Stoicism and Humanism are known for the importance they place on reason in the quest to navigate life and for promoting the idea that individuals have a significant role to play in their own lives and in society at large. These shared beliefs lead many philosophy novices to confuse them, but I can assure you that you won’t be one of them by the time you have finished reading this post.
To start, I’ll give you a short refresher on what each of the two philosophies stands for, and then we’ll look at what beliefs they have in common and what sets them apart. Finally, we'll address the elephant in the room - is Stoicism compatible with Humanism? If you resonate with only some aspects of each, can you combine them to get a result that is greater than the sum of its parts?
Let’s find out what Stoicism vs Humanism is all about!
What Does Stoicism Stand For?
Stoicism is an ancient philosophy whose teachings have been disseminated by an eclectic group of people: Epictetus - a former Roman slave, Marcus Aurelius - a Roman emperor and Seneca - a Roman senator who acquired massive amounts of power and wealth during his lifetime. Don’t be fooled by all of these Roman figures - the origins of this school of thought are in Athens and it dates from the early 3rd century BC.
The philosophy identifies the pursuit of virtue as the primary purpose of a human life and identifies reason as the trusted sidekick in this endeavor. It also states in no uncertain terms that each and every one of us is sufficiently equipped to develop an excellent moral character regardless of our external circumstances.
To the Stoics, achieving inner peace requires understanding and accepting the world as it is, while recognizing the difference between what we can and cannot control. This stance leads some to misinterpret the Stoic emotional detachment as a sign of indifference.
Students of this philosophy are encouraged to work on 3 Stoic skills: perception, action and will, which will help them align their thoughts, actions and reactions to the present moment, which will help them face life’s challenges with equanimity.
What Does Humanism Teach?
Humanism is a school of thought that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, both individually and collectively. It favors rationalism over dogma and sees human progress as the meaning of life.
This philosophy dates back to the Renaissance and the Enlightenment era, which saw many people starting to question religious doctrines and focusing on human welfare and understanding instead.
Humanism places enormous value on individual autonomy, encouraging its students to make the most of the moment and rejecting the idea of an Afterlife.
Aside from promoting universal values such as equality, freedom of thought and expression, and social responsibility, humanism assigns great importance to compassion and empathy, which it argues will lead to a more harmonious and tolerant society.
Stoicism vs Humanism: Similarities
You may have already spotted some similarities between the two philosophies, and now is the time to dive deeper into several key aspects: their emphasis on reason as guiding principle, their pursuit of ethical living, the role they assign to individual responsibility, as well as their commitment to universal values.
Emphasis on Reason
At the heart of both Stoicism and Humanism lies a profound trust in reason as the gateway to understanding the world and guiding our actions within it.
The Stoics saw Nature (the Universe) as a rational entity and argued that to lead a virtuous and tranquil life, one must strive to live in harmony with these rational principles. Reason is seen as the primary tool that helps us discern what is within our control and what is not, as well as to remind ourselves that every human enterprise is subject to the reserve clause.
Humanism - especially during its early development - also placed a strong emphasis on rational thinking and the use of evidence in forming our beliefs about the world, going against the religious teachings of the time, which asked people to believe without questioning.
A little bit of nuance is in order - while for a Stoic, being rational is simply the natural way to exist as a human being (any other stance going against our very fiber), for a Humanist the role of reason is mainly to question established norms, challenge superstitions, and drive societal progress.
Ethical Living
Aside from their love of reason, both philosophies point to ethical living and social responsibility as pillars to living a good life.
Humanism teaches that all individuals are inherently worthy and have dignity and thus should enjoy equality, freedom, and justice. Humanist ethics are grounded in empathy, compassion, and a deep concern for human welfare, encouraging actions that alleviate suffering, all grounded in the belief that it is our responsibility to improve the conditions of the world we live in.
Stoic ethics, which sees the development of one’s moral character as the chief task in life, promotes virtues such as wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. Since Stoicism acknowledges that changing the world is not always up to us - but that we can always decide how to steer our own behavior - its ethical framework guides individuals to respond to life's events with equanimity, patience, and fairness.
Individual Responsibility
Another similarity between Stoicism and Humanism can be found in their perspective of individual agency and in the importance they give to personal responsibility.
The Stoic Dichotomy of Control invites us to first distinguish which aspects of existence we can truly influence, and then take full ownership of those (and only those!) It emboldens us to cultivate our character wisely and to behave in a fair and pro-social way.
Similarly, Humanists strive for individual responsibility, but extend it to the wider social context. They see individuals as agents capable of making ethical choices and effecting positive change, not just for their own well-being, but also for the welfare of others and the broader community.
