Stoic Philosophy in John Adams

I recently saw the HBO miniseries John Adams and was very impressed with it. I am a bit of a history buff or sorts and I also have my own idea of a mini-series dealing with Presidents, so I was eager to see what this movie had to offer.

I was reading on Stoicism and it brought to mind the scene where John Adams insults Quaker John Dickinson's religion and his refusal to support the Declaration Of Independence. The result in the movie version of this story was for John Dickinson to simply not show up that day in order for a unanimous decision. John Dickinson is not portrayed in a favorable light and some might feel that this action is a breakdown in the integrity of John Dickinson. If he really believed in not going to war with England then he should have stood his ground.

But understanding Stoic philosophy a little bit more, I have come to determine that John Dickinson did no such wrong. It is a stoic principle that all life happens in cycles and all we can do is just get out of the way and accept it. At this point, John Dickinson hoped to resolve conflict with England as peace is better than war, but all attempts to alleviate the threat of war broke down. All John Dickinson could do is sit by and let history run its course.

Besides, they was more at stake than peace. There was the pride of being a free man being trampled on by England. Courage and Justice are also principles of Stoicism and in maintaining them could be worth the price of war. Despite the bleak picture we get of John Dickinson in the movie, it should noted that he served as a general in the Pennsylvania Militia. Even passivism has a point of action.

What does this have to do with screenwriting? The one point of this blog. That an understanding of philosophical principles could help you determine your storyline and how your character should act. It worked for The Matrix.