Discourse 12: Sexual indulgence in Musonius Rufus

The chapter considers Musonius’ treatise on sexual indulgence. Early Stoics dismissed sexual activity as indifferent, often generating an aura of scandal vis-à-vis the sexual behaviour of some of their leading figures. Instead, Musonius Rufus promoted procreationism, drawing on Plato’s mistrust of the senses and gaining a reputation as “second Socrates” among early Christians. Further, Musonius insists that philosophy is a way of life perfectly compatible with married life: while enabling couples to contribute children to society, it importantly allows husbands and wives to support each other on their journey for ethical improvement. In supporting the ability of women to acquire philosophical virtue, Musonius’ gender ethics appear as radical as Plato’s; yet a closer analysis of Musonius’ views confirms his adherence to Stoic doctrines. My analysis of Musonius’ treatise relies on two interconnected arguments: first, Musonius’ procreationism responds to criticisms that the metaphorical language favoured by early Stoics allowed sexual innuendo to undermine their ethical positions. Musonius rejects sexual pleasure as unnecessary ‘luxury’, akin to unlawfulness and injustice, also invested with notions of greed and extravagance. Thus, while the early Stoics expanded on Plato’s penchant for metaphorical language, Musonius leans on Plato to provide his students with unequivocal guidance about accommodating virtue ethics in their lives, mainly reworking the metaphor of passions as illnesses of the soul. Second, evidence that Musonius’ concerted effort to explicate Stoic ethics was necessary can be adduced from Cicero and his attack on the Stoic concept of amor amicitiae.