Stoicism

Stoicism is a philosophical school of thought founded by Zeno of Citium in the year 3 B.C. This system has a very logical foundation and requires a person to use their skills of observation to draw conclusions from the world around them. Based on these observations a person can create bespoke virtues. It is important to understand that this system was designed to create a path to eudaimonia (translated to joy or happiness). Virtues are tools; they can help create something beautiful or fabricate an environment of destruction. In practicing and following certain virtues, an individual could weather any tempest even during a state devoid of joy. An emphasis was given to observing and understanding nature. To live a good life, it was important to understand these natural laws and abide by them.

A stoic is a person that can endure pain and hardship without feeling the need to complain or show much emotion. Marcus Aurelius was a famous Roman stoic-emperor who wrote about his experiences in a collection of works called Meditations. Modern stoicism aims to teach this ancient philosophy and amend so that it can be used in the 21^st century.

Stoicism began with a merchant named Zeno, mentioned earlier, who was shipwrecked while traveling with his merchant fleet. This wreck almost made him lose everything he owned and on his way to Athens he came across philosophy written by Crates and Stilpo. It was using their ideas and his aim to get the best out of this horrible situation that led to the founding of stoic thought. Stoic philosophers have come from a variety of backgrounds. Some were commoners and some like Agasicles were kings. They say that once you start following this path, it is hard to not follow in the footsteps of our great ancestors.

There are four main virtues that are considered of the highest regard: courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom. It is of the highest importance to learn to practice and embody these virtues in the pursuit of stoicism. It is important to balance them, and act accordingly, and not get taken over by emotion in the heat of the moment. I will now explain what each of the virtues mean, but it is important to note that you need to actually practice them in order to fully grasp the concepts.

Courage basically means you need to work and get out of your comfort zone, that you need to have the courage to do something you would not otherwise do. There is a saying that explains if you go through life without facing a single enemy or challenge, you will not know you own potential. Temperance is akin to patience. You need to learn to take things at their own pace and not indulge anything in excess. It is always better to wait and observe a situation before acting then to leap before looking. A lot of problems can be avoided this way. It is important to absorb these concepts and make a part of how you live. Convert them into good habits that will stay with you forever.

The next virtue is justice. It is important to have the courage to act, and it is important to follow temperance to act, but it is even more important to know when to act. Justice means you do what needs to be done. It is important to build a strong moral code so that you know how to respond so a situation. Justice can be thought of as the source to all the virtues. The last virtue is wisdom. The difference between knowledge and wisdom is that knowledge is understanding how something is done, and wisdom is doing it. Let us imagine a situation where there is a car that needs to be washed and cleaned. Knowledge would be knowing which cleaning agents to use or what cloths you are going to clean with, but wisdom means actually going through the motion of cleaning the car.

The Stoic Engine will aim to help create tools that can be useful in various situations of life. These tools will only be outlined to a certain extent. It is important to use them and modify them so that they may work for you and add value to your life. If they don’t work, don’t use them. Only trust things that have passed through your personal experience. Do not follow anything without absolute verification. This content is a recount of my own, personal experiences. It is my aim to explore and understand my own experiences. I do that through this blog. I talk about all that fascinates and interests me.

This series of posts will also closely look at the series of writings known as meditations. Meditations refers not to the practice of siting still with your eyes closed but to a series of books and journals. These writings serve as an insight to the mind of the last of the ‘Five Good Emperors’ of Rome, Marcus Aurelius Antonius. He served as emperor from 161 to 180 A.D. These texts are a collection of his experiences and adventures. They were written to act as a guide for self-improvement, a guide to help the late emperor get through difficult situations.

Marcus Aurelius followed the school of philosophy known as stoicism. Practising this line of thinking helped him endure hardship without feeling the need to effuse his emotions, and to do so without complaint. A lot of his cuneiform was influenced by his philosophy and military expeditions. In fact, it is suspected that his first book was written during his campaign in Pannonia, and his second written on the river Hron known as river Granova historically.

Since these writings were intended for personal use, they were never titled, therefore the whole collection of works is referred to as Marcus Aurelius’ ‘Meditations.’ This series of posts will discuss his life both as a Roman Emperor, and as a famous Philosopher. We will venture into his successes and shortcomings while investigating the utility of his experiences in our modern lives.

A stoic is a person that can endure pain and hardship without feeling the need to complain or show much emotion. Marcus Aurelius was a famous Roman stoic-emperor who wrote about his experiences in a collection of works called Meditations. Modern stoicism aims to teach this ancient philosophy and amend so that it can be used in the 21^st century.

The Stoic Engine will aim to help create tools that can be useful in various situations of life. These tools will only be outlined to a certain extent. It is important to use them and modify them so that they may work for you and add value to your life. If they don’t work, don’t use them. Only trust things that have passed through your personal experience. Do not follow anything without absolute verification. This content is a recount of my own, personal experiences. It is my aim to explore and understand my own experiences. I do that through this blog. I talk about all that fascinates and interests me.