THE CYNICS AND STOICS

Cynicism originates in the philosophical schools of ancient Greece that claim a Socratic lineage. To call the Cynics a ÂÂ"schoolÂÂ" though, immediately raises a difficulty for so unconventional and anti-theoretical a group. Their primary interests are ethical, but they conceive of ethics more as a way of living than as a doctrine in need of explication. As such askÄÂ"sisÂÂ-a Greek word meaning a kind of training of the self or practiceÂÂ-is fundamental. The Cynics, as well as the Stoics who followed them, characterize the Cynic way of life as a ÂÂ"shortcut to virtue.ÂÂ" The term ÂÂ"StoicismÂÂ" derives from the Greek word ÂÂ"stoa,ÂÂ" referring to a colonnade, such as those built outside or inside temples, around dwelling-houses, gymnasia, and market-places. They were also set up separately as ornaments of the streets and open places. The simplest form is that of a roofed colonnade, with a wall on one side, which was often decorated with paintings. Thus in the market-place at Athens the stoa poikile (Painted Colonnade) was decorated with PolygnotusÂÂ's representations of the destruction of Troy, the fight of the Athenians with the Amazons, and the battles of Marathon and Oenoe. Zeno of Citium taught in the stoa poikile in Athens, and his adherents accordingly obtained the name of Stoics. Zeno was followed by Cleanthes, and then by Chrysippus, as leaders of the school. The school attracted many adherents, and flourished for centuries, not only in Greece, but later in Rome, where the most thoughtful writers, such as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus, counted themselves among its followers. (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Most of the information you will need about these schools of philosophy is available online. Let's come to the meeting with a good sense of their basic beliefs. Read as much or as little as you wish, by or about the chief philosophers, but develop a sense of their importance to humanism. (Remember, the meeting room is in the back, to the left of the counter as you enter the coffee house.)