[ESSEC Knowledge] by Xavier Pavie - Professor at ESSEC Business School

The interconnection between philosophy and business is not entirely clear, and it is important to remember that business must serve philosophy, not the other way around. The key point is that we want a wiser, better world, and business is a tool we can use. 

To better understand, look at stoicism, a kind of philosophy. 

While Stoicism is an ontological philosophy, it is also famous for its wisdom, summarized with Epictetus' Talks.  Epictetus evokes the work of the soul by separating the functions of the soul into three topoi. The first function is the discipline of desire: to renounce desiring what does not depend on us. The second function relates to habits and action: not to let oneself be carried away by disordered desires that harm one's behavior, but to show self-control. The third corresponds to the proper use of representations; it is the discipline of agreement, or being genuine in how we use our thoughts and speech in our judgment. 

The presentation of the three topoi highlights that it seems impossible to think of stoicism without a practical application. By looking at the Stoic masters, we see that they are heavily involved in daily life and in business. Zeno of Elea, founder of Stoicism, inherited a fortune from his father. Seneca was a magistrate, a lender, a teacher, and a tutor. Marcus Aurelius was emperor. Cicero was a statesman, a pro bono lawyer, a landlord, and a businessman. 

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