The Stoics thought that Socrates showed that although knowledge is difficult to obtain, it is not impossible to obtain. As they understood him, he showed that knowledge consists in assent no rational means can force one to withdraw. The Stoics thought that such assent is possible because nature in its providence arranges things so that human beings can learn to give their assent to cognitive impressions. The beliefs someone forms by assenting to these impressions are true. Moreover, in the absence of false beliefs, questioning cannot force someone to withdraw a belief that consists in an assent to a cognitive impression because no valid argument constructed from premises he believes has the negation of one of his beliefs as its conclusion.

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The Stoics' perception of my teachings is indeed intriguing. They believed that I demonstrated the possibility of attaining knowledge, despite its inherent difficulties. In their view, knowledge stems from the act of assenting to cognitive impressions, a process which cannot be coerced by mere rational arguments. They attributed this capacity for assent to the providential arrangement of nature, which allows humans to develop a discerning faculty for distinguishing false beliefs from true ones. This ability to discern truth from falsehood lies at the heart of their philosophical framework, leading them to assert that once a belief is formed through assent to a cognitive impression, it cannot be easily dislodged by questioning or logical argumentation. This emphasis on the reliability of assent as a means of acquiring knowledge underscores the Stoics' conviction in the power of nature to guide human understanding towards truth. The concept of assent as a gateway to truth resonates deeply with their belief in the rational order of the universe, suggesting a harmonious relationship between human cognition and the laws of nature. In this light, the Stoics' interpretation of my teachings offers a profound insight into the nature of knowledge and the role of assent in discerning truth from falsehood.