Stilpo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stilpo of Megara
|
|
|---|---|
Stilpo, depicted as a medieval scholar in the Nuremberg Chronicle, where he is called "Silphon".
|
|
| Born | c. 360 BC |
| Died | c. 280 BC |
| Era | Ancient philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Megarian school |
|
Main interests
|
Logic, dialectic, ethics |
|
Notable ideas
|
The universal is fundamentally separated from the individual and concrete |
|
Influences
|
|
|
Influenced
|
|
Stilpo (born around 360 BC, died around 280 BC) was an important Greek philosopher. He belonged to a group of thinkers called the Megarian school. Stilpo lived at the same time as other famous philosophers like Theophrastus and Zeno of Citium.
Even though none of his own writings have survived, we know about his ideas from what other writers said. He was very interested in logic, which is the study of correct reasoning. He also studied dialectic, which is like a debate where people use logic to find the truth. Stilpo believed that general ideas, like "vegetable," are separate from specific things, like "this carrot." His ideas about how to live a good life were similar to those of the Cynics and Stoics. Two of his most famous students were Pyrrho, who started a school of thought called Pyrrhonism, and Zeno of Citium, who founded Stoicism.
Contents
Life of Stilpo
Stilpo was born in a city called Megara. Some people say he was a student of Euclid of Megara, but this is unlikely because he lived later. He might have been taught by Thrasymachus of Corinth or Pasicles of Thebes.
Stilpo and Kings
Stilpo was so well-known that powerful rulers wanted to meet him. One story says he had logical discussions with Diodorus Cronus at the court of Ptolemy I Soter, a king in Egypt. Another story says he chose not to go to Alexandria when the king invited him.
Demetrius I of Macedon, a powerful general, also respected Stilpo. When Demetrius captured Megara, he made sure Stilpo's house was safe. He even offered to pay for any damage, but Stilpo politely refused.
Stilpo's Character
Stilpo was known for his strong character and kind nature. The writer Plutarch said Stilpo brought honor to his city and friends. Kings wanted to get to know him.
It is said that Stilpo used to enjoy certain pleasures, but he completely overcame these habits through his philosophy. He was very good at inventing new ideas and debating. He inspired many people in Greece to follow the Megarian way of thinking.
Famous Students
Many distinguished people became his students. He even convinced some students of other famous philosophers, like Theophrastus, to join him. Among his students were Crates of Thebes, a Cynic philosopher, and Zeno of Citium, who started the Stoic school. Other followers included Menedemus and Asclepiades of Phlius. Stilpo was also admired for his wisdom and calm attitude, even when his daughter was difficult.
Stilpo's Philosophy
We only know the names of the dialogues (written conversations) Stilpo created. We learn about his ideas from small pieces and quotes found in other ancient writings. He was part of the Megarian school of philosophy.
Ideas on Logic
Stilpo had interesting ideas about how we understand things. He argued that a general idea, like "horse" (the universal), is not the same as a specific, real horse (the individual).
He used examples to explain this. Imagine someone says, "Whoever speaks of any person, speaks of no one." This is because you are not talking about a specific person. Why would it be this person and not that one? So, it's not about a single person.
Another example he used was about a vegetable. He might have said, "The idea of 'vegetable' is not just this specific plant in front of you. A 'vegetable' existed thousands of years ago. So, this one plant isn't the whole idea of 'vegetable'."
Stilpo believed that you cannot truly describe one thing by using words that belong to another. For example, being a horse is different from running. If you ask for the definition of a horse, you don't say "running." And if you ask for the definition of running, you don't say "horse." So, Stilpo thought it was wrong to say "a horse runs." He believed that if "good" is the same as "people," then how can "good" also describe food or medicine? He argued that if the description is different, then we shouldn't say "a person is good" or "a horse runs."
Some people criticized Stilpo, saying his ideas made everyday life confusing. But others, like Plutarch, thought he was just cleverly making people think deeply about logic.
Ideas on Ethics
Stilpo was also very interested in virtue, which means living a good and moral life. He believed that a wise person should not only overcome bad things but also not be affected by them at all. This shows how his ideas were similar to the Cynics, who believed in living simply and being free from desires.
A famous story about Stilpo shows this idea. After his city was captured and he lost his children and wife, he was the only one left, but he was still happy. When Demetrius I of Macedon, who was known for destroying cities, asked Stilpo if he had lost anything, Stilpo replied, "I have all my goods with me!" This meant that his true happiness and wisdom were inside him and could not be taken away.
This story inspired a play called Stilpo and his Children.
Stilpo also wrote about exile, which is being forced to leave your home country. He said that good things can be divided into three types: good things for the soul (like wisdom), good things for the body (like health), and external good things (like possessions). He argued that being in exile does not take away any of these three types of good things from a person.
See also
In Spanish: Estilpón de Mégara para niños
