1. STOICISM
Greek Philosophy
Social Studies for 9th EGB – Teacher: Mauricio Torres

2. ONTARGET
Common views with Christianity
Stoicism
What is stoicism?
• Free Will
Who was Zeno?
Legacy
Summary
Where do we go from here?

3. ONTARGET
FREE WILL
STOICISM BASICS:

4. ONTARGET
Having a “good life”
No one is forced to pursue a “good life”, but it is up to each individual to put
aside things in which he has little or no control whatsoever.
• This includes indifference towards pain and pleasure, poverty and riches.

5. ONTARGET
Rely on yourself to be happy
"Man is disturbed
not by things, but
by the views he
takes of them."
This phrase summarizes stoic thought. It is up to you how you deal with
problems or whatever life gives you.

6. ONTARGET
ZENO
“Happiness is a good flow of life.”

7. ONTARGET
Zeno
Zeno was the founder of the Stoic school of philosophy, which he taught in Athens
from about 300 BC.
• Most of the details known about his life come from preserved anecdotes.
• Zeno is described as a haggard, tanned person, living a spare life.
• He started to teach in a place called “Stoa Poikile.”, hence the name “Stoics”.

8. ONTARGET
Zeno
He had a very upbeat look upon life. He thought that by forgetting about
every thing that could cause us anxiety we could achieve a life that is in
harmony with nature, living in accordance with a supreme lawgiver.

9. ONTARGET
STOICISM & CHRISTIANITY
Common views

10. ONTARGET
Does this conflict with Christ’s teachings?
Both Stoicism and Christianity state:
• an inner freedom in the face of the external world,
• a belief in human kinship with Nature or God
• and the futility and temporarity of worldly possessions and attachments.
• Both disregard the passions and inferior emotions such as envy and
anger, so that the higher possibilities of one's humanity can be awakened
and developed.

11. ONTARGET
LEGACY
Practical Stoicism

12. ONTARGET
Students’ Great Philosophical Questions
The point of philosophy is to ponder the
questions that life presents. Students of
philosophy (and, perhaps, students of life)
have raised and will continue to raise some of
philosophy’s greatest questions:
• Why?
• What?
• Will this be on the test?
• Should I worry about this?
So how will stoicism help you on your life?
Legacy
Are you a philosopher?
“We have two ears and one mouth, so we
should listen more than we say”
Zeno of Citium
The Stoics presented their
philosophy as a way of life, and
they thought that the best
indication of an individual's
philosophy was not what a person
said but how he behaved.
This is why later thinkers of the
Roman era, adapted Stoicism to
their own set of beliefs and even
today, as a way of life it is still
useful to us.

13. ONTARGET
A STOIC’S ADVICE:
Summary

14. ONTARGET
Summarizing:
Stoics would not make a big fuss about little (or even the
big details) in life.
They would probably just say:
“Main advice for handling any difficult thing
in life: Put it in perspective and get over it.”