Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy that originated in Ancient Greece and Rome around the 3rd century BC. The Stoics believed that the practice of virtue is enough to achieve eudaimonia, which is a well-lived, flourishing life. The philosophy was founded by Zeno of Citium, who studied under the Cynic Crates and was influenced by the teachings of Plato’s Academy and the Megarian School. The Stoic school was conceived of as comprising three parts: physics, logic, and ethics. Each of these parts includes a wide array of further topics nowadays dealt with separately. Logic, for example, includes not only formal logic but also questions now typically falling under the remit of philosophy of language, epistemology, and philosophy of mind.
Stoicism became particularly fashionable in the Roman period, and several prominent public figures were associated with the Stoic school. Although never identifying as a Stoic himself, Cicero, who studied philosophy in Athens and endeavored to popularize it at Rome, engaged extensively with Stoic theory in his philosophical works.
Stoicism is having a renaissance with entrepreneurs, athletes, and politicians. It is a philosophy designed to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuous, and more wise, and as a result, better people, better parents, and better... . The philosophy is often misunderstood, and the mere mention of philosophy makes most people nervous or bored. However, Stoicism is an ancient philosophy that was once one of the most popular civic disciplines in the West, practiced by the rich and the impoverished, the powerful and the struggling alike in the pursuit of the Good Life.
In summary, a Stoic philosopher is someone who follows the principles of Stoicism, which emphasizes the practice of virtue to achieve a well-lived, flourishing life. The philosophy was founded by Zeno of Citium and comprises three parts: physics, logic, and ethics. Stoicism became particularly fashionable in the Roman period, and several prominent public figures were associated with the Stoic school. Today, Stoicism is having a renaissance with entrepreneurs, athletes, and politicians.
