Lecture Notes Flashcards: Philosophy, Self-Help & Existentialism (VOCABULARY)

On Crafting and Pursuing Purpose

Theme: Bibliotherapy collection of philosophical texts to guide the good life, self-formation, and engagement with others.
Structure: Index of topics with page ranges; recurring emphasis on living by principles, purpose, and virtuous action.
Core approach: Read to cultivate, shape, and create oneself; align living with ideals rather than conforming to the mob.

1) Epictetus — The Art of Living (on pursuing purpose)

Start living your ideals now: commit to spiritual principles as if they are laws; don’t delay because mediocrity and regret await the procrastinator. Call to action: “This is your life!”
Focus on your main duty: avoid letting diversion override true purposes; when the captain (philosophical guidance) calls, drop distractions and respond promptly.
Clearly define the person you want to be: explicitly identify your aspirational self, write it in a daybook, and describe the demeanor you want to preserve in solitude and in company.
Pursue the good ardently: strive nobly; if you miss, accept the outcome and move on.
Act well the part given to you: we are like actors in a divine drama; we should perform our assigned roles impeccably and refrain from complaint.
Context: Encourages self-definition, steadfastness, and fidelity to a personal ethical program.

2) Epictetus — The Enchiridion

In every affair consider what precedes and follows, and then undertake it: plan with the consequences in mind.
A note about change of fortune and self-command: you may be alternately a wrestler, a gladiator, a philosopher, or an orator; act with full soul in your given role.
We should enjoy good fortune while we have it, as秋 fruits of autumn; virtue in adversity tests true character.

3) Ikigai: Reason for Being

Brief placeholder heading indicating a cross-cultural introduction to purpose-driven living.

4) Seneca’s Seneca Six Pack (key aphorisms about living for purpose)

1. We should decide what we want and abide by the decision.
2. When busy with work, absorption brings delight; but preserve the core aims.
3. It’s the art itself, not just its fruits, that matters; enjoy the craft.
4. When you find out whether you’ve accomplished anything, compare what you want today to what you wanted yesterday.
5. Great achievements inspire; visionary exertion uplifts.
6. Road ends, wanderings endless if astray.
7. A good person won’t waste themselves on mean work; avoid capricious or shallow aims.
8. Those who leap between purposes or are swept by hazard cannot possess fixed goods.
9-16. Additional insights on luxury, reason for actions, loss, effort vs. idleness, consistency, and the social/personal consequences of wavering.
Overall: Emphasizes intentional life design, self-discipline, and the dangers of inconsistency.

5) Albert Camus — The Myth of Sisyphus (absurd hero and meaning-making)

Sisyphus as the absurd hero: his joy lies in the lucidity of consciousness during the endless ascent of the rock.
The essence of the absurd includes the tension between desire for meaning and the uselessness of the task; the reconciliation is to imagine Sisyphus happy, i.e., to embrace the stance of revolt with lucid acceptance.
The descent/return moments are where consciousness affirms meaning; happiness arises from accepting the absurd without appeal to external guarantees.
The myth illustrates existentialist themes: personal fate as a human project, the dignity of consciousness, and the possibility of choosing one’s stance toward fate.

6) Jean-Paul Sartre — Existentialism is a Humanism (defense against charges)

Core claim: existence precedes essence; man is nothing but what he makes of himself; radical freedom entails responsibility for all mankind.
There are two kinds of existentialists (Christian and atheistic), but both share the premise that existence precedes essence and that we define ourselves through actions.
We are condemned to be free: no pre-given human nature to justify actions; all choices carry weight for humanity as a whole.
Anguish, abandonment, and responsibility are not excuses for despair but conditions of authentic action; we must act and then define values through actions.
Emphasis on personal choice, responsibility, and solidarity: individual acts have universal implications; the “I” creates a model of man for others.

On Living in the Moment

7) Epictetus — The Art of Living (Caretake this moment; present-focused practice)

Emphasizes fully inhabiting the present and responding to its particulars; avoid evasions and procrastination.
Providence (nature’s will) informs present acts; align actions with divine will; the present is the site for honest living.
The material of life is one’s own life; the present moment is the source of happiness when used well.

8) Pierre Hadot — The Present Alone is Our Happiness

Concentration on the present frees us from the burdens of past and future; the present is the only moment in which we can act.
The Rule of Life: live as though the present is all there is; “The present alone is our happiness.”
Practical application: observe the past and future, but act in the present with wisdom and virtue.

9) Marcus Aurelius — The Present (Stoic discipline)

The Stoic practice of delimiting the present: focus on current action, thought, and disposition; the past and future are beyond control.
The present is the locus of virtue; in one instant you may possess the whole cosmos if aligned with universal reason.
Emphasizes the unity of action with cosmic order and the value of each moment as a microcosm of eternity.

10) Goethe and Wisdom of the Present (Cross-cultural synthesis)

The present as a source of creative insight; the idea of “delimiting the present” leads to expansive creativity and union with the cosmos.
Faust references echo the double motif: happiness in the present and the duty to exist; the unity of form and content in a moment.

