The ruling part of the soul, located in the heart, responsible for psychological functions like impression, assent and impulse.
It is what modern readers might call the mind.
The ruling faculty is an important concept for Stoic ethics, because it is what we develop by practicing philosophy.
It is this part of ourselves that we train, improve, and seek to perfect, because it is the part of ourselves that makes decisions and produces emotions and motivation.
Greek: Hēgemonikon
ἡγεμονικόν.
Book: Essential Stoic Concepts
Subtitle: A Stoic glossary
Author: Stoa
Chapter: Ruling Faculty
Location: Chapter 27, Section 2
Content:
The ruling part of the soul, located in the heart, responsible for psychological functions like impression, assent and impulse.
It is what modern readers might call the mind.
The ruling faculty is an important concept for Stoic ethics, because it is what we develop by practicing philosophy.
It is this part of ourselves that we train, improve, and seek to perfect, because it is the part of ourselves that makes decisions and produces emotions and motivation.
Greek: Hēgemonikon
ἡγεμονικόν.