Stoicism: Difference between revisions
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[[File:stoic.jpg|right|thumb|[[Marcus Aurelius]] was a stoic who had one of the worst human rights records when it came to persecuting [[early Christians]]. What did this pupil of Antonio Pius miss or what could he not see. Why was his eyes darkened?]] | |||
Stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC. | Stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC. | ||
Revision as of 16:08, 10 December 2022
Stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC.
It is a philosophy of personal eudaemonic virtue ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world, asserting that the practice of virtue is both necessary and sufficient to achieve happiness and well being. They believe the indiviual and society will flourish by living an ethical life. The Stoics identified the path to eudaimonia with a life spent practicing the cardinal virtues and living in accordance with nature.
Zeno'e philosophy is not far from the philosophy of the Bible if we do not turn a blind eye to covetous practices of the Roman Emperial Cult like Marcus Aurelius. Not understanding that the use of force to provide welfare and the dainties of rulers was a violation of the Law of Nature was the foolishness of King Saul, the error of the Nicolaitan, Balaam and the masses as described by Polybius, and all the prophets.
The Stoics are especially known for teaching that "virtue is the only good" for human beings, and those external things—such as health, wealth, and pleasure—are not good nor bad in themselves (adiaphora) but have value as "material for virtue to act upon."
Alongside Aristotelian ethics, the Stoic tradition forms one of the major founding approaches to virtue ethics. The Stoics also held that certain destructive emotions resulted from errors of judgment, and they believed people should aim to maintain a will (called prohairesis) that is "in accordance with nature".
Because of this, the Stoics thought the best indication of an individual's philosophy was not what a person said but how a person behaved. To live a good life, one had to understand the rules of the Natural Law.
Whatever the sages of Stoicism would do is what a human being should do as a right action (katorthoma), which is obedient to the Law of Nature.
To Christianize the Stoic katorthoma[1], which is a duty of everyman, we must fulfill that duty with fervent charity as opposed to legal charity.
- ↑ 2735 κατόρθωμα katorthoma [kat-or’-tho-mah] from a compound of 2596 kata and a derivative of 3717 orthos upright [cf 1357]; n n; AV-very worthy deed 1; 1
- 1) a right action, a successful achievement
- 1a) of wholesome public measures or institutions
- Kathēkonta are contrasted in Stoic ethics with katorthōma(see Acts 24:2). Kathēkon is a Greek concept, forged by the founder of Stoicism, Zeno of Citium. It may be translated as "appropriate behaviour", "befitting actions", or "convenient action for nature", or also "proper function". The term kathēkon was translated in Latin by Cicero as officium, and by Seneca as convenentia.(see Romans 1:28)
Whatever the sages of Stoicism would do is what a human being should do as a right action (katorthōma), which is obedient to nature which is the primary sense of kathēkon. To Christianize the Stoic katorthoma, which is a duty of everyman, we must fulfill that duty with fervent charity as opposed to legal charity which feeds not the humility of the soul through daily sacrifice and love but degenerates the soul of the masses and their tyrants.
- 1) a right action, a successful achievement