Troubles of Biographers: Z is for Zeno (or the Writings of Zeno)

Trouble: Is a biography of a person's thoughts a biography? 

Biography: Holiday, Ryan and Stephen Hanselman. Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius. Portfolio/Penguin, 2020.

Zeno of Kition (or Zeno of Citium on Wikipedia) was a founding member of Stoicism, if not the founding member. The chosen tome refers to him as "Zeno the Prophet." 

"[L]ike the origin stories of all prophets," the authors state, "[there are] some conflicting accounts of Zeno's early life, and the shipwreck [which set him on the path to stoicism] is no exception" (1).

In fact, in a fitting end to this list, the only way future readers know of Zeno is from biographers who wrote about Zeno. Even our knowledge of his writings depends on his biographies, as no intact text remains. And yet his writings made enough impact that he was known and valued in his own time and has gone down in history as a seminal figure. 

By all accounts, Zeno was a well-off son of a merchant who left his family's business to become a philosopher. Originally attached to Crates, a Cynic (school of, not an emo pose), Zeno eventually set up his own school, which established the precepts of Stoicism. 

Stoicism, like many philosophies, produces a range of ideas. Unlike more individually-focused concepts, Zeno apparently argued for a more community-based/utopian approach, fitting to a man who left a wealthy family to live simply. However, the most consistent concepts persist, namely that the pursuit of truth is a lifelong process that takes self-restraint, discipline, and self-knowledge. "Perception" of a idea/conflict/controversy/event is separated from "assent" (10). One can understand something without automatically agreeing with it.

The opening chapter of Lives, Zeno the Prophet earns 10 pages. And there is little more that really can be said. A fictional tome, such as Stone employed with Pope Julius and Michelangelo, might provide more context and insight. An examination of Zeno's influence on his generation, as with Quibell, might address his importance. An examination of Stoicism as a phenomenon, as with Isis, might bring the distant, blurry figure into focus.

In the end, this list ends where it began. Austen is remembered, not because she was the member of her family with the most social status or even, by the standards of her time, the most social accomplishments. She is remembered and examined for her works, yet using her creations as a stand-in for the person is an exercise in guesswork. 

A philosopher is supposedly more linked to a philosophy than a fiction writer to a creation--but the person is still hidden. And what is at stake here? What do we hope to discover through a biography? A full knowledge of another individual's personality? Actions? Impact?

Yes. The person--unlike us yet relatable; remote yet still accessible--ultimately attracts readers to a biography. And therein lies the tension. Zeno may be an extreme example but in the end, isn't it true that any biography--the well-written one and poorly written one--will only scratch the surface? 

The individual will always remain partly hidden. In the end, the writing about the person is what gets remembered. Who wrote the biography does, in fact, matter.