Cicero Changed the Face of Stoicism History Essay
Cicero will be heavily questioned in this article. Unless otherwise stated, for simplicity, all ations are assumed to be from Cicero. Historical context. Before examining Cicero, we must provide some historical context. Somewhere around BCE the Stoic school was brought to Rome. Stoicism is the people's philosophy: the lessons and wisdom of Stoic philosophy were practical enough to be useful to everyone from the soldiers of the ancient world to Emperor Marcus Aurelius himself. It grew to become one of the most prominent philosophies of ancient Greece and Rome. Unfortunately, many of the original Stoic texts, essays, letters, and writings have been lost to time over the past few thousand years. The good news is that what has survived contains enough wisdom and Stoic teachings to help us build a Stoic practice in our own daily lives. Here at Orion I have shared the core principles, Transformation 7: Cultivating Virtuous Relationships. Stoicism emphasizes the importance of a life led by virtue, justice, honesty, kindness and compassion. These principles extend. Cicero understood the Stoic position on this and felt he had a moral obligation to his community. However, it is abundantly clear that he amassed wealth and power from his own political activities. Example. These are good times for Roman philosophy in general and for Cicero philosophus in particular. The idea that philosophy, written and practiced in the city of Rome and the areas under Roman rule, is a phenomenon in itself and not just an appendage to Greek philosophy seems to have reached the scholarly mainstream. Stoicism emphasizes the importance of cultivating virtues in order to live a fulfilling life. Courage is one of the cardinal virtues of Stoicism. Courage in Stoicism is the ability to face adversity and maintain composure in the face of external challenges. The Stoics believed that courage was necessary to achieve the other virtues. From Woolf, Cicero: On Moral Ends, 116. The De Finibus identifies Panaetius as an authority on Stoicism, for example in I.23. In the letter to Hutcheson, Hume writes: "On the whole, I wish to take my catalog of virtues from the offices of Cicero, not from the whole duty of man." 17, Letters I:34 cf.;