On Relationships and Love

11) Albert Camus — The Plague (Love amid crisis)

Focus on human bonds, mutual aid, and the sense that joy can be precarious in the face of plague; emphasizes communal resilience.

12) Simone de Beauvoir (Beauvoir on authentic love)

Authentic love requires reciprocal freedom; traditional gender roles often undermine authenticity.
Authentic love means recognizing the beloved as a free subject; reciprocity and equality are the pillars of genuine relation.
Beauvoir critiques “inauthentic love” as dependent on subordination or possessiveness; her own life (Sartre affair) illustrates reciprocity and complexity of love under existential freedom.

On Daily Self-Care and Self-Knowledge (Meditative practices, self-understanding, and wellbeing)

13) Alain de Botton — The Book of Life; Self-Knowledge; How to Love; The School of Life methods

Daily/weekly self-inspection: audit your inner voice; treat self-talk as something you can edit and shape.
Self-love and candor: cultivate kindness toward self; measure progress by internal standards rather than external approval.
Confidence and shyness: build confidence through honest appraisal of one’s limitations; normalize fear as a natural companion on the path to growth.
The “inner judge” and the need to reframe inner speech with compassionate voices (like a wise grandparent or a trusted friend).
The School of Life emphasizes social intelligence: friendship is multi-faceted (networking, reassurance, fun, mind-clarifying, memory of the past).
The Book of Life sections stress the value of self-compassion, not self-indulgence: treat your own mind as you would treat a friend.
Pro-soche (prosoche): vigilant attention to self and motives; deliberate practice of self-mastery; persistence in duties and virtues.
Hupomnemata (notebooks) and self-writing: use writing and memory aids to shape character; turning reflections into lived practice.
The role of death awareness (memento mori) as a spur to live wisely and with purpose.

14) The Four Elements of True Love (Thich Nhat Hanh)

Four elements: loving-kindness (maitri), compassion (karuna), joy (mudita), equanimity (upeksha).
Love as healing and transformative when these elements are present.
Metta meditation exercises to cultivate unconditional goodwill toward oneself and others; practical mindfulness techniques to sustain love.

15) Confucius — Analects (ethical self-cultivation and relational virtue)

Key maxims: self-respect, respect for others, fidelity in dealing with others, lifelong learning, and humble self-improvement.

On Coping and Fear/Confidence

16) Epictetus — The Art of Living (Control vs. not in control)

Distinguish between what is in our control (opinions, desires, choices) and what is not (body, wealth, reputation, external events).
Happiness and freedom arise from focusing on internal life; external circumstances cannot determine inner peace.
Practical guidance: live in accordance with your own rational will; accept limits and accept outcomes.

17) Marcus Aurelius — Meditations (Self-guidance and resilience)

Several maxims on endurance, gratitude, and self-command; the present moment is your ally in maintaining virtue.

18) Seneca — Six Pack and related aphorisms (Coping with fear and anxiety)

Fear of the future; fear of the unknown; the value of tempering fear with hope; the role of reason in facing adversity.
The balance between action and contemplation; the importance of virtue and self-control in coping with misfortune.

On Happiness and the Good Life

19) Aristotle — Nicomachean Ethics (Final ends and the good)

The good is final and self-sufficient; happiness (eudaimonia) is the supreme good achieved by an active life of virtue.
The function of humans is rational activity; the good for humans is to live in accordance with virtue over a complete life.

20) Seneca — Six Pack on Happiness and Time

Happiness arises from virtue, rational self-government, and living in accordance with nature; external goods are auxiliaries, not determinants.
The best life is not dependent on fortune; a well-ordered soul sustains happiness through all fortunes.

Cross-References and Integrative Themes

The overarching aim of the compilation is to provide a toolkit for living well: cultivate virtue, accept reality, and apply reason to life’s tasks.
Many entries emphasize: deliberate practice (prosoche), humane self-talk, and reflection; the synthesis of ancient wisdom with modern practical psychology.
The text repeatedly links personal transformation with social responsibility: how you become a better person affects family, friends, and wider humanity.

Quick reference to core ideas (recap)

Live by your ideals now; don’t wait for external validation. (Epictetus)
The good life is a life of deliberate, virtuous action; define your aspirational self and act accordingly.
Existence precedes essence; you are what you choose to be through action; responsibility extends to humanity.
The present moment is the seat of happiness and ethical action; delimit the present and act with virtue.
Authentic love requires reciprocity and freedom; a meaningful life includes compassionate self-understanding and self-care.
The path to confidence is a disciplined shift from self-pity to self-compassion and constructive self-talk.
Self-knowledge is essential: a habit of introspection, mindful journaling, and deliberate practice strengthens character.
The struggle against fear, anxiety, and absurdity can be reframed as opportunities for growth, lucidity, and resilience.
LaTeX note: There are no standard mathematical formulas in these philosophical notes; key ideas are expressed propositionally rather than symbolically. If you want, we can extract any specific numerical references or present certain quotes in LaTeX-style quotes for your flashcards.

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