Stoicism is a philosophical principle developed in Ancient Greece, which teaches the development
of self-control and fortitude as a means of overcoming destructive emotions.
It's not just considered a philosophy, but rather is deemed to be a way of life, and
has gained popularity in recent times and is being adopted as a way of life by many
people today.
So in this video, we look at the fundamentals of what Stoic philosophy is...
1.
History - Stoicism first appeared in Athens in the
period around 300 B.C. and was introduced by Zeno of Citium and was based on the moral
ideas of Cynicism - During its early phase, Stoicism was generally
seen as a back-to-nature movement, critical of superstitions and taboos, based on the
Stoic idea that the law of morality is the same as Nature
- Chrysippus of Soli was largely responsible for the molding of what we now call Stoicism,
as he built up a unified account of the world, consisting of formal logic, materialistic
physics and naturalistic ethics - Stoicism then went on to become the foremost
and most influential school of the Greco-Roman world, with many great writers including Marcus
Aurelius for example
2.
Control Emotion - You may be aware of the term "stoic", where
someone endures pain and hardship, without showing their feelings or complaining about
their circumstance - This is rooted in the idea of stoicism,
but rather than how it's often termed, which is almost as a way of masking emotion, in
stoicism the true goal is to control emotion and achieve freedom from passion
- What this means is as events occur, the aim is to view and understand them with objectivity
and logic, appreciating the reality of what the situation is, rather than having your
judgement clouded by your emotions - Through this process of emotional detachment,
it's easier to make more effective decisions, choosing to do what needs to be done, as opposed
to making decisions centred on how you feel
3.
Pantheism - Stoics have a monoistic view of the world,
meaning that all things culminate to be one and therefore everything is a connected to
build up a single reality - This principle pervades the whole universe,
called Pantheism, meaning if something happens in one place, it can have an impact elsewhere
- Think of it like if you feel pain in your foot, while the place where the cause of the
pain is at the bottom of your body, it impacts your brain, which sends signals of pain and
reacts - This is in part why the concept of stoicism
is so deeply rooted in the idea of detachment from personal emotion, as your actions and
the reactions you get should be in flow with the entirity of the universe
4.
Being In Tune With Nature - Because there's this key principle of being
one and believing all is connected, there's a deep respect for all aspects of nature within
Stoicism - This is done by an individual focusing on
their ethical and moral wellbeing by having a will which is in agreement with nature and
all reality - An individual does this by practicising
the four cardinal virtues, as taught by Plato, which are wisdom, courage, justice and temperance
- This principle means stoics also believe in Egalitarian beliefs, whereby they believe
in treating all as equals, regardless of their position or social status
5.
Similarities to Other Philosophies - For many, the key fundamentals of Stoicism
will bear resemblance to other philosophies and ways of life, including Dharmic religions
such as Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as New Age thinking, such as the Law of Attraction
or Law of Vibration - In each of these principles, what you'll
find is that there are fundamental ideas that your ethical outlook on life will play a critical
role in how you live life - One that's deeply rooted in a sense of detachment
to individual feeling, to acting in accordance with a greater consciousness and living in
harmony rather than conflict - Stoicism is equally practical, focusing
on objectivity and logic, leading to living life and making decisions that are productive
for you rather than deconstructive
I will be delving deeper into stoicism and how it can influence your life, but in the
meantime, have you heard about stoicism before?
Let me know in the comments section below.
Please Like, Share and Subscribe as we help you live life on your terms.
Don't forget to hit the bell icon to ensure YouTube notifies you of the latest uploads.
Thanks for watching