Existentialism and stoicism are both philosophies that were developed long ago but we still follow them. Both of them look at life from different perspectives and try to enhance and consequently improve life.
Existentialism suggests that the philosophical thought starts with the human as the subject (Kaufmann 2). This tradition of philosophical enquiry is associated with certain philosophers from Europe such as Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky, Sartre and Nietzsche.
The theory is fascinating as those who developed it agreed on the philosophy despite having various different doctrines and ideological backgrounds (Murguia 25). Sartre claimed that existence comes before essence. His claims imply that the most crucial consideration for individuals is that one is an individual, acting independently and fully responsible for ones actions. It was Sartre who first coined the term existentialism. The philosophy is focuses on analyzing the existence of man and the factors surrounding man’s existence. It implies that humans exist first and then discover their essence. In “Existentialism is a Humanism”, Sartre suggests that existentialism gives man autonomy; as an individual (Schneider 27).
In his novel, The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus introduces the philosophy of the absurd which looks at man’s search for meaning (Hobson 36). In the novel, Camus has a view that humanity lives in a world of hostility, and searches for meaning. This principle known as absurdism is a branch of existentialism. Also, Plato in his book, The Allegory of the Cave, he suggests that society holds us down like chains and that we should break free from the chains and discover ourselves as individuals.
On the other hand, stoicism suggests that the meaning of a meaningful life is a life of practicing virtue (Tanner 6). There are four fundamentals virtues: Practical wisdom enables one to navigate through difficult situations in life, by applying principles and lessons learnt in real life. Courage helps one to stand up in tough situations and also to stand up for the sake of other people. Temperance, on the other hand, emphasizes on self-control and long suffering as a necessary virtue. Justice is described as fairness when treating and dealing with people.
It is believed that if the four virtues are adhered to, one can live a meaningful and pleasant life. Stoicism teaches that virtue is the only good for humans as compared to worldly possessions such as wealth and pleasure (Tanner 7). It also teaches that if one lives according to the four virtues, then one will lead a happy life. That such a life will be one worth living. In the book Epictetus Enchiridion, man is described as simultaneously different things and each man has a role to play. How man decides to go about playing their role is much more crucial than the role allocated to man.
Of the two philosophies, stoicism is the superior theory. This can be supported by a number of reasons outlined below.
First and foremost, stoicism seeks to ensure that people live a life worth living and attain happiness. Stoicism looks at the meaning of life invoking the question if the life we are living has meaning. Existentialism looks at the human individual and not the environment around the human.
Secondly, stoicism looks at the interactions within the society and also encourages the development of virtues which enhance good relations (Tanner 6). The four major virtues seek to bring peace and tranquility in the society. Existentialism can be seen as being centered more on the individual, and does not address the society in which the individual lives.
Moreover, stoicism emphasizes on virtuous living. From the four virtues, it is evident that the philosophy encourages people to live in an upright manner. The four virtues seek to help people in their daily challenges. Wisdom, temperance, courage and justice all seek to improve daily living (Tanner 8).
These two philosophies; Existentialism and Stoicism have a lot of similarities that are explained below.
Both philosophies seek to answer the question, How should we live? (Murguia 42). They both give directions on how we should pursue life. Existentialism looks at the individual and tries to improve the individual’s life whereas stoicism emphasizes on living a virtuous life and living a life worth living.
Apart from that, both philosophies have the same view about our physical abilities (Murguia 42). Stoicism believes that we have the ability to develop total control over attitudes and existentialism teaches us that every act is as a result of the choice we make regardless of how dire the situation is.
Existentialism and stoicism both view passion as a problem, differently (Kaufmann 2). Stoicism contextualizes passion as a distraction that keeps us away from pursuing the prescribed virtues. Existentialism also shuns passion but views it as an excuse by man for bad habits. Sartre states that an existentialist should never believe in passion as a driving force. Although these two philosophies have many similarities they have some notable differences. One of the differences is the fact that existentialism tends to focus on the individual (Kaufmann 2). A good example is a quote from Epictetus where he says that if someone offended at any man’s fault, they should look at themselves and study their own failings. Stoicism on the other hand looks at the general society and emphasizes on virtues that ensure that people coexist in a friendly environment.
Another difference is how the two philosophies view values and virtues. Existentialism looks at values subjectively, while stoicism views virtues and values objectively (Kaufmann 5). Stoicism is clear to state the four key virtues to be practiced which include practical wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. Existentialism however, looks at how people have the free will to choose their own paths in life and what virtues to follow. Each person has the freedom to make a choice as long as it is virtuous.
In conclusion, both philosophies teach us to live a better life by giving meaning to life. They have similarities and differences but both have a common goal; to improve human life.
Works Cited
Hobson, Aidan. "The Myth of Sisyphus." Albert Camus and Education. SensePublishers, Rotterdam, 2017. 1-21.
Kaufmann, Walter. Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre. Pickle Partners Publishing, 2016.
Murguia, Edward, and Kim Díaz. "The philosophical foundations of cognitive behavioral therapy: Stoicism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Existentialism." Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies 15.1 (2015): 37.
Schneider, Kirk J. "Existential–Humanistic Psychotherapy." The Professional Counselor's Desk Reference (2015): 201.
Tanner, George. Stoicism: A Detailed Breakdown of Stoicism Philosophy and Wisdom from the Greats: A Complete Guide To Stoicism. George Tanner, 2017.
