Concept in Definition ABC

Stoicism is an intellectual current that emerged as movement philosophical in the third century BC. C in the context of the Hellenistic world. The initiator of this movement was Zeno of Citius and both he and his followers consolidated a doctrine that still serves as a reference today, especially as a guide to happiness and behaviour moral. As for the term Stoic, it comes from Stoá, a portico of the city of Athens in which the philosophers of this current met to debate. The word Stoic has evolved and is currently used to express that someone stands firm in the face of adversity.

Historians of the philosophy they coincide in affirming that Stoicism arose in very specific social, political and cultural circumstances. From a social point of view, the individual had lost his traditional references, since the model community The Greek city-state had weakened and most cities were in a period of decline.

Politically, the city of Athens had lost its hegemony with the irruption of the Hellenistic empire in the framework of the conquests of Alexander the Great. In the plane

cultural and scientific philosophers turn their gaze towards the individual and the need for personal autonomy, betting on a philosophy that is useful for life, fleeing from the philosophical and political or social speculation (just as the pre-Socratic philosophers had done in relation to nature and Socrates in moral and civic).

The philosophical approach to Stoicism

While the Stoic philosophers dealt with scientific issues, they excelled in their discussion of morality. Stoicism defends an ethic based on reason, in such a way that behavior must be based on the harmony between nature and human needs.

The end of man is to find the Balance and individual happiness and for this it is necessary for the individual to find himself. The proposal defended by the Stoics is simple: a pleasant and happy life must be based on living according to nature itself, understanding nature both in an individual sense and in universal. Thus, the Stoics consider that we will only be happy if we are able to harmonize our conduct with the true sense of what is natural. If we deviate from this purpose we will live in permanent dissatisfaction.

The ideal of human happiness is achieved by being able to control our impulses and passions and, therefore, practicing the self-control. The Stoic sage defends the need to stand firm in the face of adversity, to know what are the passions in keeping with nature and lead an austere, simple life avoiding temptations unnatural.

Stoicism versus Epicureanism

From a philosophical point of view, the ideal of Stoicism is opposed to another current that appeared in the same historical context, Epicureanism. The Stoics try not to be dominated by desires, while the Epicureans defend a hedonism moderate. For the Stoics the important thing is not the goodness or the badness of an action but the purpose of the action. itself and the Epicureans consider that the good is that which seeks rational satisfaction and moderate.

For the stoic man, human freedom is framed within the universe and the guidelines that govern nature and man will only find freedom within him, as opposed to approach of the Epicureans, who consider that there is no determinism as postulated by the Stoics, but that the human condition implies the need to choose and, therefore, to exercise Liberty.

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