Being Good When Times Are Bad: Reflections on Ethical Life from Stoic and Buddhist Traditions

Though derived from different traditions and places, both the ancient Greek philosophy of the Stoic Epictetus and the Buddhist faith look inward for virtue and teach us to distinguish between what we can and cannot control. But how are their ideas instructive in modern times? Professor Anthony Long considers whether Epictetus’s teaching could have helped in coming to terms with the tragedies of 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina — and whether it could still help citizens and governments adjust their perspectives in a world that will always resist some of our attempts to shape the future. Professor Duncan Ryuken Williams reflects on the significance of Buddhism in American religious history, including the lives of Japanese Americans interned during Word War II, before turning to a larger question: What is the place of minority religions during wartime?