What Is Stoicism?

Definition of Stoicism

Stoicism, or Stoic philosophy, is a philosophy that provides a framework for ethical self-improvement and for living a human life worth living. Its basic tenet is that we should live according to (human) nature, meaning using our ability to reason in order to improve social living. It’s essentially a methodology, a world view, and a set of moral values for seeking practical wisdom in life.

Stoicism is a complex and rich system of philosophy, applicable to and improving of one’s life, progressively developed by some very smart people who over time can become your interlocutors, and even in a certain sense your friends.  It includes, but definitely is not restricted to some key insights like the nature and importance of the virtues, treating indifferent things as indifferent, making proper use of appearances and of our faculty of choice, living in accordance with nature, developing ourselves as social beings, and of course making the distinction between what is and what is not in our control.

What Stoicism isn’t, I’ll add, is a “life hack” or just a set of exercises.  It isn’t a bunch of “quotes” taken out of context.  Probably a good half of the things I see out there in social media advertising themselves as “Stoicism” really aren’t.  Some of those things can be useful for people to get started, but if they really want to get any benefit out of studying and applying Stoicism, they should plan to leave the superficial stuff for the real stuff behind sooner than later.

Dr. Gregory Sadler, (Speaker, Author, Philosopher)

Stoicism in Simple Terms

The following points provide a straightforward overview of Stoic history and principles.

Foundation

  • Stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens around 300 BC.
  • Zeno was originally a merchant, and is said to have been on a voyage to transport his wares across the Mediterranean when he suffered a shipwreck and ultimately ended up in Athens, where he took up philosophy.
  • The Stoic name is derived from the “Stoa Poikile” (“Painted Porch”) where Zeno taught from.
  • Stoicism was one of the major schools of philosophy from the Hellenistic period through to the Roman era.
  • The history of Stoicism is usually divided into three phases: Early Stoa (3rd century BC), Middle Stoa (1st and 2nd century BC), and Late Stoa (1st and 2nd century AD).

Prominent Stoics

  • Stoic philosophers from the Early Stoa phase included Zeno of Citium, Cleanthes, Chrysippus, Diogenes of Babylon, and Antipater of Tarsus.
  • Stoic philosophers from the Middle Stoa phase included Cato the Younger, Panaetius and Posidonius.
  • Stoic philosophers from the Late Stoa phase included Seneca The Younger, Musonius Rufus, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius.

Ethics, Logic, and Physics

Stoicism was traditionally divided into three parts: ethics, logic, and physics.

  • Stoic ethics focused on how to live a virtuous and rational life.
  • Stoic physics encompassed the Stoics’ understanding of nature and the universe.
  • Stoic logic was seen as the tool necessary for clear thinking and proper reasoning.

When Stoicism is spoken of as a philosophy of life today, it is generally Stoic ethics that is being referred to.

Living in Accordance With Nature

Zeno believed the main aim of Stoicism was to live in accordance with Nature.

In simple terms, this has three separate meanings:

  • Living in accordance with the Nature of the universe: Accepting that all events that have occurred were forever fated to occur.
  • Living in accordance with our natural functions: This simply means a living being is successfully performing these vital functions such as nutrition, metabolism, growth, and movement.
  • Living in accordance with our rational Nature: Striving to improve our ability to reason through lifelong learning, and thus improving our ability to live virtuously (which is the ultimate goal of Stoicism).

Virtues

The four cardinal virtues of Stoicism are Wisdom, Courage, Temperance, and Justice.

These are the principles that must guide our thoughts, intentions, and actions, the Stoics said, if we’re to live a good life. The Stoics believed that virtue is the only true good in life, while vice is the only true bad. Everything else is an indifferent–an external thing whose goodness or badness depends on how we use it.

  • Stoic Wisdom comes from the Greek term “phronesis” (φρόνησις) and is subdivided into good sense, good calculation, quick-wittedness, discretion, and resourcefulness.
  • Stoic Courage comes from the Greek term “andreia” (ανδρεία) and is subdivided into endurance, confidence, high-mindedness, cheerfulness, and industriousness.
  • Stoic Temperance comes from the Greek term “sophrosyne” (σωφροσύνη) and is subdivided into good discipline, seemliness, modesty, and self-control.
  • Stoic Justice comes from the Greek term “dikaiosyne” (δικαιοσύνη) and is subdivided into piety, honesty, equity, and fair dealing.

It’s straightforward enough to imagine what these might look like when practiced. There are different facets to each, of course, but broadly speaking we could say the following about each of them:

  • Courage is bravery and perseverance in the face of challenges.
  • Justice is the fair and kind treatment of others.
  • Moderation is the self-control to guard against excess.
  • Wisdom is the acquisition and creative application of knowledge.

