How the Stoics Defined Anger

Our two main sources for Stoic theory are the chapter on Zeno in Diogenes Laertius’ Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers and a the sections on Stoicism in the Anthology of Johannes Stobaeus, which is believed to draw upon an earlier work summarizing doctrines by the philosopher Areus Didymos. First, I’ll look at the central definition of anger given in each of these two texts and then we’ll explore the distinctions they go on to make between different species of anger.

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The Definition of Anger

First of all, we should note, that the Stoics define anger as a subcategory of desire. Desire is defined in Diogenes Laertius as “an irrational impulse” or urge (ὁρμὴ ἄλογος, hormē alogos). The main word used for anger in Stoicism is ὀργὴ (orgē) in Greek.

Anger is a desire for revenge on one who seems to have wronged us inappropriately. — Diogenes Laertius

[ὀργὴ δ᾽ ἐπιθυμία τιμωρίας τοῦ δοκοῦντος ἠδικηκέναι οὐ προσηκόντως]

Alternatively, “Anger is a craving to punish someone who seems to have harmed us unjustly.” To be clear, this combines three closely-related judgments:

The belief that someone has harmed me, whether physically or by injuring my reputation or other interests.

The belief that he did so unjustly, i.e., he should not have done what he did.

The conclusion that he deserves to be punished, leading to my excessive urge or desire for revenge.

The Stoics believe that the first premise here, that I have been harmed, is false and irrational. Strictly speaking, nobody can truly harm us unless we permit them to do so. As Epictetus puts it, “People are distressed not by events but rather by their judgments about them.”

Our other main source, Stobaeus, defines anger in virtually the same language.

Anger, then, is a desire to take revenge on someone who appears to have wronged [you] contrary to what is appropriate. — Stobaeus

However, he says a little more about the nature of desire, according to the Stoics.

Desire is a striving which is disobedient to reason; its cause is believing that a good is approaching, and that when it is here we shall do well by it; this opinion itself ‹that it really is worth striving for› has a ‹fresh› [power] to stimulate irregular motion. — Stobaeus

This implies that anger is a desire disobedient to reason, caused by the belief that a good is approaching, presumably meaning that an angry person concludes that revenge is good. In other words, when I’m angry, I assume that it’s in my best interests, somehow, for my enemy to be punished, and made to suffer.

I think what Stobaeus means by a “fresh power” is that anger has a pronounced physiological effect. For instance, anger makes our “blood boil” (an “irregular motion” or agitation in the body), or more literally our blood pressure often rises significantly and our heart beats faster, but these physiological symptoms of anger may fade over time, even though the angry thoughts and beliefs may remain with us.

Photo by Kalea Morgan on UnsplashTwo Types of AngerIncipient Anger

The Stoics also distinguished between several forms of anger. For example, Diogenes Laertius mentions an important distinction between anger (ὀργὴ) as a full-blown passion and the first flash of anger that someone experiences (θυμός).

And ‘incipient anger’ [θυμός] is anger just beginning.

This term (θυμός, thumos) is commonly translated as “spiritedness” in Plato’s Dialogues but in these passages it seems intended to correspond with what the Stoics call the propatheiai or “first movements” of a passion such as anger. These are involuntary and to be viewed as natural and morally indifferent. They roughly correspond to what we might today describe as the automatic thoughts and feelings that occur during the initial phase of anger. (This can also be compared to the modern concept of the “fight or flight response” or “primary threat appraisal” in psychology.)

Chronic Anger

‘Chronic anger’ [μῆνις] is long-standing and spiteful anger which just waits for its chance, as is apparent in these lines [from Iliad 1.81–2]: ‘For even if he swallows his resentment for today, still he will retain his spite in the future, until it is satisfied.’

There may not be an English word that adequately translate this concept of μῆνις (menis). It’s fairly clear, however, that the Stoics are distinguishing, in part, between what psychologists today call “state” and “trait” anger. Anger that is long-standing or part of our character is trait-like rather than merely a passing state. In other words, μῆνις is an enduring character trait whereas ὀργὴ is anger as a state of mind. However, whereas “state anger” refers to a chronic disposition to become angry, μῆνις tends to denote something more intentional, such as a lasting vendetta against someone.

Conclusion

So we have three basic forms of anger:

θυμός, thumos, incipient anger, the initial involuntary phase of the emotion

ὀργὴ, orgē, anger, the standard term used for anger as an emotional state of mind

μῆνις, menis, chronic anger, an angry personality trait or long-standing disposition

For Stoics, the initial phase of the emotion, or proto-passion, is involuntary and only becomes a full-blown emotion when reason goes along with it and gives assent to the accompanying impressions. This is not unlike the modern cognitive appraisal theory of emotion, which holds that the fight or flight response may trigger sympathetic nervous system arousal, such as increased heart rate, and so on, but does not really become an emotion until we interpret the situation and begin to think of our initial feelings either as anger or fear.

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