Definition
Living according to nature is the central ethical aim of Stoicism. It has two linked senses: living in accord with human nature, which the Stoics held to be fundamentally rational and social, and living in accord with the nature of the cosmos, an ordered whole governed by reason.
To live this way is to use reason well, to accept events as they unfold within a rational universe, and to act with virtue toward other rational beings. The phrase compresses the whole Stoic program into a single guiding standard.
Why it matters
How it works
The Stoics observed that each creature flourishes by fulfilling its specific nature. Since the defining feature of humans is reason, human flourishing means developing reason into excellence — that is, virtue. Living according to nature therefore does not mean returning to the wild; it means perfecting the rational and social capacities that make us human.
It also means cooperating with the larger order. Because the cosmos is governed by reason, resisting necessary events is irrational. The wise person works hard at what is in their power and calmly accepts what is not.