Greek And Roman Stoicism And Some Of Its Discip... May 2026

The core of Greek Stoicism was the "dichotomy of control." They argued that while we cannot control external events—wealth, health, or reputation—we have absolute control over our own judgments and intentions. Virtue, defined as wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance, was considered the "sole good." Everything else was an "indifferent"—something that might be nice to have (like money) but was not necessary for a virtuous life. The Roman Transition: Philosophy as a Way of Life

Born a slave, Epictetus proved that Stoicism was a philosophy of radical freedom. He taught that even if a man’s body is imprisoned, his mind remains free. His Enchiridion (Manual) emphasizes that we are not disturbed by things, but by the views we take of them. Greek and Roman stoicism and some of its discip...

The early Greek Stoics—Zeno, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus—built a rigorous framework based on the idea that the universe is a rational, organized whole governed by Logos (divine reason). For the Greeks, the goal of life was eudaimonia (flourishing), achieved by living in accordance with nature. The core of Greek Stoicism was the "dichotomy of control