What sometimes gets missed is how these virtues all work together. The Stoics believed that it’s impossible to have one without the others.

For example, a person may exhibit bravery in the face of danger, but it isn’t real Courage if their actions are taken for selfish reasons. It isn’t true virtue if Justice isn’t involved, if there’s no reference to the common good.

Moderation must also feature lest Courage expand into a lust for power. And Wisdom is needed at the outset to know what action to take and when.

Eudaimonia is a Greek term that translates to a state of being that encompasses terms such as “happiness”, “flourishing”, “fulfillment”, “well-being”, and the “good life.”

The Stoics believed that possession and practice of the four cardinal virtues  was the only true path to eudaimonia.

It’s important to note that Stoic “happiness” in this sense does not come from pleasure but from acting with reference to virtue and in accord with our Nature as rational beings.

The Three Disciplines

The three Stoic disciplines, according to Stoic philosopher Epictetus, are what the aspiring Stoic must practise to live fully according to Nature.

They are as follows:

  • The Discipline of Desire. Otherwise thought of as Stoic Acceptance, the discipline of desire guides us on what we should want, what we should avoid, and generally what we should spend our time on. It is closely aligned with the Stoic virtues of Courage and Moderation.
  • The Discipline of Action. Otherwise thought of as Stoic Philanthropy, the discipline of action guides us on how to live in harmony with other people. It is closely aligned with the Stoic virtue of Justice.
  • The Discipline of Assent. Otherwise thought of as Stoic Mindfulness, the discipline of assent guides us on how to make good judgements about what happens to us. It is closely aligned with the Stoic virtue of Wisdom.

* Stoic Acceptance, Stoic Philanthropy, and Stoic Mindfulness terms courtesy of Pierre Hadot/Donald Robertson.

Modern Day Application

The following Stoic techniques are described well by the Stoic writer William B. Irvine in his popular book A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy:

  • Negative visualization – The Stoics recommended that we spend time imagining that we have lost the things we value. That our wife has left us, our car was stolen, or we lost our job. Doing this, the Stoics thought, will make us value our wife, our car, and our job more than we otherwise would.
  • Dichotomy of control – distinguishing between the things over which we have complete control and the things over which we have no control at all.
  • Internalize goals – Stoics found a way to retain their tranquility despite their involvement with the world around them: They internalized their goals. Their goal was not to change the world, but to do their best to bring about certain changes. Even if their efforts proved to be ineffectual, they could nevertheless rest easy knowing that they had accomplished their goal: They had done what they could.
  • Fatalism towards the past and present – The Stoics advocated for fatalism towards the past and present, there are things you can change and act on in the future. The past has already happened, it can’t be changed. You don’t have complete control over the present in this very moment.
  • Self-denial – As an extension of negative visualization, “Besides contemplating bad things happening, we should sometimes live as if they had happened.”
  • Stoic meditation – regularly assessing your own progress in your practice of Stoicism.

What Stoicism Is Not

  • Stoicism (upper case ‘S’) is not the same thing as stoicism (lower case ‘s’). The former is the ancient school of philosophy in which we’re interested, while the latter is a (generally unhealthy) “stiff upper-lip” coping style.
  • This causes confusion in that people often wrongly think that Stoics seek to be passive and unemotional. In truth, the Stoics sought to minimize only negative emotions, and didn’t hold back on feelings of joy and love, for example.
  • Stoicism was not an elitist philosophy only intended for powerful Romans – it was embraced by people from many different walks of life.
  • Stoicism is not an individualistic philosophy focusing only on self-discipline. It focuses on the social responsibility of loving one’s neighbour, forming virtuous relationships, and helping others.

What Is Stoicism? – Common Questions

Here are some useful resources that help answer common questions about Stoicism:

  • Where can I read a digestible introduction to Stoicism?
    • This post consists of 101 short sentences covering the key concepts of Stoic philosophy.
    • This post details a brief timeline of the origins of Stoicism and includes a handy infographic for reference
  • What are the Stoic virtues and what do they mean?
    • This post explains the four cardinal Stoic virtues and includes a handy infographic for reference
  • What are the best Stoicism books?
  • What are the best Stoicism podcasts?
  • What are the best Stoicism courses?
  • Where can I find Stoicism groups to join?
  • How can I apply Stoicism to my daily routine?
  • Where can I find practical exercises inspired by the Stoics?
    • This page lists a collection of simple practical exercises that anyone can do and benefit from
  • How do modern Stoics apply the philosophy to their lives?
    • This page lists all interviews conducted with modern Stoics
    • This page is a compilation of every interview guest’s answer to the question: “In terms of what the philosophy means to you, what is Stoicism?”