ABSTRACT
This chapter goes deeper into the Stoic theory of emotion and the “therapy of the passions”, particularly in relation to the cognitive theory of emotion that formed the basis of REBT and CBT. Stoicism and CBT are both based on the cognitive theory of emotion, which holds that our emotions are largely (if not exclusively) determined by our underlying beliefs. For Stoics, those beliefs are mainly certain types of value judgements. There’s a common misconception that Stoicism means being unemotional but the Stoics believed that we should distinguish between healthy (good) and unhealthy (bad) emotions, as well as emotional reactions (“proto-passions”) that are indifferent and should be accepted as natural and inevitable. The Stoics don’t seek to eliminate all emotion but rather to replace unhealthy emotions with healthy ones, by correcting faulty underlying beliefs. This is compared to the notion of rational and irrational emotions in REBT. Parallels are also drawn between the “reserve clause” in Stoicism, which holds that external goals should be pursued with the caveat “Fate permitting”, and Ellis’ notion of flexible preferences as opposed to rigid demands.
