ANDRES, AUBREY D.
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the
early 3rd century BC. While Stoic physics are largely drawn from the teachings of the
philosopher Heraclitus, they are heavily influenced by certain teachings of Socrates. Stoicism
is predominantly a philosophy of personal ethics informed by its system of logic and its
views on the natural world. According to its teachings, as social beings, the path to
happiness for humans is found in accepting the moment as it presents itself, by not allowing
oneself to be controlled by the desire for pleasure or fear of pain, by using one's mind to
understand the world and to do one's part in nature's plan, and by working together and
treating others fairly and justly.
The Stoics are especially known for teaching that "virtue is the only good" for human beings, and
that external things—such as health, wealth, and pleasure—are not good or bad in themselves, but
have value as "material for virtue to act upon". The Stoics also held that certain destructive emotions
resulted from errors of judgment, and they believed people should aim to maintain a will (called
prohairesis) that is "in accord with nature". Because of this, the Stoics thought the best indication of
an individual's philosophy was not what a person said, but how a person behaved. To live a good life,
one had to understand the rules of the natural order since they thought everything was rooted in
nature.
It has been debated whether there is anything that is properly called Christian philosophy.
Christianity is not a system of ideas but a religion, a way of salvation. But as a religion becomes a
distinguishable strand of human history, it absorbs philosophical assumptions from its environment
and generates new philosophical constructions and arguments both in the formation of doctrines and
in their defense against philosophical objections. Moreover, philosophical criticism from both within
and without the Christian community has influenced the development of its beliefs.
Christianity, based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, teaches love, compassion, charity, and
forgiveness. Like Stoicism, it emerged during chaotic times, and offered a security and peace that
could lead to happiness. The relation has its foundation in Jesus as the physical manifestation of God.
According to Christianity, it is only through Jesus that people can achieve eternal salvation. Humans
save themselves through grace instead works, while the forgiveness of sins comes by faith alone.
Similarities
Among the parallels between Stoicism and Christianity, both are monotheistic. Stoicism follows
Heraclitus and believes in one Logos; Christianity follows Jesus, and requires followers to believe in
the one true God and have no other gods before him [her]. Additionally, both Stoicism and
Christianity serve the will of the Logos/God. They teach we can liberate ourselves from fear and
anxiety by submitting to the will of the Divine.
Moreover, both Stoicism and Christianity pose the question, “Who or what is a person serving?” All
one does is based on the answer. Rather than be a slave to others, both Stoicism and Christianity
involve evolving from focusing on the self to a self-rooted in serving God. In Matthew 6:24, it is
written that it is impossible to worship two gods at once. Adoration for one feeds contempt for the
other. So one cannot worship both God and money or God and other people’s opinions. Serving the
self focuses on outer appearance; serving the God within breaks the chains of slavery to public
opinion and enables the follower to seek good.
Finally, both Stoicism and Christianity seek simplicity in worship. If worship is showy, it may mean
a person wants others to notice him or her, which is serving the outside self rather than the inner
God. As Matthew 6:6 states, “If you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,
who is unseen. Then, your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
