Hopeless Fools and Impossible Ideals

In this article, I vindicate the longstanding intuition that Stoics are transitional figures in history of ethics. argue committed to thinking ideal human happiness as a life virtue is impossible for some people, whom dub ‘hopeless fools.’ conjunction with Stoic view everyone subject same rational requirements perform ‘appropriate actions’ or ‘duties’ (kath¯ekonta/officia), and plausible eudaimonist assumption source normative reasons only if it principle attainable, existence hopeless fools demonstrates were pluralists about ultimate justificatory basis action. Hopeless required behave just like their non-hopeless counterparts, not because doing so conducive happiness, but conforms dictates Right Reason.