A great part of Stoic philosophy is the indifference to the world and the people in it. The great emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations, a collection of writings privately addressed to himself. Stoicism is often associated with an aloof and indifferent attitude, which is why it is so popular. The naive philosophy of Stoicism was modeled after the character Mr. Spock in the Star Trek series.
Perception and Reference
The Stoics believed that things appear in the world in other ways than through their inherent existence. For example, a corpse may be said to be dead, but the surviving body cannot be seen. Similarly, a person standing next to a dead body of Socrates can say ‘Socrates is dead.’ By contrast, pointing to a dead body of the philosopher does not utter ‘This one is dead.’ The Stoics thought that reference failed in this situation.
According to the Stoics, there are good and bad things and indifferent things. Good things are the cardinal virtues, while bad things include the four vices. All the rest is indifferent. For example, the Stoic philosophy views friendship as insignificant and prefers morality and justice over friendship. However, the Stoics do believe that the sage should avoid excessive talk of “woe is me.”
The Virtuous Path to Happiness
In the Stoic view, a person is virtuous if they do their best to look after their own health. An ordinary person, on the other hand, performs his or her daily tasks. When these actions are done virtuously, they become perfect. By this logic, virtuous people are good at everything they do and act wisely. In the end, virtue suffices for happiness. The Stoics conclude that we should live virtuously and avoid any bad actions.
The Stoics also advocated a brotherhood of humanity and the natural equality of human beings. This philosophy became one of the most influential schools in the Greco-Roman world. It produced a number of famous writers and personalities who influenced the world. In fact, some of the greatest minds of the ancient world influenced the philosophy of Stoicism. This is because of the way it teaches us to live. It also allows us to live our lives better than we otherwise would.
The Stoics
The Stoics were a school of ancient Greek philosophy founded by the Phoenician merchant Zeno of Citium in Athens around 301 BC. Stoicism was originally called Zenonism. Its name comes from a place in Athens where Zeno lectured. Later Stoics expanded on the ideas and beliefs of the Stoics. It is one of the oldest schools of philosophy in the world.
The Stoics believed that the universe is a living thing. The cosmos and god are related. In Stoic philosophy, God is the creator of all things and is responsible for everything. He animates the cosmos and directs it. Stoics held that the universe was cyclical in time and space, and the present Universe is just one phase of an infinite cycle. They also believed that the universe was destined to end in conflagration, which is an apocalyptic view of the cosmos.