Stoicism is a philosophical school and doctrine that emerged in Ancient Greece, which values fidelity to knowledge and focus on everything that can only be controlled by the person, despising all kinds of external feelings, such as passion and extreme desires.
The Stoic school was created by Zeno de Cicio, in the city of Athens, around 300 BC. a., but the doctrine was effectively known when arriving in Rome. Its central theme was that the entire universe would be governed by a divine natural law and rational.
Therefore, for human beings to achieve true happiness, they should depend only on their "virtues", or that is, their knowledge and values, totally abdicating the "addiction", which is considered by the Stoics an evil absolute.
Stoicism also teaches to maintain a calm and rational mind, no matter what. It teaches that this helps the human being to recognize and focus on what can control and not to worry and accept what can't control.
You principles of stoic philosophy, which guide the followers of the doctrine, are:
- Virtue is the only good and path to happiness;
- The person must always prioritize knowledge and act with reason;
- Pleasure is an enemy of the wise man;
- The universe is governed by a universal natural and divine reason;
- Attitudes have more value than words, that is, what is done is more important than what is said;
- External feelings make man an irrational and not impartial being;
- You should not ask why something happened in his life, but accept it without complaining, focusing only on what can be changed and controlled in that situation;
- Act prudently and take responsibility for your actions;
- Everything around us happens according to a law of cause and effect;
- Life and circumstances are not idealized. The individual needs to live and accept his life as it is.
Based on these principles, it is possible to understand that a stoic person it is one that does not let itself be carried away by beliefs, passions and feelings that are capable of taking away a person's rationality when acting, such as desires, pain, fear and pleasure. That's because these circumstances are unfounded and irrational.
The stoic person seeks to act rationally, even with these feelings. Not that the Stoic is an unfeeling individual, but he is not their prisoner.
The Teachings of Stoic Philosophy
Stoic philosophy has the focus on practical life, in everyday actions and events and in how human beings deal with these events in a rational and practical way.
According to Stoic thinking, there are things that are not under people's control and there are things that are possible to be controlled. In this case, about what is not possible to control, such as the weather, for example, there is nothing that can be done to change its status..
The teachings of philosophy, such as ataraxia, a self-sufficiency, a denial of external feelings it's the coping with problems through reason, aims to show that the individual should focus only on what is possible to control, to be grateful for what they already have and to deny extreme pleasures and emotions.
According to the Stoic philosophy, when someone thinks that the events that are beyond his control are the ones that can provide the happiness, ends up letting your happiness depend solely on the events of your life and not on what it actually can to do.
The main teachings of Stoic philosophy are:
ataraxia
The focus of the Stoic philosophy is the achievement of happiness through ataraxia, which is an ideal of tranquility in which it is possible to live serenely and with peace of mind.
For the Stoics, man could only achieve this happiness through his own virtues, that is, his knowledge.
self-sufficiency
Self-sufficiency is one of the main goals of the Stoics. This is because stoicism preaches that each being must live according to his nature, that is, he must act responsibly with what happens in his own life.
Therefore, as a rational being, man must make use of his own virtues in order to achieve his greatest purpose: happiness.
Denial of external feelings
Stoicists consider that external feelings (passion, lust, etc.) are harmful to man, as they make him stop being impartial and become irrational.
All these feelings are seen as addictions and as the cause of absolute evils that compromise decision making and the organization of thoughts in a logical and intelligent way.
Facing problems through reason
In the quest for a peaceful and happy life, Stoic philosophy holds that all external factors that compromise moral and intellectual perfection must be ignored.
This line of thought defends that, even in adversity, in problematic or difficult situations, man must choose to react always with calm, tranquility and rationality, without letting external factors compromise your judgment and action.
See also the meaning of sophism.
Differences between Stoicism and Epicureanism
Epicureanism was also an ancient Greek philosophical school, founded between 341 to 270 BC, by Epicurus. This philosophical doctrine believed that man only achieves peace and tranquility if he finds the absence of pain.
Stoicism is a philosophical current opposed to Epicureanism. While Stoicism teaches that man must be rational, deny earthly pleasures and accept the aches and pains, dealing only with what can be controlled, Epicureanism preaches that individuals must seek moderate pleasures to reach a state of tranquility and freedom from fear.
However, the pleasures cannot be exaggerated, as they can present disturbances that make it difficult to find serenity, happiness and bodily health. Meanwhile, Stoicism, contrary to Epicureanism, preaches that the pursuit of happiness lies in the elimination of pleasures and in rational actions under any circumstance.
An important point is also that Epicureanism does not believe in metaphysical issues, that is, it does not accept that the universe has an order natural rational, guided by a divine logos, that is, a universal reason that governs the entire universe, in which the human soul makes part. That's because the epicureanism is materialistic, that is, it is totally linked to physical issues.
Meanwhile, Stoicism believes that the universe is governed by a natural and divine order.
See also the meaning of hedonism and Epicureanism.
Top 4 Stoic Philosophers
Zeno of Citium
Zeno was the founding philosopher of Stoicism. Born on the island of Cyprus, he was also responsible for the formulation of several paradoxes in the field of philosophy.
Sculpture representing Zeno of Citius.
Marco Aurelio
Marcus Aurelius was a powerful Roman emperor who followed Stoicism during his 19-year reign. He was known for his peace and tranquility, even in the midst of the problems facing his kingdom, facing circumstances in a rational way.
He compiled his thoughts and conclusions about life in a book called, Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.
A phrase by Marco Aurélio that sums up Stoic thought well is:
"The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts."
Epithet
The second greatest reference of Stoicism was Epictetus, who was born as a slave and, throughout his life, founded his stoic school itself, teaching some very influential people of Rome, among them the emperor Marco himself Aurelio.
His teachings are compiled in the book Manual of Epictetus. One of the phrases of the philosopher who explains the Stoic doctrine was:
"Delete from thee desires and fears, and thou shalt have nothing to tyrannize thee."
Seneca
Tutor and advisor to the famous Roman Emperor Nero, Seneca was also a great politician and writer. As a philosopher, he was one of the main representatives of Stoicism in the Roman Empire.
His thoughts and teachings have been compiled in a few books, the main one being Letters of a Stoic. One of his most famous phrases was:
"Sometimes even living is an act of courage."
The 3 Phases of Stoicism
Stoicism is divided into three main periods: ethical (old), eclectic (middle) and religious (recent).
Phase 1
The so-called ancient or ethical stoicism was lived by the founder of the doctrine, Zeno de Cicio (333 to 262 a. a.), and was concluded by Crisipo de Solunte (280 to 206 a. C.), who would have developed the Stoic doctrine and transformed it into the model that is known today.
Level 2
In medium or eclectic Stoicism, the movement began to spread among the Romans, being the main motivator for the introduction of Stoicism in Roman society Panetius of Rhodes (185 to 110 BC. Ç.).
The most striking feature of this period, however, was the eclecticism that the doctrine suffered from the absorption of thoughts by Plato and Aristotle. Posidonius of Apaméia (135 a. Ç. to 50 d. C.) was responsible for this mixture.
Stage 3
Finally, the third phase of Stoicism is known as religious or recent. Members of this period saw philosophical doctrine not as part of a science, but as a religious and priestly practice. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius was one of the main representatives of religious Stoicism.
Also learn about the meaning of:
- Hellenism;
- Apathy;
- Resilience.