Asceticism
- “what does ascetic mean”
- “why do philosophers practise asceticism”
- “nietzsche on the ascetic ideal”
- “is asceticism self punishment”
:: COMPARE ::
AsceticismvsStoicism
The short answer
Stoic practice trains your attachment while holding externals indifferent; asceticism gives the object up, usually as training rather than as a verdict on it. The two overlap enough that reference works count Stoicism itself among the ancient ascetic schools — the difference shows in wealth, which a Stoic can hold without contradiction and an ascetic cannot.
Side by side
| Aspect | Asceticism | Stoicism |
|---|---|---|
| The object is | Given up, often as training | Indifferent |
| Wealth is | Renounced | Permitted |
| Trains | The appetite | The judgement |
| Shares | askēsis | askēsis |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Asceticism rather than Stoicism are usually searching for phrases like “what does ascetic mean”, “why do philosophers practise asceticism”, “nietzsche on the ascetic ideal”.
Stoicism
- “a philosophy about staying calm and focusing on what you can control”
- “how to not let things outside my control upset me”
- “the ancient philosophy the emperor Marcus Aurelius practised”
- “finding peace by accepting what I can't change”
Which came first
Stoicism. c. 300 BCE — Zeno of Citium teaches on the painted porch (stoa) in Athens.
- c. 300 BCEStoicismZeno of Citium teaches on the painted porch (stoa) in Athens.
- 1818/1819AsceticismSchopenhauer presents asceticism — voluntary poverty and chastity — as the highest achievement, the denial of the will-to-live.
Read either one in full