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Much of the knowledge pertaining to virtue is the resulting work of Stoics, such as Plato, Aristotle, and Marcus Aurelius. Stoicism can be referred to as the foundation of Christianity however, the lack of a personal relationship with “The One” or God prevents Stoics' souls from reaching their great potential.
Principally, Stoics fundamentally believed that “every event that occurs in the cosmos, from the most important to the most trivial, was fated to occur, and determined to occur” (Brennan, 235). They were fatalists. Furthermore, Stoics, as a whole, tended to view the physical and intellectual world in analytical and logical terms. In Stoicism and its Influence, R. M. Wenley makes the point that “the Stoics attempted to frame a theory of the physical universe, of the individual man as he finds himself under compulsion in this universe and, combining the two, to formulate a rule of life in conformity with Reason” (75). Consequently, Stoics wanted to achieve an other-worldly understanding of the physical and intellectual world they resided in. Moreover, the most important contribution to their central argument was that the highest good lies in virtue, and that the final purpose for man is to achieve happiness.
To achieve said good, many Stoics, like Plato, believed a set, careful process primarily focused in education and meditation was necessary. Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor and Stoic, believed that through “following after the things produced according to nature”, one could begin to develop a virtuous soul, as shown in his Meditations (Book III: 2). Continuing his discourse of Platonic and Aristotelian principles, in Book II, line 7, Aurelius advises his reader to “give thyself time to learn something new and good, a...
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... (Romans 16: 25-27). In addition to reading these sacred texts, Christians had to abandon logic and reason and simply rely on their faith in order to achieve this happiness.
In conclusion, the wisdom achieved through Stoic principles is the foundation of the Christian religion. However, the impersonal relationship central to Stoic philosophy prevents its followers from obtaining the glorious after life known to Christians. The element of reason woven into the foundation of Stoicism greatly hindered the potential of its believers. Unlike the Stoics, Christians' personal relationship with their monotheistic God not only endows them with the instructions necessary to daily life, but also eliminates all mystery regarding the after life. Christians know without a single shred of doubt that their eternal life with their monotheistic God will be full of peace and bliss.
In this short article I will explain that in what sense did Salutati adopt Stoic ethics according to his letter found in Jill Kraye. Salutati was an Italian humanist and man of letter and he is one of the most known political and cultural leader for Renaissance Florence and he was appointed chancellor of Florence on 1375 until his death , which was on that time one of the most important position in the administration of the republic of Florence.
The Stoic philosopher Epictetus is one such philosopher. In The Enchiridion he outlined how to live a good life as a stoic. Anything that is not one's own action is out of their control and should be ignored. He lists "Body, property, reputation, and command" as examples.1 He claims they are weak, and do not belong to us. Trying to control them will lead to unhappiness. On the other hand, he believes if you recognize that external things belonging to others, and internal things as yours you will be much better off.2 To Epictetus, proper way to live is to let things come to you, while being reserved. To illustrate this, he uses the example of a dinner party, where you should not reach across the table and take things. Instead you wait till they come to you.3
More specifically, Stoicism is a moral guide for humans. Though nature is absolute and perfect through God, the human thought is the one and only feature of life that is controlled and changed by people. Humans have the ability to reason and to know that everything in life is determined. For every event that they encounter, humans are able to acknowledge the fact that it is a part of their life plan. Therefore, a person can control whether he/she accepts that the action is unchangeable. Many humans think that they have a choice for all that they do and all that happens to them. But in Stoic reality, natures plan has one path with no possible differences. Thus, good is not defined by what a person does; but, by a per...
As rational beings, we can become conscious of the law that guides all things. Virtue consists in conscious agreement with the inevitable order of things. According to Epictetus’ The Enchiridion, one acts with the virtues of Stoicism: human imperfection, prudence, temperance, and courage. We can relate what Epictetus is saying to our own lives. It appears that some comfort comes in knowing that one has no control over the predetermined.
Christian faith adamantly states that the belief in one God will set you on the path to inner peace and true happiness. Christians, Ancius Boethius and Susan C. Stark, agree that the acceptance of God and his teachings is the only way to achieve peace and happiness. Boethius writes about his own wavering path to happiness in The Consolations of Philosophy. Lady philosophy, like Jesus, teaches Boethius what the true “goods” of the world are, that God has complete control and knowledge, evil has no real substance and ultimately, that through God, he can attain true happiness. Susan C. stark parallels these teachings in her article, Where peace comes from. The many interrelating ideas of Boethius and Stark’s works shed light on the Christian values, teaching and essentially, the path to happiness.
The Christian worldview is centered on the Gospel and places their beliefs in the essential teachings of the Trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (DiVincenzo, 2015). This paper will explain who God is and what he created, what our purpose and nature is as humans, who Jesus was and what he did while on earth, how God plans to bring his people back into the right relationship with himself, and as a Christian how one is to live their life with an analysis of the Christian worldview.
