stoicism there is a practice of a form of detachment from external things, including life itself. This doesn’t mean they don’t value life, but rather that they seek to avoid becoming overly attached to it.
- Returning to nature – Stoics often view death as a return to the natural elements from which they came. Marcus Aurelius, for example, reflects on death as a process of returning to the universe, where the body dissolves into the elements and the soul merges with the cosmic order. This perspective helps Stoics to see death not as an end, but as a continuation of the natural cycle.
- Rational thought – Stoicism teaches it’s followers to approach all things, death included, with a calm and reasoned mindset. This means accepting the reality of death without panic or despair, and facing it by seeing it for what it is and not letting it cause unnecessary panic or negative emotion.
“He who fears death will never do anything worth of a man who is alive.” – Seneca
Conclusion
To end, Stoicism is a philosophy that contains a few different things:
- An effort to accept nature and the laws which guide the universe
- A effort to remain rational and composed in the face of hardship – this is achieved through changing the way we think about thing like control, mortality, nature, and emotions.
- An acceptance of our limited time and the constant reminder that one day we will die.
There are more but these are some of the important ones. All of this, when combined, means that Stoicism helps us accept death as a natural, inevitable, part of life that we can do nothing about when it comes for us.
While we can let this cause panic and suffering, we can also see it in a Stoic way, accept it, and let the acceptance of our limited time create a greater sense of gratitude, mindfulness, duty, and the pursuit of a good life.
