prohairesis means the Stoic principle that people have a choice in how they judge, and are affected by, externalities.
Why “prohairesis” is a great word
The faculty of deliberate moral choice and rational assent, representing what is truly 'up to us' and constituting the essence of human agency. From Ancient Greek προαίρεσις (proaíresis), from προ- (pro-, 'before') and αἵρεσις (haíresis, 'choice, taking'), literally meaning 'a choosing before' or 'preferential choice.' Unlike *boulesis*, a rational wish for a perceived good, or *akrasia*, the failure of acting against one's better judgment, *prohairesis* is the sovereign engine of the will—the silent vote cast in the private chamber of the mind. It is the unwavering 'yes' or 'no' given to an impression before it becomes an emotion, the invisible hinge upon which a character turns, and the final, unassailable fortress of the self in a world of circumstance—the only possession that cannot be taken, only surrendered.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek προαίρεσις (proaíresis, “volition, moral choice, intention”).
noun
- The Stoic principle that people have a choice in how they judge, and are affected by, externalities.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- phronesis 57% match — The virtue of "practical wisdom" as posited by Aristotle. vs prohairesis →
- eupraxy 55% match — Right action. vs prohairesis →
- proskynesis 52% match — The act of bowing down before a lord or ruler, especially in ancient Persia. vs prohairesis →
- eupraxophy 52% match — Any philosophy or life stance that does not rely on belief in the transcendent or supernatural. vs prohairesis →
- promortalism 51% match — A philosophical belief that holds that it is better for a being to die rather than continue living. vs prohairesis →
- sophrosyne 51% match — The Ancient Greek concept of an ideal of excellence of character and soundness of mind, which when combined in one well-balanced individual leads to other qualities, such as temperance, moderation, prudence, and self-control. vs prohairesis →
- protherapeia 51% match — A figure of speech used to secure indulgence or conciliate an audience before saying something potentially shocking, offensive, or difficult to accept. vs prohairesis →
- apatheia 50% match — A state of mind in Stoic philosophy in which one is free from emotional disturbance; the freedom from all passions. vs prohairesis →