Welcome, philosophy seekers! Ever felt torn between adopting a Stoic perspective or a Cynic outlook? Or perhaps you’ve been struggling with telling them apart? Well then, you've come to the right place.
Today, we're exploring Stoicism vs Cynicism—two ancient philosophies that are remarkably applicable in the hustle and bustle of our modern lives, but that have striking differences despite their apparent similarity.
Stay with me to discover their basic tenets, where they agree and where they diverge, as well as what the implications of being a Stoic vs a Cynic are in a real-life scenario. Whether you're yearning to build resilience or seeking a life stripped of societal illusions, this exploration will empower you to make choices that resonate with your personal values and lifestyle.
So, buckle up!
Stoicism: a Primer
Stoicism - a philosophy named after the Stoa Poikile (the painted porch), where its founding figure, Zeno of Citium, began teaching in Athens - is a doctrine grounded in the unwavering belief that our actions should be guided by virtue.
The term ‘virtue’ can be understood through its constituents — wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance — and choosing to pursue it will result, according to the Stoics, in tranquility - the kind of inner peace that is sustainable regardless of external circumstances.
The primary mechanism for living a virtuous life is distinguishing between what is within our control and what is not and focusing our actions exclusively on the former. This is not only a highly rational approach to life, but one that paves the way for eudaimonia - a flourishing life lived in accordance with the laws of nature.
Stoicism is often misconstrued as a philosophy of resigned passivity, but this could not be further from the truth. In reality, what the Stoics advocate for is an active engagement with the world, tempered by a profound understanding of our own limited sphere of influence.
Now that you get the gist of Stoicism, let’s see what Cynicism is all about.
Cynicism: a Concise Exploration
Don’t be fooled by the modern connotation of the word ‘cynic’, which is used to describe someone who is perpetually doubtful of the goodness of human motives and actions, as well as the existence of positive outcomes.
In the context of philosophy, the term simply denotes a follower of Cynicism, a school of thought rooted in the teachings of Diogenes of Sinope - an Ancient man known for living in a wooden barrel, among other things.
Founded around the same time as Stoicism, Cynicism espoused a rebellious response to societal conventions, calling for authenticity and a life in harmony with nature. This does not merely imply a return to the wilderness, but instead advocates for a life lived honestly, without pretense or unnecessary want.
The Cynics were fond of wearing their philosophy as plainly as their threadbare cloaks, and lived lives of remarkable frugality and austerity.
They rejected social norms such as chasing material wealth and status, etiquette, and even education, arguing that they only serve as a distraction to living virtuously. Their pursuit went as far as dismantling their personal privacy, shocking their contemporaries by performing actions in public that would typically be frowned upon. Diogenes is a prime example of that - he decided that he would live in a wooden barrel and famously carried a lamp in daylight, claiming to be searching for an honest man.
Stoicism vs Cynicism: Common Ground
During the brief introduction to the two philosophies, you may have already spotted some similarities between them. Here’s an overview:
Both Stoicism and Cynicism advocate for living a virtuous life,
they both see eudaimonia as the ultimate goal (although they go about achieving it in different ways),
they advocate for living in alignment with nature (but how they define nature bears some explaining), and
they both point to rationality and the focus on our sphere of control as being key to inner peace (tranquility).
Quest for Virtue
A Stoic and a Cynic share their pursuit of moral excellence (virtue), but approach it differently. For the Stoic, practicing the four cardinal virtues—wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance - is the gateway to strengthening one’s character, while for the Cynic, virtue is attained through living naturally and authentically, eschewing societal norms and materialistic desires.
Both schools of thought converge in the idea that living a virtuous life necessarily precedes true happiness, and that external factors such as wealth or status are completely irrelevant to it.
Eudaimonia
Both the Stoic and the Cynic desire a flourishing life for themselves. However, Cynicism identifies detachment from social conventions and an ascetic lifestyle as the stepping stones towards it, while Stoicism advocates for emotional resilience (remember that resilience is NOT detachment) and reasoned judgment.
What is noteworthy is that even though their methods might be at odds with each other, they share the belief that a profound internal alignment with one's values and nature are crucial for a good life.
Living in Harmony with Nature
A third aspect on which Stoicism and Cynicism agree (but not unanimously), is that one should strive to live in harmony with nature. The difference in their stance is subtly different and worth exploring.
For the Cynics, living in harmony with nature means rejecting the artificial constructs of society — such as wealth, power, and social status — and embracing a simple lifestyle. This belief is rooted in the observation that nature is the ultimate guide for living, and that its simplicity and authenticity should be emulated.
Stoics, on the other hand, had a broader interpretation of this principle. For Stoics, nature represented not only the natural world, but also human nature as well as individual nature (our own personality and characteristics).
The practical implications of this belief are that one should be living in a way that recognizes and honors the inherent ‘bugs and features’ of being human, such as the capacity for rational thought and the inability to control external events.
Tranquility
Last, but not least, Stoicism and Cynicism have a common understanding of the importance of our responses to life’s challenges (and adversity more broadly).
Stoics argue that tranquility arises not from the events that befall us, but from our judgments about them. Cynics, similarly, claim that by discarding artificial desires and societal expectations, we liberate ourselves from unnecessary suffering. Thus, both Stoicism and Cynicism teach us to focus on our internal reactions, rather than the uncontrollable external world, which is sound advice that has stood the test of time.
