Mohamed R. answered • 03/01/21
Bachelor degree in English with experience in philosophy tutoring.
Hi Charles,
This is a possible answer to your question.
When discussing St. Augustine, we are certainly referring to the medieval Christian philosophy, but when we discuss Stoicism, we are referring to an ancient Greek pantheistic, materialistic and deterministic philosophy.
There might be some common elements that the two philosophies share, but overall, they are far apart. The two philosophies are outcomes of some historical turmoil. They both emerge seeking peace, prosperity and a life of simplicity away from the flesh pleasures.
There are, however, many differences between the two trends. While Christianity believes in a personal God who is incarnated in Christ, the Stoics believe in Logos, which is a universal, creative force running through the entire Cosmos (pantheism). Medieval Christian philosophers such as Augustine and Anselm believe in free will as essential to attain enlightenment (Supreme Good). Stoicism, however, is deterministic and views all aspects of nature in terms of motion, cause and effect.
Augustine and other medieval philosophers and theologians believe in revelation, grace, illumination, and seek help through praying God. However, the Stoics believe in virtue and reason, and for them one needs to turn to self for help. They view Virtue as a way to live in accordance with nature. Likewise, Augustine thinks the Soul as being immaterial, while the Stoics believe the Soul to be some material substance diffused inside the body and the senses.
Another main difference is that Augustine Christian philosophy is generally Platonian, while Stoicism follows the Aristotelian path.
