[MUSIC] Let's recall what Diogenes Laertius tells us about the Stoic telos. "The goal of life is to live consistently with nature. That is, according to one's own nature and that of the universe, doing nothing which is forbidden by the common law, which is right reason, penetrating all things, which is the same as Zeus, who is the leader of the administration of things. And this itself is the virtue of the happy person. And a smooth flow of life, whenever all things are done according to the harmony of the daimon in each of us with the will of the administrator of the universe." So far we've seen what's involved in living according to our own nature. That amounts basically to living virtuously by using our reason to make correct decisions about what to do. Now our task is to see what's involved in living according to the nature of the universe. Here it will be helpful to make a distinction between the appropriate, or kathekon, action the virtuous person performs and the objective or goal of that action. For example, health and safety are goals we naturally pursue in our actions. Even though the virtuous person will sometimes risk her health or safety rather than promote it. For example, if courage requires standing her ground in face of the enemy she will typically perform actions that have health and safety as their goal. For example, it is appropriate kathekon to step out of the path of an oncoming bus for this saves us from injury or death, and it is appropriate to brush and floss your teeth daily, for this promotes dental health. Very roughly we live in agreement with our own rational nature by performing the actions that are appropriate. We live in agreement with the nature of the universe by having the appropriate attitude to the goals or objectives of those actions. The first kind of agreement we've already discussed; when you decide correctly that taking the healthy course of action is appropriate, that is for example you brush and floss your teeth rather than neglecting them, you are reasoning well. You are deciding to do what God would agree is the right thing for you to do. So this is in a way already to be in agreement with divine reason. But knowing the right thing for you to do does not exhaust the scope of divine reason. Recall that this reason arranges every detail of the universe, including whether your regime of dental hygiene will succeed in keeping your teeth healthy and intact throughout your life. And more generally, whether the various actions you quite properly take to promote your life and your health, including running from attacking dogs and stepping out of the path of oncoming buses, whether these will be successful in realizing their goals. More generally the divine reason that structures the universe determines whether you will get the objectives that you aim at in your actions. Whether you will live to a healthy old age with all your teeth intact, or whether you will contract a terrible disease or injury that will cut short your life. Whether you will have enough money to live comfortably, or whether you will fall into poverty. Whether your children will prosper, or whether they will die in infancy. While the stoic God is in control of all these details, our control is much more limited. Within our sphere of influence is only what we do. Whether we take care of our teeth or take care of our children. It is out of control whether, in spite of our best efforts, our actions might still fail to achieve their objectives. With this gap between the scope of human and divine reason in mind, we can identify an additional dimension in which you as a rational human agent can be in harmony with the will of the administrator of the universe. Suppose you've been conscientious in taking care of your health, but nonetheless you contract a debilitating degenerative disease. Or suppose you've nurtured your children carefully, but they die in an epidemic. What attitude should you take to these outcomes of your endeavors? You aimed at health, but ended up with disease. You organized your life around caring for your children, but you end up bereft and childless. There are two different attitudes you can take here. One is to be disappointed, upset, aggrieved. The other is to say something like I guess that was not meant to be. That's not what God had in store for me. The stoic position is that you should take the second route. If you recognize these failures to achieve what you aimed at as elements in the divine plan for the universe as part of the larger nature of things, and you accept them without complaint or distress, then you are keeping your will in harmony with that of the divine reason that governs the universe. You are not demanding or expecting more than what the nature of the universe is granting you. You are not complaining about the way it is managing the affairs of the world. You are completely in sync with what the universe is giving you, and you are acknowledging it as part of the wise management of the cosmos. Your life is flowing smoothly, and that you are never getting less than you expect, even if you do fail to get what you aimed at in your actions. As the Roman stoic Epictetus advises us, "seek not to have things turn out as you wish, but rather wish for everything to happen as it does, and then your life will flow smoothly".