Galen’s De indolentia from the standpoint of moral philosophy

Abstract

This is a study of the recently discovered essay of Galen of Pergamon (ca. 129–216) On Freedom from Distress (De indolentia). The main points of interest are: which place this text occupies in Galen’s moral philosophy and how it is related both to contemporary Greek literature in the genre of practical ethics, which attained popularity in post-Hellenistic period, and to the ancient writings in the genre of consolation. A prominent place in both Galen’s moral reasoning and his medical theory is taken by the notion of λύπη (‘distress’). Reflecting on the ability of human soul to control its passions, Galen recognizes the impact human emotions have on the physiological state of the body: he represents emotions as diseases of the soul which require a diagnosis and a proper treatment. This explains the many parallels between Galen’s method of the so-called praemeditatio malorum futurorum and the Stoic doctrine of preventing passions or affections, to which distress also belongs. Finally, the new insight into Galen’s moral teaching resulting from the examination of the text of De indolentia helps to reveal the implicit polemics against the Epicurean and the Stoic doctrine of the Good.