Townsend Lecture III. The Resilience of the Wisdom of the Stoic Sage

Name: Townsend Lecture III. The Resilience of the Wisdom of the Stoic Sage
Start: 2026-11-18T21:30:00+00:00
Location: Goldwin Smith Hall G22

Make a free account to save this and get a reminder before it starts.Sign up

When: Wednesday, November 18, 20264:30 PM ESTAdd to calendar Google Calendar
Where: Goldwin Smith Hall G22232 East Ave, Central CampusOpen in Maps

Reminders arrive as notifications from the NextToU iPhone app. Get the app

Academic & Study

About

The Stoics famously maintain that the sage's wisdom is secure, unwavering, and impervious to rational refutation. But can even the sage's understanding survive the vicissitudes of human life? What happens to wisdom during sleep, illness, drunkenness, or mental disturbance? This lecture explores the Stoic conception of cognitive stability, focusing on the disagreement between Cleanthes and Chrysippus over whether virtue and wisdom can ever be lost. I examine the distinction between possessing and exercising understanding, and ask whether Stoic wisdom is genuinely immune to erosion or instead possesses a distinctive capacity for resilience. I argue that the Stoic position is deeply connected to and offers a revealing contrast with Plato's emphasis on the continuous maintenance and renewal of understanding.

Reception to follow.

Townsend Lecture I. The Dynamic Structure of Understanding in Plato

Townsend Lecture II. Meletē and the Good Life in the Phaedo

Open the original listing

This event is organized by its host, not by NextToU. Details come from a public Cornell event listing and may change — check the original event for the latest information.