This is not to say that Stoics do not believe in improving the lives of others through our actions - quite the contrary! They simply recognize that despite our best intentions, we might not always be able to do so through no fault of our own.
Universal Values
Stoicism and Humanism both promote universal values such as critical thinking, compassion, ethical living, and justice (to name just a few) .
Stoicism argues that it is our shared human condition that should foster in us a sense of kinship and mutual understanding, from which empathy naturally follows. The Stoic inclination towards reason is clearly visible in this thought pattern - nobody can argue that “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is not a logical way to behave - yet this point continues to escape many.
In a similar recognition of our shared plight as human beings, Humanism identifies empathy as a vital component of ethical decision-making, stressing that without understanding between individuals, the betterment of humanity is not possible.
Stoicism vs Humanism: Differences
The similarities between Stoicism and Humanism are compelling, but there’s more to these schools of thought than meets the eye, as they also differ in fundamental ways. They do not see eye to eye on whether the Universe is orderly, whether we should focus mainly on ourselves or on others, or whether our stance should be geared towards acceptance rather than effecting change.
Belief in an Orderly Universe
Perhaps one of the most striking differences between the two philosophies is their perspective on whether the Universe is orderly.
Humanism adopts a purely secular perspective, rejecting any idea of inherent order of the Universe (divine or otherwise). This further punctuates the need for personal responsibility and agency, as there is no Higher Power who can “correct” our actions.
The Stoic understanding of the universe is underpinned by the concept of 'Fate', with everything happening according to a cosmic plan which humans need to embrace wholeheartedly. What is interesting is that Nature (which is governed by reason) is viewed as the ‘Stoic God’, and in this sense, Stoic theology is nothing like the prescriptive religions you may be accustomed to. In other words, a greater plan exists, but it can be understood through reasoned thought and logic.
Focus on Self vs Others
When discussing the optimal way of doing good in the world, Stoicism and Humanism identify different paths.
For Stoics, the only way to contribute to an ethical and fair society is to adjust our own behavior, as this is seen as the only aspect whose outcome is fully controllable. This is why self-discipline, self-development and resilience are given ample treatment in Stoicism. This focus on the self is often misinterpreted as selfishness, when it is simply the logical conclusion of not being able to influence anything besides your own actions, responses and character.
In contrast, Humanism believes that it is possible to effect change on others, so it underlines the importance of interpersonal relationships and social dynamics in ethical living. This explains the Humanist preference for prioritizing the broader community over the self in all endeavors.
In the end, the desire of the two philosophies is similar: to create a society where everyone has maximized their moral character, but they differ significantly in what they see as possible in this realm.
Acceptance vs Change
Directly linked to their view of one’s sphere of control (self vs. others) is their differing opinion on whether we should practice acceptance or strive for change at all costs.
Humanists believe that human progress should be attained at the expense of everything else, highlighting that whenever there is a reasoned need for change, it must be effected immediately. This derives directly from their rejection of an orderly Universe.
Stoicism, while not against change per se, devotes a lot of attention to practicing acceptance of external circumstances - and more broadly, everything that is not within our control. This habit is meant to promote resilience and equanimity when faced with life’s challenges.
What is important to note is that Stoicism ALSO strives for a fair and equal treatment for all, and encourages us to do our utmost to help others achieve it, but that this might be too big of a task for a single individual (even though everyone can surely contribute).
Having surveyed all the similarities and differences of Stoicism vs Humanism, you may have identified moral stances you resonate with in both of them. This begs the question…
Is Stoicism Compatible With Humanism?
To answer this question we must first remember that philosophies are not mutually exclusive sets of rigid rules. (They are not religions, they are philosophies!) Stoicism and Humanism in particular share a love of reason and critical thinking, so they practically invite us to continuously question what is the best way to live ethically.
Because of this, the practical tools that Stoicism provides can be easily employed to serve the greater good of human progress that Humanism strives for.
Indeed, one can strive for the Stoic principles of inner peace and virtue while also upholding Humanistic ideals of empathy and social justice. Self-control and emotional resilience can be a trusted aid when engaging actively in the betterment of the human condition, as Humanism encourages. As with all things, balance is key: the inward focus of Stoicism can become a source of strength that helps us continue to contribute meaningfully to the wider community without depleting ourselves.
So, if you were wondering whether you can be both Stoic and Humanistic, I hope you’re now convinced that the answer is a resounding YES!
If you enjoyed this post or you learned something, you might want to see how Stoicism compares to even more philosophies. Check out this post about Stoicism vs. Existentialism!
