How do the Stoic, the Cynic, the Epicurean think, and which philosophy is closer to you?

Narrative psychologist, expert of the online school of psychological professions “Psychodemia”

There is a huge plus in the study of ancient philosophy – everything that philosophers reasoned about is still relevant today. And although the names of schools scare with excessive intellectualism, their main ideas are simple and clear. Let’s try not to complicate and try on the principles of different schools on ourselves.

The Cynics

They promoted extreme ideas. Bright representatives of Kinism are Antisthenes, Kerekides, Cratetus and Diogenes of Sinope. Kinism emerged in the V-IV century BC, when the Greek polities began to rapidly lose their independence, and the former economic and political stability flowed through the fingers of Antisthenes’ contemporaries.

The reaction of the representatives of this philosophical school to such processes was the rejection of everything superfluous – family, society, state, religion. Kiniks established a dress code, which included a light cloak, a staff to travel or fight off enemies, a purse for alms and began to preach self-denial.

Their worldview rested on three basic concepts-asceticism, apeudevia, und autarky. The most familiar word may seem to be ascesis – it is the ability to get rid of excesses, self-isolation and rather strict limitation of needs, because everything external does not belong to us, and only inner freedom has value.

It was Kinism that had a significant influence on the formation of Christian asceticism. Also representatives of this philosophy were adherents of the idea of liberation from religion and culture, believing that, paradoxically, free and beneficial can be only in the case of renunciation of external dogmas and conventions. This principle was called apeadeusia by the Cynics.

Autarky is the ability to exist independently of others. Antisthenes and his followers believed that friendship, kinship or any other relationships have no value, and true freedom is nurtured in self-restraint and finds its realization in gross egoism.

Certainly, the Cynics were criticized for excessive asceticism or even marginality, which manifested itself in their appearance and sometimes in antisocial behavior. For example, Diogenes of Sinope, who was said to have been quite eccentric, walking the streets and spitting at wealthy members of Greek society.

If Antisthenes of Athens were suddenly reborn, for example, into a modern millennial, he would certainly go to India, preach rejection of excesses, wealth, vanity, boycott gadgets, orthopedic pillows and plasma TVs. Gradually he would have attracted a huge number of followers who would have been ready to build him a palace and shower him with gold. He would probably sleep on a mattress under the stars and think about how the modern world is fixated on material things.

Stoics

The philosophy of Stoicism emerged a little later, around 300 BC. The main representatives are Zeno, aka the founder, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Lucius Annaeus Seneca. The development of Stoic philosophy was accompanied by difficult times. Life was difficult – constant wars, epidemics and natural disasters. The only thing that seemed logical in an ever-changing world was to find stability internally.

The main idea of Stoicism is that there are a great many things beyond man’s control, but he can always control his thoughts and actions, and thus owns himself.

Statue of Marcus Aurelius on the Capitoline Hill in Rome

Epictetus wrote: “Men are tormented not by things but by ideas about them”, accordingly, we can choose our thoughts and control them. The Stoics believed that nature was the supreme substance. It determines the fate of the universe and each individual. One cannot change it, but can only accept it, like all suffering. It is important that people are virtuous. This is the main happiness in life.

The Stoics were criticized for excessive determinism and confidence in the predetermination of fate, but it was they who introduced so many psychotherapeutic ideas into philosophy, such as self-analysis – the need to look inside oneself every day, to ask about important things and honestly answer questions.

The Stoics recommended facing one’s fears and even visualizing the most frightening versions of the future. They noted that there are external factors that are beyond our control – the behavior of others, their thoughts, motivations, habits. And there are factors that we can control – our own thoughts, behaviors, and actions. If one were to try to fit the whole philosophy into one word, perhaps it would be self-control.

If Zeno had been born in our time, he would probably have gone into meditation, opened his own retreat somewhere in Mykonos, taught people how to catch thoughts and stabilize themselves in unstable conditions. Or he’d choose the profession of cognitive behavioral psychologist and become famous for his many books on self-control.

Epicureans

They respected and promoted pleasure, but not quite in the paradigm familiar to modern man. Epicureanism originated in the 4th century BC. The representatives are Epicurus (after whom the philosophy was named), Virgil, Varius, and Polistratus. Today the word hedonism is associated with Epicureanism. In fact, though Epicurus spoke of pleasure and enjoyment, he did not advocate gluttony, excesses or idleness, as he was often reproached by his contemporaries.

This philosophy is based on the pursuit of ataraxia, that is, independence from pain and suffering. Pleasure in this context is only a way to get rid of them. And pleasures in Epicureanism are always limited, because if you consume food without stopping, it can only lead to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, not to endless happiness.

Pleasures according to Epicurus are of two types. Active – those we get in activity, and static, or pleasures in a certain state. For example, when you have no anxiety – this is ataraxia. According to Epicurus, this is a state worth striving for. It combines being in tranquility and the absence of suffering.

Epicurus advocated the so-called tetrapharmakon – four medicines that can help a person live a full and happy life. Essentially, these are the commandments of Epicureanism:

• fear not the gods;
• do not fear death (for we do not face our own death, only the passing of others);
• suffering can be endured;
• happiness is attainable.

The Epicureans valued friendship and the warmth that can be gained in the company of a pleasant person, opposed senseless consumption, and censured unnatural pleasures like vanity or wealth.

As we have already mentioned, Epicurus’ contemporaries criticized him for his desire for pleasure and the idea of disrespect for the gods, accused him of gluttony and promiscuity. The philosopher himself lived quite modestly.

If Epicurus were our contemporary, he would have a lifestyle blog with photos of food, pre-sunset Samos and bed linen made of recycled linen, but he would promote minimalism, environmentalism and would probably be the first to write a bestselling book about magical cleaning and getting rid of excesses in the closet.

What’s the conclusion?

Kinism seems a bit extreme in the context of modernity, although the very idea of getting rid of excess in an age of overconsumption and overproduction is logical. I sympathize with the Epicureans and their concept of non-suffering through pleasure. The idea of achieving anxiety-free states is also appealing, given that a wide range of related disorders are gripping people in cities of millions more and more.

It seems that the hedonism of Epicureanism, combined with Stoicism’s ideas of inner control, would make an excellent philosophical base for modern man. It turns out that the notorious ideas of meinfulness, mindfulness and observation of thoughts floating along the river of consciousness were known and developed in antiquity, and the new is really the old well forgotten.