Indifferents

Indifferents are things that are neither good nor bad in themselves from the perspective of certain ethical theories, notably Stoicism. They are external goods such as wealth, health, reputation, and power. They do not by themselves constitute virtue, and a wise person regards them with equanimity.

In Stoic ethics, the Greek term adiaphora is used for these external goods. Indifferents are divided into preferred indifferents and dispreferred indifferents. Preferred indifferents are things that, while not virtue themselves, are considered advantageous for living a good life when guided by reason; dispreferred indifferents are those typically avoided, such as illness, poverty, or dishonor. The crucial point is that both categories lie outside the domain of virtue and are subject to fortune; they can be used prudently or avoided without compromising virtue.

In practice, a Stoic aims to remain unmoved by changes in indifferents, focusing on virtue and rightly guided judgment. Wealth or health may be pursued to the extent that they aid living in accordance with reason, but they are not required for happiness. Loss or gain of indifferents is not a moral setback for a virtuous person.

In modern usage the term is sometimes encountered in discussions of virtue ethics or moral psychology, particularly in relation to the philosophy of the Stoics. The concept helps distinguish what is morally essential from what is contingent to circumstance.