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What Is Stoicism?
Stoicism is an ancient Greek school of philosophy that emphasizes living according to nature. It was also emperor Marcus Aurelius’ philosophy, which focused on the four cardinal virtues: love, wisdom, self-control, and courage.
Stoicism was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium, and conveys that people can live a good life only if they live in harmony with the natural course of the universe. Stoic philosophy flourished throughout the Roman and Greek world until the 3rd century AD, and has gained in popularity in recent years as a number of new books have been published on the subject.
Stoic Definition
According to Merriam-Webster being stoic is defined as “unaffected by impulse or emotion; determined controlled response to pain or despair.”
What Is a Stoic?
A stoic is someone who is able to endure pain or hardship without showing too strong emotions. They are also able to be indifferent about the things that would give them pleasure.
Stoics teach that we are not in control of what happens in our lives, but we are in control of how it affects us and our attitude towards it, because our happiness resides within ourselves. When one achieves this understanding, one will also achieve stoic peace, a rewarding assurance that one will manage, despite going through tough times.
The Stoics embraced a certain type of spiritual life. They believed that one should live according to nature, and that the world is fundamentally rational. They also believed that external events are not good or bad in themselves but rather depend on how a person reacts to them.
The Stoics’ philosophy was very influential in Western thought and culture, and its ideas have been studied by many people, from philosophers and poets to psychologists and theologians.
The Most Famous Stoics
Some of the most famous Stoics are Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, and Musonius Rufus:
- Marcus Aurelius was a Stoic philosopher, and emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 AD. He was also one of the Five Good Emperors in Roman history.
- Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and essayist who lived in the 1st century AD.
- Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher born in Hierapolis, Phrygia (present-day Pamukkale, Turkey). He was born a slave, but was later given his freedom, and spent the rest of his years as a teacher in Nicopolis, Greece.
- Musonius Rufus was Epictetus’ teacher, and a Roman Stoic philosopher around the time of Emperor Nero. He was condemned and exiled for refusing to worship Nero as a god.
Books on Stoicism
There are many good books on stoicism, written by both ancient and modern Stoics:
- Meditations was the personal diary of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, in which he recorded his deepest reflections on Stoicism while protecting the borders of the Roman Empire against the Germanic tribes.
- On the Shortness of Life is an essay by Seneca that encourages making the most of the time one has, rather than wasting it.
- Discourses of Epictetus is a summary of his Stoic lectures noted down by the student and historian Arrian. Of all the older Stoic works, this is the easiest to read, and might as well have been written in modern times, with its conversational style.
- The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday, one of the more recent books on Stoicism, has become very popular because it teaches people how to turn obstacles into opportunities.
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl was written during World War II when he was in a concentration camp and he had lost everything – including his family. Viktor Frankl found meaning in life and created a technique called logotherapy, which helps people find meaning despite their suffering.
Personally, I have read or listened to all these books, and can especially recommend Meditations and On the Shortness of Life.