Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Stoicism |
StoicismNoun1. An indifference to pleasure or pain. 2. The philosophical system of the Stoics following the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Zeno. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "stoicism" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1762. (references) |
Synonyms: StoicismSynonyms: stolidity (n), stolidness (n). (additional references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
The Stoic philosophy developed from that of the Cynics whose founder, Antisthenes, had been a disciple of Socrates. The Stoics emphasized ethics as the main field of knowledge, but they also developed theories of logic and natural science to support their ethical doctrines.
Holding a somewhat materialistic conception of nature they followed Heraclitus in believing the primary substance to be fire. They also embraced his concept of Logos which they identified with the energy, law, reason, and providence found throughout nature.
They held Logos to be the animating or 'active principle' of all reality. The Logos was conceived as a rational divine power that orders and directs the universe; it was identified with God, nature, and fate. Human reason and the human soul were both considered part of the divine Logos, and therefore immortal.
The foundation of Stoic ethics is the principle, proclaimed earlier by the Cynics, that good lies in the state of the soul itself, in wisdom and restraint. Stoic ethics stressed the rule "Follow where Reason leads"; one must therefore resist the influence of the passions-love, hate, fear, pain, and pleasure.
Living according to nature or reason, they held, is living in conformity with the divine order of the universe. The four cardinal virtues of the Stoic philosophy are wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance, a classification derived from the teachings of Plato.
A distinctive feature of Stoicism is its cosmopolitanism. All people are manifestations of the one universal spirit and should, according to the Stoics, live in brotherly love and readily help one another. They held that external differences such as rank and wealth are of no importance in social relationships. Thus, before the rise of Christianity, Stoics recognized and advocated the brotherhood of humanity and the natural equality of all human beings. Stoicism became the most influential school of the Greco-Roman world and produced a number of remarkable writers and personalities.
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Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Stoicism."
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Disinterestedness | Self-denial, self-abnegation, self-sacrifice, self-immolation, self-control; (resolution); stoicism, devotion, martyrdom, suttee. |
Excitability | Staidness; Adjective: gravity, sobriety, Quakerism; philosophy, equanimity, stoicism, command of temper; self-possession, self-control, self-command, self-restraint, ice water in one's veins; presence of mind. |
Insensibility | Cold fit, cold blood, cold heart; coldness, coolness; frigidity, sang froid; stoicism, imperturbation; (inexcitability); nonchalance, unconcern, dry eyes; insouciance; (indifference); recklessness; callousness; heart of stone, stock and stone, marble, deadness. |
Temperance | Frugality; vegetarianism, teetotalism, total abstinence; abstinence, abstemiousness; Encratism, prohibition; system of Pythagoras, system of Cornaro; Pythagorism, Stoicism. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Stoicism |
| English words defined with "stoicism": stoic, Stoicity. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "stoicism": Frog. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "stoicism": Stoicity. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Stoicism" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Romanian (philosophy, stoicism), Swedish (stoicism). |
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit |  | Production. Shell loading. Nonchalantly loading a two-ton "block buster" at a large Midwest plant. Every precaution is taken, but a certain stoicism is required for this job. The workmen fill each end of the bomb with TNT, delivered "hot," and the remaini. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | FROG, n. A reptile with edible legs. The first mention of frogs in profane literature is in Homer's narrative of the war between them and the mice. Skeptical persons have doubted Homer's authorship of the work, but the learned, ingenious and industrious Dr. Schliemann has set the question forever at rest by uncovering the bones of the slain frogs. One of the forms of moral suasion by which Pharaoh was besought to favor the Israelities was a plague of frogs, but Pharaoh, who liked them fricasees, remarked, with truly oriental stoicism, that he could stand it as long as the frogs and the Jews could; so the programme was changed. The frog is a diligent songster, having a good voice but no ear. The libretto of his favorite opera, as written by Aristophanes, is brief, simple and effective -- "brekekex-koax"; the music is apparently by that eminent composer, Richard Wagner. Horses have a frog in each hoof -- a thoughtful provision of nature, enabling them to shine in a hurdle race. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Stoicism" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 97.30% of the time. "Stoicism" is used about 37 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 97.3% | 36 | 57,479 |
| Noun (proper) | 2.7% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 37 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
stoicism | 67 |
