Philosophy Hellenistic period

zeno of citium founded stoic philosophy.

during hellenistic period, many different schools of thought developed. athens, multiple philosophical schools, continued remain center of philosophical thought. however, athens had lost political freedom, , hellenistic philosophy reflection of new difficult period. in political climate, hellenistic philosophers went in search of goals such ataraxia (un-disturbedness), autarky (self-sufficiency) , apatheia (freedom suffering), allow them wrest well-being or eudaimonia out of difficult turns of fortune. occupation inner life, personal inner liberty , pursuit of eudaimonia hellenistic philosophical schools have in common.

the epicureans , cynics rejected public offices , civic service, amounted rejection of polis itself, defining institution of greek world. epicurus promoted atomism , asceticism based on freedom pain ultimate goal. cynics such diogenes of sinope rejected material possessions , social conventions (nomos) unnatural , useless. cyrenaics, meanwhile, embraced hedonism, arguing pleasure true good. stoicism, founded zeno of citium, taught virtue sufficient eudaimonia allow 1 live in accordance nature or logos. zeno became extremely popular; athenians set gold statue of him, , antigonus ii gonatas invited him macedonian court. philosophical schools of aristotle (the peripatetics of lyceum) , plato (platonism @ academy) remained influential. academy turn academic skepticism under arcesilaus until rejected antiochus of ascalon (c. 90 bc) in favour of neoplatonism. hellenistic philosophy had significant influence on greek ruling elite. examples include athenian statesman demetrius of phaleron, had studied in lyceum; spartan king cleomenes iii, student of stoic sphairos of borysthenes; , antigonus ii, known stoic. can said of roman upper classes, stoicism dominant, seen in meditations of roman emperor marcus aurelius , works of cicero.

the spread of christianity throughout roman world, followed spread of islam, ushered in end of hellenistic philosophy , beginnings of medieval philosophy (often forcefully, under justinian i), dominated 3 abrahamic traditions: jewish philosophy, christian philosophy, , islamic philosophy. in spite of shift, hellenistic philosophy continued influence these 3 religious traditions , renaissance thought followed them.