Since you’re a modern human reading this post on an electronic device, I don’t need to convince you that logic and rationality have merit. The fact that buildings stand upright, most diseases can be cured and you can profit from electrons traveling at light speed to browse the Internet is proof enough that science and engineering - two disciplines heavily reliant on reason - have uncovered fundamental truths about the world. Otherwise they wouldn’t have survived contact with reality. 

If you had lived a few centuries ago, however, it would have been more difficult for me to argue this case. Two philosophical schools of thought have tried to do exactly this during their heyday: Stoicism during the Hellenistic period and Rationalism during the Enlightenment.

Grab a seat and your favorite hot beverage and let me walk you through a quick comparison of these influential philosophical attitudes. We’ll look at what they were proposing individually, then expose their confluences and divergences. I promise you’ll walk away with a clearer picture of whether you are more of a Stoic or a Rationalist, or at the very least, with a new set of cool facts to impress your friends with at the next dinner party.

A Primer on Stoicism

Stoicism was founded by Zeno of Citium in Ancient Athens and later spread to Ancient Rome, where it reached its heights through the contributions of Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius and Seneca. 

If you’re used to philosophical attitudes focused around seemingly pointless hair-splitting, Stoicism will feel like a breath of fresh air: it focuses on giving practical advice on how to live a good life that is deeply rooted in ethics. 

The most prominent tenet of Stoicism is the Dichotomy of Control, which seeks to draw our attention to the crucial distinction between what is up to us and what isn’t. Keeping the two separated - the Stoics advise - is the key to inner peace and tranquility. 

The chief task in life for a Stoic - the cultivation of virtue (i.e.: moral excellence) - is in perfect alignment with this principle, as behaving ethically is an option available to us regardless of the circumstances we might find ourselves in. 

In light of this, it’s useful to apply the Stoic reserve clause to all of our endeavors, and to practice the 3 Stoic disciplines to build the philosophical skills that will help us thrive in all aspects of our life.

A Short Introduction to Rationalism

Rationalism is an epistemological stance that places reason at the center of all human knowledge and posits that the only way to discover universal truths is through a process of deduction from previously established certainties. This implies the existence of axioms - building blocks of truth which are accepted a priori without the need for proof. 

This position places Rationalism in a distinct opposition with other belief systems which rely on faith or sensory perception as their primary sources of truth. 

The idea that logical deduction is a reliable way to gain information about the world (and reality itself) can be traced back to Ancient Greece and the Socratic method. It was further developed during the Enlightenment, when the systematic approach of mathematical reasoning was applied to philosophical thought. 

Notable Rationalists from this period include Spinoza, Leibniz and Descartes, whose contributions are often referred to as Continental Rationalism in order to distinguish them from earlier variants. Our comparison of Stoicism vs Rationalism will refer to this particular branch of Rationalism.

Stoicism and Rationalism - Points of Confluence

Now that we have an understanding of Stoic and Rationalist core values, it’s time to look at where their beliefs converge. There are 3 main points that Stoicism vs Rationalism agree on: that reason is the governing principle of the Universe, that intellect trumps intuition every time, and that our emotions should be examined carefully before being accepted as a source of knowledge.

Reason as Governing Principle of the Universe

The most striking similarity between Stoicism vs Rationalism is their conviction that reason is the governing principle of the Universe. Rationalists believe that rationality can reveal the inner-workings of the world if it is applied systematically, while the Stoics posit that reason is the logic of the Universe. 

For the Stoics, God is actually Nature, who they also believe can be understood through systematic thought. Aside from the epistemological aspect, they also attribute another important function to reason: it can help humans live wisely and act and think in a way that fosters inner peace.

Trust in Intellect over Intuition

As a consequence of the trust they place on reason, both philosophies rely significantly on human intellect and prioritizing it over intuition. This is not to say that intuition is useless, or that a Stoic or a Rationalist would never listen to it. It simply means that the information coming from intuition is subject to close scrutiny by the intellect, rather than taken as fact. In fact, intuition can serve as a good starting point for rational deduction, through which reliable knowledge can be derived. 

Attitude towards Emotions

Both Stoicism and Rationalism acknowledge emotions as normal human occurrences, but advise against relying on them as sources of knowledge. Rooted in a keen observation of human nature and the discovery that we as a species have a tendency to use emotions in decision-making, both philosophies argue that our choices should be based on deliberate thought processes instead.

Stoicism vs Rationalism: Points of Divergence

Despite all of their similarities, Stoicism and Rationalism disagree on 2 very important points: the scope they attribute to their philosophy and the source of ethical principles. Here’s what I mean by that:

Scope of Their Philosophy

The most important distinction between Stoicism and Rationalism is the question they each seek to answer. Rationalism addresses “what can be known reliably and how can we know it?”, while Stoicism has a broader scope, seeking to provide guidance to those wondering “how can I live a good life?”.

To explain it in very modern terms, a Rationalist wants to be the ultimate fact-checker, whose goal in life is to understand what’s true and what isn’t based on solid evidence. A Stoic cares about the quality of their knowledge, but does not make it their life’s mission to distinguish what is absolutely true. Instead, they focus on uncovering what leads to inner peace and resilience and how these insights can be applied in the real life scenarios so that they can live in a way that never compromises their integrity.

Source of Ethical Principles

Ethics is an important topic in both Stoicism and Rationalism, but they fundamentally diverge in their sourcing of ethical principles. For Stoics, living ethically necessarily implies aligning with the natural order of the world and a deep acceptance of human nature. They argue that being attuned to these aspects can serve as a moral compass for decision-making in any life circumstance, especially when used together with the 4 Stoic virtues (courage, justice, temperance and wisdom). 

What they are saying is that if you strive to be ethical and rational and to always act out of deep compassion to others, the choices you should make will emerge naturally as you go about your life, without them having to be prescribed to you. This is in stark contrast to Rationalism, that maintains that ethical decisions should be based on objective, universal principles. This implies the existence of a (prescriptive) moral code that can be strictly applied regardless of the situation. Considering how messy the world is, I leave it up to you to decide whether this is a realistic way of thinking, or simply an idealistic view that we all wish were true because it puts order into chaos. 

Conclusion

Now that you get the gist of Stoicism vs Rationalism, it’s up to you to decide which philosophy you resonate most with. They have a lot in common and their wisdom has survived the test of time, so they must be on to something with their focus on reason. 

Why not embrace a little bit of both as you navigate the complexities of the modern world? A tablespoon of Stoicism when life is hectic, combined with a Rationalist scrutiny of all your thoughts might be just what the doctor ordered.

If you liked this post, you might be interested in how Stoicism compares with other belief systems, such as Nihilism or Skepticism.