Does the Universe play Finska?
Chrysippus' cylinder metaphor was a key concept in Stoic theories of fate. According to this metaphor, fate is like a cylinder rolling down a hill, and everything that happens is predetermined by the initial conditions of the universe. Just as the shape of the cylinder and the angle at which it is released determine its path down the hill, the laws of nature and the initial conditions of the universe determine the course of events. Now, if you have ever played Finska, you’ll object or at least have to imagine a very smooth slope. We are however using metaphors, so roll with it.
The Stoics believed that everything that happens is predetermined by fate, however, they also believed that what is up to us or within our capacity, is our response to fate. So while fate or antecedent causes push the cylinder, how it will role can be affected by us, by our use of assent. And we shape that cylinder
Of cylinders, cones and underpants gnomes.
One of my objections to the popular modern phrasing of Epictetus’ first entry in the Enchiridion, i.e. The Dichotomy of Control, is that it has a tendency1 to produce a very rigid view and place a huge weight on the shoulders of the student.
It’s as if, and I am riffing of the underpants gnomes here:
Step 1 Focus on what’s in my control,
Step 3 I’m now a stoic and impervious to misfortune
In other words, it tends to create this idea among new students of the school, that it’s a simple mind trick or hack, an affirmation to be intoned.
When, if I may pick up the cylinder again, what Epictetus is getting at, is that it is more akin to the shaping of a cylinder (your character) through your employmment of right reason in assent, over a significant period of time.
A fair few of us may be cone2 shaped, though fate and our choices. Our response to fate’s push is to veer in left or right in varying degrees of sharpness.
What is within our capacity or power, however, is to slowly whittle away at the fat end of the cone through consistent application of correct reason. It’s not something that will happen overnight and there will be enivtable setbacks, but if we can get to a cylinder shape our passgage through life, regardless of whether it’s played on a tussock filled Finska field or not, the journey will be smoother and closer to virtue.
And I think there is some influence from modern cognitive therapies here, where getting anxious people to let go of things they can’t control is a good thing
Maybe a truncated cone or frustrum is a better image, but it doesn’t rhyme with gnome.
What I find most annoying about the modern focus of the so-called "Dichotomy of Control" (which no Stoic ever called it) is that it completely ignores the idea of "right reason" (orthos logos). As stoics we are not free to do anything that is in our control - only the right thing. Even if we don't care about the metaphysics, we can't call ourselves stoics in any meaningful way if don't have some concept of virtue and of doing the right thing.