The Stoic Daimon

There is a God inside of you

There is no term [other than daimon] in the religious and philosophical language of the Greeks that is more complex, whose interpretation depends more on a particular environment, period or system.

That is how the specialist in the subject, J. A. Hild, presents the daimon in the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities.

What is the daimon? Why is it important to be happy? How can you cultivate it? Here is the answer.

What is the daimon in Stoicism?

Daimon has been translated into English as “demon” but these terms do not really cover the same reality.

In Stoicism, daimon has mainly 2 meanings:

• It is a synonym of Reason
• It is a god who lives in us and who is different from Reason

The first interpretation is supported by Pierre Hadot, in his Introduction to Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. He notes that, in Marcus Aurelius’ meditations, replacing the word daimon with Reason is enough to clarify the meaning of this term. The daimon is then equivalent to the Reason, to the self, to the intellect (nous), to the power of reflection (dianoia), and to the guiding principle (hegemonikon).

“[These bad actions], men commit them not…