Tao Te Ching

The Power of Goodness, the Wisdom Beyond Words
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Zeno Ζήνων ὁ Κιτιεύς

(of Citium)

334 – 262 BCE

Self-made wealthy merchant, shipwrecked and impoverished Phoenician, founder of Stoicism - a kind of reformation of Epicureanism that had corrupted from the pursuit of happiness to the pursuit of pleasure; Zeno emphasized virtue and goodness as essential to true happiness and peace of mind. An internationalist wanting to break down all national and racial barriers with no nations, classes, rich or poor, he defined vice as the rejection of reason making happiness impossible. Crediting Socrates, he defined the universe as god and acting on hope and fear, seeking pleasure or avoiding pain as the negative impulses causing suffering. His Stoic philosophy remained dominant for c. 800 years, influenced Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. A major crater on the moon is named after him.

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Quotes by Zeno (13 quotes)

“No evil can happen to a good man either in life or after death.”

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“You must always remember that all men are your brothers, down to the vilest and most debased; they are your family and your friends, your fellow-citizens as well. You must be kind therefore, endlessly kind”

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“The reason we have two ears and only one mouth is so we may hear more and talk less.”

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“When men are enlightened enough to follow their natural instincts, they will have no need of law-courts or police, will have no temples and no public worship, and use no money”

Chapters: 70. Inscrutable

Themes: Law and Order

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“The goal of life is living in agreement with Nature.”

Chapters: 26. The Still Rule the Restless

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“No evil is honorable: but death is honorable; therefore death is not evil.”

Chapters: 24. Unnecessary Baggage

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“When men are enlightened enough to follow their natural instincts, they will have no need of law-courts or police, will have no temples and no public worship, and use no money.”

Chapters: 70. Inscrutable

Themes: Wu Wei Money

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“Where you find the laws most numerous, there you will find also the greatest injustice. Virtue is its own reward.”

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“All the good are friends of one another.”

Themes: Friendship

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“Man conquers the world by conquering himself.”

Themes: Victory

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“A bad feeling is a commotion of the mind repugnant to reason, and against nature.”

Themes: Complaint

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“Wellbeing is attained little and little, and nevertheless is no little thing itself.”

Themes: Health

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“When a dog is tied to a cart, if it wants to follow, it is pulled and follows, making its spontaneous act coincide with necessity. But if the dog does not follow, it will be compelled in any case. So it is with men too: even if they don't want to, they will be compelled to follow what is destined.”

Themes: Continuity

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Quotes about Zeno (1 quotes)

“The first really dogmatic teacher in Athens was the founder of Stoicism, Zeno. It was religion first, philosophy only second.... He expressed contempt for those who held out pleasures or pains in a future life as a motive for being good.”

Edith Hamilton 1867 – 1963 CE
from The Echo of Greece, 1957

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