An Introduction to Stoicism
A quick look at an age-old philosophy that remains relevant to this day
There are many different schools of thought in philosophy, but very few have seen as much popularity as Stoicism in the recent years.
Many have looked to the writings of famous Stoics like Marcus Aurelius to guide them through life’s challenges. Nelson Mandela was one of these, reading Aurelius’ Meditations while imprisoned during his fight for racial equality in South Africa.
So, what is stoicism? I’ll cover the history and the formation of stoicism, the principles of the philosophy and it’s four virtues, and some examples of stoic practices you could do from the (dis)comfort of your own home.
The Origins of Stoicism
Stoicism was first conceived by Zeno of Citium around 300 BCE. A wealthy merchant, Zeno met with an unfortunate fate when he was shipwrecked in Athens, with all of his possessions and wealth sinking beneath the waves.
With not much else to do, Zeno wandered into a local bookstore, where he was fascinated by the portrayal of Socrates in Xenophon’s Memorablilia. After this, he went to study philosophy under many different schools, including Cynicism and Platonic Philosophy.
He began teaching the next year under the colonnade in the Agora of Athens, known as the Stoa Poikile, hence the name “Stoic” for his students.
Stoicism thrived in the time of both the Greeks and the Romans, with the latter led by stoics such as Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius.
Unfortunately, no complete works from the Early and Middle Stoa Periods (Ancient Greece) survived. However, some Roman texts from the Late Stoa have survived, including famously Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations.
The Principles of Stoicism
Photo by Pedro Araújo on Unsplash
We use stoic as a word to describe someone who remains calm under pressure, someone who avoids emotional extremes.
The philosophy of Stoicism does capture this. Stoics argue that you should not stress yourself over your circumstances, and instead focus on the things you can change rather than those you can’t. The Stoic Epictetus described this philosophy in the quote:
“We suffer not from the events in our lives, but from our judgement about them”
Stoics argue that you can and should maintain your composure, no matter the circumstance.
Stoics were hence very principled people, and stuck to four cardinal virtues: Wisdom, Temperance, Courage and Justice.
The virtue of wisdom can be described as knowing what is morally good, bad and neutral. It is also the knowledge of what decisions one should make, what they should be aware of and what they should be indifferent to. Stoics argue that this is used for taking action, in that it allows them to make informed decisions based on knowledge rather than impulse or emotion.
The virtue of temperance is less complex. It’s essentially minimalism; the concept of doing more with less. It also describes self-control and the necessity of discipline. Some would describe temperance as the knowledge that true abundance comes from having only what you need.
The virtue of courage is summed up by the Stoic Epictetus; Persist and Resist. This is one of the trademark characteristics of Stoics throughout history. Many Stoics fought against political corruption, be it Seneca opposing the rule of Nero or Marcus Aurelius striving to be a good emperor against the temptation of corruption.
The final virtue is that of justice. This is acting in a just and fair way towards others regardless as to whether they have done wrong, not to discriminate, and to work with and care for others. Many Stoics actively fought against injustice, with Seneca being renowned for calling of the humane treatment of slaves during a time at which they were seen as property rather than humans.
Live Like a Stoic - Stoic Practices
Many stoics would practice negative visualisation. This, in essence, involves a visualisation of the worst-case scenario of an event. Aurelius practiced this himself, stating in his Meditations that he performed it every morning.
Stoics argue that the benefit of this is that you are not taken offguard by the events that occur in your life. Aurelius described this,
“How absurd – and a complete stranger to the world – is the man surprised at any aspect of his experience in life”
Another common stoic practice includes acts of voluntary discomfort. William Irvine, author of A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy and Professor of Philosophy, explains these exercises as actions “where you’re going out of your way to do something that you know is going to be difficult and uncomfortable to do”. He suggests activities like slightly underdressing in the winter, taking cold showers and eating only potatoes for a few days. He argues that by doing actions that have a level of discomfort, you hence expand your comfort zone - “The range at which you can operate” - and so you become comfortable in a wider range of circumstances, particularly those that are unfavourable, so that you can remain stoic when you are faced with an unexpected challenge.
Conclusion
Stoicism has been around for over two millennia and is still practiced by many today. The philosophy encourages a reinforcement of the self in order to be unmoved in the face of adversity to give you the ability to help others, as many Stoics argue that only those who have cultivated the four virtues can have the capacity to help others.
I personally find this philosophy fascinating, especially how it’s remained relevant after thousands of years.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick look at Stoicism. Let me know if you’ve found this interesting, or if you’ve tried any of the stoic practices! I’d love to hear how you’ve got on.
Stay stoic.
- Tom
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism#History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno_of_Citium
https://youtu.be/R9OCA6UFE-0
https://whatisstoicism.com/what-is-stoicism/
https://dailystoic.com/4-stoic-virtues/
https://dailystoic.com/stoicism-modernity/
https://thestoicsage.com/premeditatio-malorum-the-art-of-negative-visualization/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_visualization
https://youtu.be/yLAReZ8F65Q
DISCLAIMER
The content provided in these posts are designed to be educational and informative. I am not a medical doctor, psychologist, therapist, nutritionist, or registered dietitian. The contents of these emails should not be seen as medical, psychological, dietary, nutritional, or healthcare advice of any kind. Always consult a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.