Stoicism vs Cynicism: Diverging Viewpoints
Having surveyed the commonalities of Cynicism and Stoicism, it’s time to turn our gaze towards what sets them apart:
Their view on how one should engage with society,
The role of reason in living a good life,
Their attitude towards material possessions.
Engagement with Society
Probably the most striking difference between Stoicism vs Cynicism is their approach to society. Stoics believe in active participation in social life, which they argue is an opportunity to exercise virtue and reason. They also note that refusing to do so is irrational since it goes against our human nature: we are social animals and thus we are not meant to live disengaged from our fellow human beings.
A Stoic could adopt any community role they have aptitudes for, since they would be using their position to better society and practice virtue (in line with the adage “bloom where you are planted”).
Cynics take a more radical stance, rejecting societal norms and conventions altogether, seeing them as unnatural. They often attempted to free themselves from these artificial constraints by living as social pariahs, far removed from the pressures that engaging with society brings about.
Role of Reason in Living a Good Life
The Stoic vs Cynic attitude towards reason and rationality stems from their understanding of what is natural. While Stoicism places a significant emphasis on reason as the guiding force of life (and a unique characteristic of being human), Cynicism dismisses it as a potential distraction from living authentically.
For a Stoic, rational judgment and logic are the perfectly natural expression of being human. In contrast, Cynics favor direct experience and natural instincts over intellectual pursuits, viewing them as an obstacle that separates us from our natural virtue.
Attitude Towards Material Possessions
Lastly, their attitudes toward material possessions and personal comfort also diverge sharply.
Stoic thought advises against attaching our happiness to material goods - referring to them as preferred indifferents - but does not villainize possessions, believing that a balanced engagement with them can remain virtuous if one remembers to practice wisdom. Stoicism does not explicitly advocate for asceticism.
In stark contrast, Cynics actively advocate for a lifestyle of extreme frugality, rejecting not only wealth but also the basic comforts of life, viewing them as distractions from our natural existence. A Cynic does not trust themselves to remain virtuous in the face of these diversions, so they prefer to retreat from them altogether.
Epicureanism vs Stoicism vs Cynicism
Epicureanism appeared alongside Stoicism and Cynicism in Ancient Greece and has thus suffered a process of cross-pollination with the other two. Let’s spend a bit of time looking at why people often confuse them, and why Epicureanism is usually misunderstood due to the modern connotations of the term ‘epicurean’.
First of all, it’s important to note that Epicureanism is also a disciplined pursuit of eudaimonia. It is also a strong proponent of simplicity and encourages detachment from the frenzied pursuit of external goods. Epicurus advocated for a life of modest, simple pleasures, free from pain, fear, and anxiety - a far cry from the hedonistic pursuit of luxury often associated with the term 'Epicurean' today.
Each of the three philosophies espouses the benefits of maintaining an internal focus—be it the Stoic's reasoned judgment, the Cynic's natural existence, or the Epicurean's pursuit of simple pleasure.
Where Epicureanism diverges from the other two is on its view of the highest good, which is deemed to be the absence of physical pain and mental distress (as opposed to virtue in Cynicism and Stoicism).
For a deep-dive into how Epicureanism differs from Stoicism, check out this post on Stoicism vs Epicureanism.
The difference between Stoic and cynic
To see how Stoicism vs Cynicism would impact a modern practitioner, let’s imagine that a Stoic and a Cynic have both lost their job. How is each of them likely to respond to this all-too-familiar event?
The Stoic would most likely go about the situation by first acknowledging that being laid off is something outside their control and merely a fact of life. If they have done everything in their power to perform well, they should have no regrets and proceed to finding another job with equanimity. This reframing - which recognizes that it is not job loss itself, but our perspective on it that brings suffering - allows the Stoic to swiftly switch to a proactive attitude and respond to the situation calmly.
On the other hand, the Cynic would view the job loss from a completely different angle. Since employment is simply a societal norm, the Cynic would not see being laid off as a misfortune, but rather an opportunity to further detach from societal expectations. They are likely to explore additional avenues towards greater frugality or other unconventional ways to meet their basic needs. They would lean into the situation as an affirmation of their philosophy, furthering their belief that artificial constructs are a source of unnecessary suffering.
Conclusion
I hope that our journey through Stoicism and Cynicism has shown you that both philosophies have valid perspectives on what constitutes a good life and that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to eudaimonia.
To summarize, Stoicism - with its balanced perspective - encourages active engagement in society, reasoned judgment, and prudent interaction with material goods. In contrast, Cynicism advocates for a radical rejection of societal norms, emphasizing instinctive behavior and promoting an ascetic existence devoid of material diversions.
While both philosophies have their merits, Stoicism emerges as the saner, more adaptable approach to life, which is better suited to today's interconnected world. Because it allows for the possibility of existing harmoniously within society while striving for personal virtue, it can offer valuable insights to navigating both the turmoils and the triumphs of being human.
If you enjoyed this post about Stoicism vs Cynicism, you might want to explore how Stoicism compares to the polar opposite view of Cynicism. You’ll find this post about Stoicism vs Hedonism to be right up your alley. (Hint: Epicureanism and Hedonism are not the same, but that’s a story for another time!)
Alternatively, this post comparing Skepticism with Stoicism could also be a good read for you!
