Stoicism: Introduction To The Stoic Way of Life: Beginners Guide To Mastery

Stoicism: Introduction To The Stoic Way of Life: Beginners Guide To Mastery

Table of contents:

Introduction

Chapter 1 Common Philosophies of Stoicism

Chapter 2 Virtues To Cultivate Stoicism

Chapter 3: Stoicism and Religious Parallels

Chapter 4: In Control of Your Emotions

Chapter 5:  Misconceptions of Stoicism

Chapter 6: Peace of Mind

Chapter 7: Daily living as a Stoic

Chapter 8: Conclusion

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Introduction

Stoicism is getting popular these days. Perhaps it is because we are increasingly aware of the laws of nature and how much of them are completely out of our control. Maybe it's because many folks believe our society has been getting softer and softer, and we need a philosophy that can toughen up a few people. Or because we live in a world that is so complex, so full of noise, stimulus, contrasting emotions and feelings, that we feel the need to retreat within ourselves and by guided by a trusted philosophy of self-enhancement.

Stoicism has an interesting story, having been able to seduce both Emperors and slaves alike. But it was never a philosophy easy to abide by and requires many personal sacrifices and self-discipline, two words our current society seems to loathe. Yet, as is the case of most major religions and spiritual quests, these kind of processes are crucial for the betterment of our character.

This book intends to introduce you to the philosophy of stoicism, its history, major principles, techniques, exercises and advices for our modern world. Whether you are just curious about this philosophy or whether you feel ready to undertake a major life transformation that could lead to greater happiness and peace of mind, you will find this book useful. As a Stoic beginner, you will probably struggle with some concepts, but we tried to provide you with concrete examples to help you.

Chapter 1 Common Philosophies of Stoicism

Stoicism is an ancient philosophy that was born in Ancient Greece. From the Ancient Greek Culture, stoicism kept the respect for reasoning and logic but also certain mystical beliefs in a predetermined world order.  As a philosophy that was highly influential in its time and continues to be so until this day, there have been many writings and interpretations of it.

The most common philosophy of stoicism relates to ethics, mostly because it was very influential to Roman Emperor Marcus. But stoicism is a complex philosophical system and it does not simply tell us how to act, but also provides a global framework in which every living creature operates.

Because ethics in philosophy is usually the end and not the starting point, we should go about it the traditional way and begin by explaining the tenets of stoic philosophy : Metaphysics.

STOIC METAPHYSICS (and physics)

In the ancient world, physics and metaphysics were hard to tell apart, mostly because the physical order usually required metaphysical laws to make sense. The stoics were no exception, and because of that we should englobe into the stoic metaphysics their physical system as well.

The universe itself is considered to be a pantheistic God which is, actually, the material-divine substance of pneuma, a kind of breath of life or divine essence. When matter separates from force, a divine fire called aether is produced. The pneuma then acts on this aether according to the logos or divine reason of the universe, causing the processes of formation, development and destruction

Pneuma, due to its active components, was the cause for action in the universe. What this meant is that pneuma was responsible for the distinctive traits of individual personalities, for example, that cause us beings of the earth to act in a number of different but peculiar ways. It is present in plants and animals, but the only being with the faculty of reasoning is the human being.

The identity of individuals, therefore, was a simple bundle of qualities and properties established by the pneuma within them as an emanation of the aether of the universe. These were not chosen or created by the individual itself, but they formed the inalterable core of his identity.

The stoics believed, therefore, that all things that exist are, in end, material things - even if their definition of material involved a divine essence impregnated in every single substance. Emotions are material things as well, the proof of that is their physical manifestation - feeling scared and sweating, for example. Our body produces sense impressions in the soul, which produces movements in the body. Therefore, for the stoics, they must be made of the same thing, have the same principle, otherwise communication between them would be impossible.

All things are subjected to Fate, since the entire world is constantly emanating from just one principle. You can imagine the universe as some sort of breathing living body, with all different parts interconnected to the point that one must clearly influence the other. Everything is predetermined, even though humans are thought to have some degree of free will when it comes to their acceptance or denial of this harsh reality.

The stoics believed that the universe exist within a temporal never-ending cycle of formation and destruction. It