Essay on Differences Between Epicureans and Stoics

Some people hold claim that money rules the world, to others, it is politicians who spin the globe and to others, weapons. The truth is that ideas will always determine how the world revolves. The Epicureans, materialists in the contemporary, scientific sense, accepted the physics of Democritus. Democritus hold the belief that that the universe was made up entirely of empty void filled with atoms of differing weights and shapes that moved non-linearly smashing together and latching into more significant structures, composing the universe. Though Infinite in space, number of atoms and time, the universe, for most of the part, is finite in the number of unique types of atoms (heterogeneity or diversity).Thermodynamic entropy proved vital to them (its easier to dismantle atom arrangement by destroying of an object and the universe, therefore, heads to a state of complete disorganization) and energy conversation (atoms are literally uncuttable and thus cannot be destroyed nor be created.) They did not know waves and additionally thought that graphic objects were as a result of object-light bombardment. This bombardment to them meant that atoms present on the surface of the object would explode in thin films that resemble the same object which due to thinness possessed the ability to float vast distances at breakneck speeds in an invisible state. Later, the sensitive mind/eye, the mind representing the smallest and the smoothest of the atom particles showed sensitivity the thin films of atoms (OKeefe & Johnson, 2015).

Also, they believed that thoughts and imagination triggered by these ambient particles of object-films of buoyantly moved in the head: more like all radio, TVs, and Wi-Fi whirling around the human populace today while the mind attracts more of the same films from the same direction of creation/ origin. (Train of thought)

Ethically Epicureans did not believe in the afterlife or any form of spiritual deity (ones body disintegrates after destruction which helps make up other structures), and for this reason, they took empirical knowledge with seriousness. Suffering and pain were terrible, fulfillment and happiness were good. Its a definite antique Christian bias that paved the way for Epicureanism interpretation as the quest for sensual pleasure.

The Epicureans construed sensual pleasure as a fleeting and haste feeling that risked taking its opposite trajectory if pursued too violently. For the Greeks, life didnt end after death but also included one's legacy penetrating, influencing and having an effect on younger generations. Hence it took years after someones dying to know if they had lived a good productive life. Correspondingly, the Epicureans preached the art of moderation and balance in life_ that aims in the pursuit of advanced pleasures and liberation from fear of death which was believed to result in the freedom of all fears. Epicureans considered anxiety as humanity`s great thorn, and it follows that it was humanitys philosophical project was to eliminate it because its roots, was often linked to the fear of death. The fear of death proved sensible only if one believed in soul eternity and lived a life full of regrets while conceding to atomic materialism. Living life to the fullest for satisfaction formed the mantra of this society so that and when death finally creeps in no regrets would be felt.

The Stoics on the other hand mainly believed in-universe rationalism. When Epicureans understood the universe constituted of atoms (blind collisions), the Stoics believed that fate that underlay all the Stoics believed in an outcome that was developed logically, underlay all nature. Where the Epicureans believed in the existence of only atoms and space, the stoics proclaimed the theory that only reason and inert bodies that organized matters fate and motions existed. Logos, which formed the structural principle, (the deductive reasoning of how and why of matter) possessed its internal necessity. Consequently, they were determinants but for different causes. Logic/ mathematics were of need and importance since it is through the discipline that the underlying structure of the globe showed.

No higher right existed beyond pain and pleasure that exerts influence on humans, and because of the stroke of virtue, humans, rationally predisposed to having repulsion overrides all considerations of pleasant things.

Divining what particular situation was entailed was the problem hence meticulous consideration, and wide range knowledge of the phenomenon was required. The typical image of stoic-rationality before decision making and impulse free- decisions emanates from the concept. However, since the future is unpredictable, it proves prudent to protect oneself from regrets and disappointments for the affirmation of ones fate in the end. (Baron, 2015).

Religiously, the stoics let fate take its lead. It is mans innate nature to resist inevitable outcomes, and it is through that man fails the recognize the good that comes with these results and eventually perform contrary to it so man need let nature take its due course. Since the future presents unpredictable designs, hoping and wishing for future results is difficult, hence for a man to circumvent his problem humanity needs to examine and consider situations carefully (Sharples, 2014). They believe in the outcome being the deserved outcome and therefore, do not show anguish or cries because all their laid out plans are by the universe`s rationality.

References

Baron, A. (2015). The Influence of Aristotelianism, Epicureanism, Cynicism, and Stoicism on Human Life in the Early Church. Theological Research. A Journal of Systematic Theology, (3), 25-42.

OKeefe, T., & Johnson, M. R. (2015). Epicureanism. Aestimatio: Critical Reviews in the History of Science, 9, 1-8.

Sharples, R. W. (2014). Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics: an introduction to Hellenistic philosophy. Routledge.