What are Hellenistic SCHOOLS

In this lesson from a TEACHER we explain what are Hellenistic schools, set in a period in the history of philosophy that begins with the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. C. and it extends until the Roman invasion of Macedonia in the year 148 a. C. The hegemonic position of Athens has ended, both politically and commercially, although its decline is not so noticeable in the field of culture.

On the other hand, Greek polis are no longer independent city-states and an attempt is made to recover a monarchy system supported by the militia and based on a slave economy system, which facilitated domination over the most disadvantaged classes. Social differences become more apparent in this period.

If you want to know more about Hellenistic schools, keep reading this article by a PROFESSOR.

Index

1. Brief introduction to Hellenistic schools
2. Characteristics of Hellenistic schools
3. Cynical school
4. Cyrenaic school
5. Epicurean school
6. Stoic school
7. Skeptical school (academic skepticism)
8. Pyrrhonic School (Pyrrhonic skepticism)

The term hellenistic begins with the death of Alexander the Great and ends with the conquest of Egypt by the Roman Empire. This period is characterized by the extension of the world and Greek culture due to the conquests of Alexander the Great.

After the death of Alexander the Great, the philosophy focuses on the what should i do to be happy. People seek happiness beyond politics and polis citizen duties. Individuality passes over the collective. That is why the Hellenistic schools are also known as schools of happiness.

The main Hellenistic schools were the Epicureanism, the skepticism and the cynical. You will also learn about the role of the Stoics and Plato's academy at the time.

Without the polis, the human being is no longer understood as a political animal or zoon politikom, as I said Aristotle, but, from now on it becomes a social animal (independent and autonomous), so that humanity, and nature, where it moves, will be the themes of philosophical discourse.

The characteristics of the Hellenistic schools are as follows:

• It was a time of great instability in all areas, which generated doubts and concerns in an increasingly confused population. Thus, the philosophers' concerns would be, mainly, the safety and happiness of individuals.
• From the study of the laws of Nature and the Universe, a new concept of Physics, and also a new, more natural and universal Ethics.
• Although the Stoic and Epicurean schools build a philosophical system, the whole theory begins to lose value in favor of the practice that will be subject to praxis, to existence and knowing how to live.
• Philosophy is divided, from this moment on, into logic, physics and ethics, always integrated into the field of morality, which would be its purpose.
• Different Hellenistic schools appear: cynical, cyrenaic, epicurean, stoic, skeptical, with different points of view but a common center of interest: Nature and the Human Being.

Image: Calameo

This school, founded by Antisthenes, preached an austere way of life, free of material goods and identified civilization with evil. Among its main representatives are Hyparquía de Manonea, Crates de Tebas or Diogenes de Sínope. The latter lived in a barrel, accompanied by his dogs and with hardly any clothing.

Main ideas

• Autarky or self-sufficiency. Autonomy
• Moral indifference or adiaphora
• Anaideia or irreverence. Provocative attitude
• Frankness in speech or parrhesia
• Some of its principles influenced Stoic philosophy. Among its members, there was a woman, Hyparquía, a woman from Crates, a rather curious fact at the time. Another characteristic is the eccentricity of the members of the dog's school.

Aristippus of Cyrene he was the founder of the cyrenaic school, another of the most important Hellenistic schools. Among her members was her daughter, Areta, and her son, Aristipo. Other representatives of this school were Hegesias and Theodore the Atheist. The former was a supporter of suicide, and in fact encouraged his disciples to commit suicide, to such an extent that many ended his life. Finally the school had to close.

Main ideas

• He identified the Good with physical and spiritual pleasure, although the second was the most important
• Ataraxia or imperturbability of mind as a means to achieve happiness
• Autarky, autonomy, self-sufficiency
• Sensualist theory of knowledge (knowledge comes from the senses) and subjectivist (only intellectual knowledge exists)

Image: Cute77

Its founder was Epicurus, the creator of the school "The Garden of Epicurus", like the Cyrenaics, identified pleasure with good, but they bet on a more spiritual kind of pleasure than the previous ones. In this school, as in the Cynic and Cyrenaica, they also allowed entry to women. Other representatives are Hadrian, Diogenes of Oinoanda, Zeno of Sidon, Lucretius.

Main ideas

• Happiness is identified with pleasure (hedonism)
• Pleasure is understood as the absence of pain
• Ataraxia or serenity of mind
• Promotion of friendship ties
• Intelligent control of pleasures
• Causation rules the universe
• Contrary to Stoic philosophy

This school was founded by Zenón de Citio, a prolific philosopher and author of works such as Of life according to nature, Of the universals, Dialectical arguments or Of the passions. After his death he was succeeded in the direction of the Stoa or "portico", which was the name of the school, Cleantes and Chrysippus. The latter perfects Stoic theories by making a philosophical system from the doctrines of Zeno, although hardly any remains of his work are preserved.

Later, Diogenes of Babylon, Antipater of Tarsus, Panecius of Rhodes, Posidonius of Apamea, Seneca, Epictetus or Marcus Aurelius, spread Stoicism throughout the Roman Empire.

Stoicism receives Judeo-Christian influences and was the philosophy of the high birth of the Roman Empire

Main ideas

• The Good is identified with happiness and is with the serenity of the soul, or ataraxia
• Philosophy focused on practice. There are things that depend on yourself and others that are beyond your control. The latter are not worth worrying about
• Relative time concept. It just depends on its good or bad use. Time is either used or wasted
• Cosmopolitan vision. There are no states, no borders, only the world, and all individuals are “citizens of this world”
• They divide philosophy into logic, physical and moral
• The universe is as an organized whole and therefore it is necessary to study it holistically
• The human being is one more part of the universe as a whole

The academic skepticism it is another of the most important Hellenistic schools. This philosophical school was born after the death of Plato, when Arcesilao took charge of the Platonic Academy. Antiochus of Ascalon succeeds him in the post and denies the skeptical doctrine, although Plutarch or his disciple Favorinus continued to support her. Representatives of skepticism are Arcesilao, Carneades or Cicero.

Main ideas

• They deny all possibility of knowledge
• They assure that nothing can be known and in case of being able to do so, it would be impossible to transmit it
• Nothing is true, there are only degrees of truth that are instruments that help to decide and act in life
• Stoic philosophers were harshly attacked, especially for their idea of ​​associating impressions with knowledge.

Pyrrhonism or skeptical school he was born with Pirrón in the 3rd century BC. C. and its main representatives are Enesidemus, Timon the Siligraph and Empirical Sixth. Although it is focused on study of the human psyche, is his theory of knowledge the most important of this school.

Main ideas

• Knowledge does not exist, so you have to doubt everything
• Suspension of judgment or epojé to reach ataraxia, apathy or serenity of spirit
• Happiness is the purpose of the human being (eudaemonism)
• There is no truth in relation to things that are not obvious, only opinions
• Nothing should be affirmed as true or false (acatalepsy), since the truth is relative. For every argument there is a counterargument

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