The foundation of a Christian worldview is the belief in a personal God, creator and ruler of the universe. The Christian worldview views the world through God’s word, providing the framework for humanity to live by giving meaning and purpose to life. It defines who Jesus is, human nature, and how salvation is achieved. In essence it is the basis of which Christians behave, interact, interpret life and comprehend reality. A Christian worldview imparts confidence, answers to life’s problems, and hope for the future. In this paper I will discuss the essentials of a Christian worldview and an analysis of the influences, benefits, and difficulties sustaining the Christian faith.
One of the main ideas which form part of the answer as to what it means to follow nature for the Stoics is the following of an intended trajectory. As the oak tree strives to achieve its natural form of the best oak tree that it can become, it is upon its natural trajectory of reaching its potential. So too, borrowing from Aristotle, humans have the potential of becoming excellent in their own right through...
Stoicism was popularized by the Roman elite of the Late Republic, and it appealed to the elites especially because it provided teachings on how to deal with strife. During the civil war between Pompey the Great and Julius Caesar and the resulting power vacuum after Caesar's assassination, the chaos and violence caused a desire for an...
Many stoic philosophers have taken a different approach to virtue and happiness. Homer and Epicurus for instance argue that happiness through desires and virtue are co-dependent suggesting that men with no desires cannot live happy lives. This slightly counters Seneca’s belief that happiness is a result of virtue.
The intellectual traditions of the ancient world tend to focus on answering four questions that play into the purpose of one’s life. The four questions being, who am I, where am I, who am I with and what is necessary to be happy. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus and Epictetus all had different opinions on these questions which allowed me to develop my own understanding through dissection of their philosophies. These four questions were also addressed through several aspects of readings throughout the quarter. The purpose of good and evil, religion, civilization, government, honor, shame and pleasure all helped develop some concrete background for the philosophers to apply their thinking.
With their philosophical roots grounded in ancient Greece, Stoicism and Epicureanism had contrary yet significant impacts on Roman society. These two philosophies differed in many of their basic theories. Stoics attempted to reach a moral level where they had freedom from passion, while Epicureans strove for pleasure and avoided all types of pain. Stoics like the Epicureans, emphasized ethics as the main field of knowledge, but they also developed theories of logic and natural science to support their ethical doctrines.
Marcus Aurelius was a stoic. In the book Archetypes of Wisdom, Soccio defines stoicism as a philosophy that, “counsel’s self-control, detachment, and acceptance of one’s fate as identified by the objective use of reason. Stoics believed that everything is about your attitude and that happiness comes only through the detachment from all external things. In book two of The Meditations Aurelius writes that nothing can injure him because no one can implicate him in what is degrading. This would be considered a stoic thought because Marcus is not letting external factors influence his happiness. Another example would be that when he speaks of his brother. His stepbrother Verus was very incompetent, but Aurelius could not turn his back on him, because it would go against Nature. Nature is the same thing as Logos. Logos is a force that governs the universe. It is also known as World Reason, Cosmic Mind, God, Zeus, Nature, Providence, Cosmic Meaning, and Fate. He mentions several of these throughout the document.
Stoicism is not just another Greek philosophy – it is a way of life. Common belief characterizes a Stoic as lacking emotion. Stoic reasoning behind a lack of emotion, or indifference, is to prevent passion from blinding rational judgment. Indifference is not the sole identifier of a Stoic; other characteristics include moderation and virtue. Stoicism teaches that happiness can only be obtained through virtue. To achieve indifference and virtue, certain sacrifices need to be made, which is where moderation comes into play. For example, hatred and love are opposing emotions. Because Stoicism calls for indifference, a Stoic must be moderate and avoid both extremities. Despite having been conceived nearly two thousand years ago, the principles of Stoicism remain relevant even now. Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and “Indian Camp” relate to Stoicism because the two pieces echo the Stoic ideas of moderation, indifference, and virtue.
“All of morals comes down to the virtues.” (Keenan, 142) Keenan asserts that these virtues are the cardinal virtues, consisting of courage, temperance, justice, and prudence, and date back to Aristotle in Ancient Greece. The word cardinal is derived from the root, cardo, meaning hinge. Simply stated, the Christian moral life hinges on the cardinal virtues. Keenan suggests an updating of the cardinal virtues to become justice, fidelity, self-care, and prudence. He provides reasoning for the new virtue list. He defines each virtue with its social implications. For example, individuals should seek to set up society with equal justice for all persons. These descriptions help the Christian understand when the virtues are best applicable to self and/or others. Thomas Aquinas adds three theological virtues to the mix: faith, hope, and charity. Familiar from the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians, these virtues seek to help Christian theologians through the ages maintain the integrity of the Gospel and continue to make it relevant in the modern world. Keenan recounts Bernard of Clairvaux’s beliefs that cultivating the virtues is a way to assimilate with the humanity of Jesus. (Keenan, 136) According to Aquinas, “Every human action is a moral action.” (Keenan, 142) The purpose of the virtues is to guide Christians, and when the Christian studies and applies the virtues to his life, his actions will demonstrate morality. The Bible heralds in Proverbs 3:32, “Devious people are detestable to the Lord, but the virtuous are his close