A Warrior's Anger
This chapter discusses the Stoic conception of anger and the control of anger. It examines the Stoic view that anger is a dangerous emotion that can torment both its possessor and the human beings who are its object. In response to the excesses of anger, the Stoics proposed their own extreme measure: to do away with anger entirely. They proposed an apatheia—a freedom from passions in which there is no frenzy or rage, no annoyance or bitterness, no moral outrage. The recurrent question in ancient texts from Homer to Seneca is whether a warrior needs anger to go to battle or not. Seneca, like many moderns, says no, but then he proceeded to eliminate other, more constructive forms of anger that might be essential to good moral character in general.
Keywords: anger, apatheia, passions, frenzy, rage, annoyance, bitterness, moral outrage, Homer, Seneca
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