Lately, I’ve had occasion to reflect on certain aspects of life that aren’t obviously or directly philosophical or spiritual, and to wonder how they might be made philosophical. Or, for that matter, to wonder how they might already be philosophical, even if their philosophical character is indirect or otherwise not obvious.

(To clarify what I mean by “philosophical,” please see Philosophy as an Art of Living on Wise and Shine.)

Of course many different things might qualify as “not obviously or directly philosophical or spiritual.” In the present case, I’m not thinking of “leisure” type activities, although those surely also deserve consideration. I’m thinking instead of activities we might characterize as relating directly to “material welfare.”

A few general examples to clarify the sort of thing I’m thinking of:

• work
• errands
• tending to one’s finances
• taking care of things around the home
• looking after one’s health
• assisting family or friends in one way or another

While not unimportant, such “material welfare” activities do seem to contrast with specifically spiritual-philosophical activities. Again, a few general examples to clarify:

• meditation
• study
• reflective thought
• highly intentional moderation

Conflict?

There seems to be some conflict between those two sorts of activity (the material welfare type, and the specifically philosophical-spiritual type). Some of that conflict may be merely apparent; one surely can, to some extent, combine the two. Yet some of the conflict is real, as each activity makes a claim on one’s resources (such as time, energy, attention).

One cannot simply forgo the material welfare type activities. For one thing, they are to some extent necessary to life, and also necessary as a foundation and support for the specifically philosophical activities. Beyond that, and just as importantly, material welfare activities are (again, to some extent, but significantly) responsibilities. They are moral-ethical, and hence spiritual-philosophical, requirements. They don’t only support, but express the path, and are demanded by it.

(The Eightfold Path: A Non-Technical Overview)

The question then becomes, how to engage in material welfare activities such that they support and express philosophy?

Resolutions?

Let me start with the most obvious and common response, advocated plainly by Buddhists and Stoics, which is to engage in material welfare activities while maintaining skillful, mindful awareness. We’ve all heard this, though many of us (myself as much as anyone) likely forget it more than remember it. My opinion is that this is in fact very important: to work to do our work with skillful mindful awareness, however much that may be possible for us. This alone makes a big difference, provided we can manage to implement it. But is that perhaps more a combining of the material welfare activity with the specifically spiritual activity, than it is a way in which the material welfare activity itself is philosophical?

Another, complementary response involves considering the role of the material welfare activity in one’s life. Just considering the role does not itself make the activity spiritual-philosophical. But it creates an opportunity:

1. either to change what we are (or are not) doing, or

2. to change (or maintain) how we understand what we are doing, or

3. to awarely engage in the activity as an expression of the path.

Framing Within Some Stoic (and Buddhist) Concepts

Let’s use some Stoic concepts, and let’s consider going to work and looking after one’s finances. Within Stoic theory, financial security is classed as “indifferent.” In other words, financial security is not, in the strictest sense, intrinsically good or bad. At the same time, it is considered a “preferred” indifferent thing. To allude to a certain Buddhist sutta, the well disciplined seeker of wisdom is neither distressed nor elated at being/becoming wealthy, impoverished, or anything in between. It is understood that wealth is not intrinsically good, nor poverty intrinsically bad.

Correspondingly, such a person experiences no strong desire for wealth, nor any powerful aversion to poverty. They have not just an intellectual, but an internalized understanding of financial circumstance as “indifferent.” Yet at the same time, this does not prevent recognition of the utility of possessing material means. Possessing material resources supports one’s ability to care for oneself and for others, as well as supporting a more harmonious experience of existing.

The Role of Activities Within The Path

Staying with the financial example: Wealth, or even financial security, should not be one’s goal, should not be pursued at the expense of something more important, and (ideally) should not be strongly desired. At the same time, recognizing the utility of material means, it is philosophically-spiritually skillful to engage in gainful work and to look after one’s finances. This flows together with, and flows from, skillful intentions such as that of loving-kindness. The provisos are that such material welfare activities should not come at the expense of something more important, which is to say, in brief, that they should not involve unethical acts and should be understood as preferred “indifferents” rather than primary “goods.”

Returning more directly to an earlier thread: Along with mindful awareness, having an understanding of the role that material welfare activities play, can be what makes them spiritual-philosophical. And this involves not only understanding, but intention. My proximate or “near” intention might be to responsibly look after my family’s finances, while my ultimate intention would be to act according to what is most appropriate and right. And also, not to be strongly attached to having financial well-being as an outcome, but instead, with a certain “detachment” or equanimity, to intend (for example) lovingkindness and to act in accordance with that quality of intention.

---

SeekerFive is gradually collecting and developing resources to aid in philosophical practice and study at philosophicadvising.com.