Back to Library

Essential Stoic Concepts

Stoa

Sage

Essential Stoic Concepts - Sage

Book Subtitle: A Stoic glossary

Book Description: These are the most important concepts in Stoic philosophy.

Chapter: 28 of 32

Sections: 1

Author: Stoa

The goal of Stoic ethics.

Someone who has achieved knowledge and demonstrates virtue in all actions.

The sage was thought to be as rare as a phoenix, a mythical being that came about once every 500 years.

If there ever was a sage, it was likely Socrates.

Besides achieving knowledge and happiness, the Stoics also thought a sage was necessarily perfect.

When someone achieves knowledge, they no longer have any reason to make further mistakes.

They are not tempted by their vices, or misled by their biases, because they have none.

And so the knowledge of the sage was thought to solidify or crystalize into something unbreakable.

Greek: Sophos σοφός.