Philosophy named from the Stoa, or portico, in Athens where its adherents gathered.
It was founded by Zeno of Citium (c.336-c.264 BC) – different from Zeno the Elea – but considerably developed by his successors, notably: Chrysippus (c.280-c.206 BC), Posidonius (C.135-C.51 BC), Seneca ‘the Younger’ (c.4 BC-AD 65), Epictetus (C. AD 50-138).
The emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-80) was its last famous adherent, and Cicero (106-43 BC) is one of our main sources.
It rivalled Epicureanism and ancient skepticism through much of its history, and eventually gave way to neo-Platonism and Christianity, both of which it heavily influenced.
The Stoics divided philosophy into three branches, logic, physics, and ethics. In logic they went substantially beyond Aristotle (384-322 BC), inventing the propositional calculus.
In physics (which included metaphysics) they developed a pantheistic but materialist and determinist system contrasting with Epicurean atomism. In ethics they aimed at self-sufficiency and acceptance of fate, treating ‘virtue’ as the only real value, though among the remaining things (‘indif-ferents’) some were ‘preferred’.
Source:
A A Long and D N Sedley, The Hellenistic Philosophers (1987)
Table of Contents
- 1 Videos
- 2 Related Products
- 2.1 The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
- 2.2 The Beginner's Guide to Stoicism: Tools for Emotional Resilience and Positivity
- 2.3 The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User's Manual
- 2.4 How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
- 2.5 The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph
- 2.6 The Little Book of Stoicism: Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence, and Calmness
- 2.7 Letters from a Stoic (Penguin Classics)
- 2.8 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
- 2.9 A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
- 2.10 Lessons in Stoicism
Last update 2020-06-17. Price and product availability may change.