Chrysippus 279 BC – 206 BC
Chrysippus of Soli was a Greek philosopher and the third head of the Stoic school, often regarded as its second founder. He was an extraordinarily prolific writer, credited in antiquity with more than seven hundred works, almost all of which are now lost. He systematized Stoic logic, physics, and ethics, developed propositional logic well beyond Aristotle, and defended Stoic determinism while attempting to preserve human moral responsibility. The ancient saying ran: "If there had been no Chrysippus, there would have been no Stoa."
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Stoicism, Hellenistic
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Chrysippus:
“Living virtuously is equivalent to living in accordance with one's experience of the actual course of nature.”
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Attributed to Chrysippus:
“If I had followed the multitude, I should not have studied philosophy.”
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Attributed to Chrysippus:
“The wise man wants for nothing and yet needs many things; the fool, on the other hand, has need of nothing, for he understands the use of nothing, but is in want of everything.”
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Attributed to Chrysippus:
“Nothing happens without a cause, but everything in accordance with antecedent causes.”
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Attributed to Chrysippus:
“Justice exists by nature and not by convention.”