Ancient Philosophical Schools: Stoicism, Christianity, and Hedonism

Ancient Philosophical Schools

Stoicism

In the Hellenistic period, Stoicism was one of the most important philosophical movements and achieved wide dissemination. It was founded by Zeno of Citium. The Stoics claimed that one can attain freedom and peace just by being oblivious to material comforts and external fortune, and by committing to a life guided by the principles of reason and virtue.

Christianity

Monotheistic religion of Jewish origin. Its followers believe Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, dying for the sins of mankind and then being resurrected.

Hedonism

This teaching philosophy is based on the pursuit of pleasure and pain suppression as the purpose or raison d'être of life. The two classical schools of thought regarding pleasure in ancient Greece were:

Early Theories of Pleasure

1. Pleasure arises when personal desires are immediately satisfied. This theory is egoistic and was exposed by a group called the Cyrenaics.
2. Formulated by rational hedonists, such as the Epicurean philosopher of Samos, Epicurus (who lived in Greece between 341 and 270 BCE). The doctrine of Epicurus has been distorted through history, to the point where some have taken it as libertine while others consider it a side philosophy.

Epicureanism

This is a philosophical system taught by Epicurus of Samos, an Athenian philosopher of the fourth century BCE, and continued by other philosophers called Epicureans.

Epicurus proposed realizing the good and happy life through the intelligent management of pleasures and pains, and the ties of ataraxia (tranquility) and friendship among his contemporaries. This pleasure should not be limited only to the body but had to be intellectual as well. Furthermore, the presence of pleasure or happiness was synonymous with the absence of pain or distress of any type (hunger, boredom, etc.). This gave a perfect equilibrium between mind and body, resulting in ataraxia.

Supreme Good and Pain

• Serenity or pure pleasure is the supreme good.
• Pain is the supreme bad.

Pleasures and pains are caused or prevented by the achievement of appetites. Epicurus distinguished three classes of appetites:

1. Natural and necessary: Such as eating and drinking, which are easy to satisfy.
2. Natural but unnecessary: Such as erotic desires.
3. Non-natural nor necessary: Such as drugs.

Epicurus also distinguished two types of pleasures based on his vision of man as two different entities united: body and soul:

• Pleasures of the body: Although considered important, his proposal is basically the cessation of these pleasures and the pursuit of the absence of bodily appetite and aches.
• Pleasures of the soul: The pleasure of the soul is superior to the body. While bodily pleasures are fleeting and temporary, those of the soul are more durable and can eliminate or reduce bodily aches.