Stoics

Stoics
Followers of the philosopher Zeno (335–263 BCE), who lived in Athens and taught within a colonnade (Greek, stoa). They were numerous in NT times among Roman politicians and orators and emphasized the cosmopolitan nature of mankind, teaching that all are brothers and sisters in the world, but that the lot here of everyone is predetermined. The most effective means of dealing with this fate was to control one's own passions and ambitions so that inevitable external events had the least painful results. Stoicism was a philosophy of life which called for inner discipline, and had points of contact both with Jewish Wisdom literature (e.g. Wisd. of Sol. 7:22–6) and with Christian teaching. For example, Stoics held that the universe was inspired by a divine Logos [[➝ logos]] or Word (cf. John 1:1–3), and there are parallels between the Household Codes [[➝ household codes]] of the epistles and ethical teaching of the Stoics. The difference is that the ideal for Christians was to include a warmth and love which the Stoics would have regarded as rather reprehensible. Christian martyrdom out of loyalty and love for Jesus was different from the steely courage to endure of the Stoics. According to Acts 17:22–31 Paul encountered Stoic teachers at Athens, and he made use of popular Stoic philosophy in his sermon there.

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  • Stoics —    A sect of Greek philosophers at Athens, so called from the Greek word stoa i.e., a porch or portico, where they have been called the Pharisees of Greek paganism. The founder of the Stoics was Zeno, who flourished about B.C. 300. He taught his… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • Stoics and Stoic Philosophy — • The Stoic School was founded in 322 B.C. by Zeno of Cittium and existed until the closing of the Athenian schools (A.D. 429) Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Stoics and Stoic Philosophy     Stoics amd Stoic P …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Stoics — Stoicism …   Philosophy dictionary

  • STOICS —    the disciples of Zeno; derived their name from the stoa or portico in Athens where their master taught and founded the school in 340 B.C. The doctrines of the school were completely antagonistic to those of Epicurus, and among the disciples of …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Stoics — Sto·ic || stəʊɪk n. member of the stoic school of philosophy (philosophy maintaining that a wise man should be free from passion) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • stoics — Sto·ic || stəʊɪk n. one who is impassive, one who displays little or no emotion adj. unemotional, impassive, unaffected by strong emotions …   English contemporary dictionary

  • The Stockyard Stoics — are a punk rock band based out of Brooklyn with current members all hailing from Eugene, Oregon. Their songs focus on political and social issues, in particular anarchism. The band is heavily influenced by such early British punk bands such as… …   Wikipedia

  • School of Stoics — Stoic Sto ic, n. [L. stoicus, Gr. ?, fr. ?, adj., literally, of or pertaining to a colonnade, from ? a roofed colonnade, a porch, especially, a porch in Athens where Zeno and his successors taught.] 1. A disciple of the philosopher Zeno; one of a …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Stoicism — Stoicism1 Brad Inwood 1 FROM SOCRATES TO ZENO More than eighty years passed between the death of Socrates in 399 BC and the arrival in Athens of Zeno in 312. Athenian society had undergone enormous upheavals, both political and social. The Greek… …   History of philosophy

  • Sceptics (The) — The sceptics Michael Frede INTRODUCTION When we speak of ‘scepticism’ and of ‘sceptics’, we primarily think of a philosophical position according to which nothing is known for certain, or even nothing can be known for certain. There are certain… …   History of philosophy

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