The ancient Stoic philosophers put great store on human beings living their lives according to reason. In other words the key to a virtuous life is to become a highly rational person who is not swayed in their actions by their emotions. But do the Stoics misunderstand human nature and how our emotions affect us? David Hume , the 18th century philosopher had the polar opposite view , according to Hume "Reason is the slave of the passions" . I wonder was he closer to the mark . Humans don't seem to be very rational creatures and so much of our motives, decisions, actions etc seem to be determined or greatly influenced by our emotions. Therefore is the Stoic ideal of virtue largely aspirational.