Sam Solowiej | 2025 I.S. Symposium
狈补尘别:听Sam Solowiej
罢颈迟濒别:听The Effects of Hellenistic Worldviews on Happiness, Emotion Regulation, and View of Free Will
惭补箩辞谤蝉:听Psychology; Philosophy
础诲惫颈蝉辞谤蝉:听Amber Garcia; Lee McBride
This Independent Study is divided into four chapters. The first chapter, 鈥淓picurus and the Atoms,鈥 explores the roots of Epicureanism in the Hellenistic period. The chapter analyzes both the metaphysical foundations and the implications of the Epicurean position that the ethical theory of Epicurus rests upon. The chapter also focuses on clarifying the ethical doctrine of Epicureanism. I conclude the section by giving my thoughts on key parts of the doctrine.
The second chapter, 鈥淔rom Fiery Foundations; the Stoics,鈥 explores Stoicism in the Hellenistic period. The chapter analyzes both the metaphysical foundations and the implications of the Stoic position. The chapter also focuses on clarifying the ethical doctrine of Stoicism. I conclude the section by giving my thoughts on key parts and implications of the doctrine whilst comparing Stoicism to Epicureanism.
The third chapter is a psychology research article examining how endorsements of Stoicism and Epicureanism predict measures of happiness and well-being. The results indicate that stronger endorsement of Epicureanism was associated with more positive outcomes compared to stronger endorsement of Stoicism. I discuss implications for future psychological research in this area.
The fourth and final chapter is 鈥淐ontemporary Ideas and Concluding Remarks.鈥 It starts by analyzing one modern Epicurean work and a modern Stoic text. After discussing the works, I contrasted my view of the ancient foundations and discussed how faithful the modern texts are compared to the Hellenistic roots. The end of the chapter focuses on the difficulties and benefits of working across disciplines.
Posted in Symposium 2025 on May 1, 2025.
