Harry Potter and Stoicism

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 185967

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214"
<dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
 
> What I am trying to say is that sure, I can see the examples of when
 characters should have acted according to reason instead of listening
to their emotions a plenty, which seems to be in line with Stoicism.
> 
> But it seems to me that when it comes to Love, it is shown more
often  than not to be a force stronger than ANY reason. And I do not
think  it is in line with Stoicism at all, but I could be wrong. Jerri
(I  think) talked about Neostoicism, but I am not familiar with it.
> 
> I mean, if Lily was thinking about REASON, she should have stepped 
> aside and took a chance that Voldemort would have spared her, no?

Pippin:
That would be the reasonable choice only if Lily valued her own life
more than Harry's. 

Love gives the characters their greatest power because it overrides
every other instinct, even self-preservation. But the characters often
use that power wrongly or foolishly, even to the ultimate detriment of
those they love. That's most obvious with  characters like Merope, but
even Neville tried to make himself into something he was not out of
love for his Gran. The  result did not please either of them.

Harry's desire to reunite with his lost family leads him to his great
sacrifice, but it might as easily have led him to waste away in front
of the Mirror of Erised. 

The books seem to be saying that while love enables the most
powerful actions, only reason can tell  whether those actions are in
fact suited to their aims. Love can  override reason, but it is unwise
to let it.

Alla:
> JKR talked about him as cruel man, bully, somebody who loathed Harry
 till the end, BUT he also loved. So to me it seems that author at
least (whether you agree that she was able to portray it on page) 
> thought that Love (the emotion) is Severus' main redeeming factor. I
 do not see how it agrees with Stoicism.

Pippin:
It was reason that persuaded Snape that he still had a purpose in life
after Lily perished. He would have been content to die, as Harry would
have been content to waste away in front of the mirror. 

Pippin