stoicism and epicureanism | 2 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "stoicism"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | stoicizëm. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | كبت الغرائز, رواقية, رزانة (countenance, gravity, plainness, sagacity, soberness, sobriety). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | стоицизъм, твърдост (constancy, crispness, endurance, firmness, fixedness, forcefulness, fortitude, granite, hardness, resolution, resolve, rigidity, sand, stability, substance, tenacity), безразличие към удоволствия. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 斯多噶"学. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | stoicismus. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | stoïcisme. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | Gleichmut (composure, equanimity, serenity). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | στωικότησ (stoicalness), στωικότητα (stoicalness), στωικισμόσ, στωική φιλοσοφία. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | שליט" עצמית (self control), כבוש "יצר (continence, self control, self restraint), סטואיות. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | sztoicizmus, higgadtság (aplomb, calmness, composure, demureness, equilibrium, evenness, imperturbation, level-headedness, moderation, poise, presence of mind, sang-froid, self possession, self-command, self-possession, serenity, staidness), szenvedélymentesség. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 忍苦 (endurance). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | き"よくしゅぎ (asceticism), に"く (endurance), ストイチズ . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | stoaghys. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | oicismstay estoicismo, domínio das paixões, austeridade (austerity, rigidity, rigor, rigour, severity). (various references) stoicism (philosophy). (various references) стоицизм. (various references) stoicizam. (various references) estoicismo. (various references) stoicism. (various references) stoik felsefe, stoacılık, metin olma (immovability), acılara göğüs germe. (various references) стоїцизм. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "stoicism": stoicisms. (additional references) | |
| |
"Stoicism" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: stocisim, stocism. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "stoicism" (pronounced stō"usi'zum) |
| 6 | -u s i' z u m | classicism, criticism, cynicism, empiricism, eroticism, fanaticism, gnosticism, lyricism, monasticism, mysticism, narcissism, ostracism, romanticism, skepticism. |
| 5 | -s i' z u m | racism, sexism. |
| 4 | -i' z u m | abolitionism, absenteeism, absolutism, activism, adventurism, agrarianism, alcoholism, altruism, amateurism, anachronism, aneurism, animism, antagonism, aphorism, astigmatism, atavism, atheism, authoritarianism, autism, baptism, barbarism, bilingualism, bolshevism, boosterism, botulism, cannibalism, capitalism, catechism, centralism, chauvinism, collectivism, colonialism, commercialism, communism, conservatism, consumerism, corporatism, counterterrorism, creationism, cronyism, cubism, dandyism, defeatism, deism, despotism, determinism, diamagnetism, diastrophism, dimorphism, dogmatism, Druidism, dualism, dwarfism, dynamism, egalitarianism, egoism, egotism, electromagnetism, elitism, embolism, emotionalism, entrepreneurialism, environmentalism, ergotism, escapism, ethnocentrism, euphemism, evangelism, expansionism, expressionism, extremism, factionalism, fascism, fatalism, favoritism, federalism, feminism, ferromagnetism, fetishism, feudalism, formalism, fundamentalism, futurism, geotropism, gradualism, hedonism, helotism, heroism, hooliganism, humanism, hypnotism, idealism, illusionism, imperialism, impressionism, incrementalism, individualism, intellectualism, internationalism, interventionism, Irredentism, isolationism, isomorphism, jingoism, journalism, leftism, legalism, lesbianism, liberalism, magnetism, mannerism, masochism, materialism, mechanism, mercantilism, mesmerism, metabolism, methodism, microorganism, militarism, minimalism, modernism, monetarism, monism, monotheism, moralism, multiculturalism, multilateralism, mutualism, nationalism, nativism, naturalism, negativism, nepotism, neutralism, nihilism, obstructionism, opportunism, optimism, organism, overoptimism, pacifism, paganism, parallelism, parkinsonism, parochialism, pastoralism, paternalism, patriotism, perfectionism, pessimism, pharisaism, pietism, plagiarism, pluralism, polymorphism, polytheism, populism, positivism, pragmatism, professionalism, protectionism, provincialism, puritanism, racialism, radicalism, realism, recidivism, relativism, republicanism, revisionism, rheumatism, sadism, satanism, sectarianism, secularism, sensationalism, separatism, socialism, statism, supernaturalism, surrealism, symbolism, synergism, territorialism, terrorism, theism, tokenism, totalitarianism, tourism, truism, unionism, vandalism, vegetarianism, vigilantism, voluntarism, volunteerism, voyeurism. |
| 3 | -z u m | bosom, careerism, chasm, cytoplasm, enthusiasm, iconoclasm, ism, microcosm, neoplasm, orgasm, phantasm, prism, sarcasm, schism, spasm. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "c-i-i-m-o-s-s-t" | |
-1 letter: cosmist, miotics, mitosis, sitcoms, somitic. | |
-2 letters: miosis, miotic, osmics, sitcom, stoics. | |
-3 letters: cists, costs, misos, mists, mitis, moist, mosts, omits, osmic, scots, stoic. | |
-4 letters: cist, coss, cost, cots, isms, miso, miss, mist, mocs, moss, most, mots, omit, otic, scot, sics, sims, sits, smit, sots, tics, toms, toss. | |
-5 letters: cis, cos, cot, ism, its, mis, moc. | |
| Words containing the letters "c-i-i-m-o-s-s-t" | |
+1 letter: iotacisms, isosmotic, mosaicist, semiotics, stoicisms, trisomics. | |
+2 letters: dicrotisms, discomfits, eroticisms, exoticisms, gnosticism, isometrics, mosaicists, mucosities, poeticisms, semeiotics, vorticisms. | |
+3 letters: agnosticism, biochemists, customising, esotericism, gnosticisms, historicism, masochistic, midsections, miscaptions, monasticism, polemicists, semioticist, semitropics, symbolistic. | |
+4 letters: agnosticisms, chrismations, commissariat, compositions, cosmeticians, cosmeticizes, creationisms, dichotomists, esotericisms, harmonicists, historicisms, mastications, microscopist, miscitations, miscreations, misfunctions, mislocations, misogynistic, monasticisms, musicologist, neuroticisms, objectivisms, phonemicists, postischemic, romanticises, romanticisms, romanticists, sanctimonies, scriptoriums, sectionalism, seismometric, semimonastic, semioticians, semioticists, sociometries, uricotelisms, viscometries, viscosimeter. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Commercial | 5. Images: Photo Album 6. Quotations: Non-fiction 7. Usage Frequency 8. Expressions: Internet | 9. Translations: Modern 10. Derivations 11. Rhymes 12. Anagrams | 13. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
