Stoicism
Stoicism
Stoicism (/stoʊɪsɪzəm/; from the Greek stōïkós) is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC.
Etymology
The term "Stoicism" derives from the Greek word stōïkós, meaning "of the Stoa [Poikile]". This refers to the location where the school's founder, Zeno of Citium, taught - the Stoa Poikile or "Painted Porch".
Philosophy
Stoicism is a philosophy of personal ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world. According to its teachings, as social beings, the path to eudaimonia (happiness, or blessedness) for humans is found in accepting the moment as it presents itself, by not allowing oneself to be controlled by the desire for pleasure or fear of pain, by using one's mind to understand the world and to do one's part in nature's plan, and by working together and treating others fairly and justly.
Key Concepts
- Logos: In Stoicism, the Logos refers to the divine animating principle pervading the Universe.
- Virtue: Virtue is regarded by Stoic philosophers as the highest good.
- Apatheia: A state of mind where one is free from emotional disturbance.
- Eudaimonia: A Greek word commonly translated as happiness or welfare; however, "human flourishing" has been proposed as a more accurate translation.
Related Terms
- Cynicism: An ancient school of Greek philosophy that viewed virtue to be the only good and that virtue could be sustained even under extreme poverty and suffering.
- Epicureanism: An ancient school of philosophy founded in Athens by Epicurus. The school rejected determinism and advocated hedonism (pleasure as the highest good), but of a restrained kind: mental pleasure was regarded more highly than physical, and the ultimate pleasure was held to be freedom from anxiety and mental pain, especially that arising from needless desire for what one does not have.
- Neoplatonism: A strand of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the third century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Stoicism
- Wikipedia's article - Stoicism
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