History: Stoicism

Stoicism was a system of thought which became the most popular philosophy in the Hellenistic world. Although, Stoicism deals with personal happiness, it differs from Epicureanism in that it contends that the best means to achieve happiness is through living in harmony with the intentions of the gods. Stoics believed that the best existence would be a virtuous and natural one. One of the primary tenants of Stoicism was the acceptance of the will of God. Our modern term 'stoic' results from the cultural beliefs of the Stoics.