← Glossary
In the Stoic context, the skopos denotes the concrete point of aim of a single action or series of actions — that toward which one chooses to direct oneself in a given moment. This differs from the telos (the highest good, virtue) in that the skopos varies flexibly according to circumstance, while the telos remains unchanging. A merchant may have the skopos of charging a fair price, while his telos remains the virtue of justice, regardless of the economic outcome.