Throughout history, the nature of the happy life has been described by numerous philosophers and their philosophies. Among those that have attempted this explanation are the Stoics, who were founded by Zeno, and Epicureans, established by Epicurus. Both agree that indulging desires in moderation is necessary for attaining happiness. As well, according to the Epicureans, the ultimate aim of life is to achieve tranquility of the soul, which is very similar to the condition of apathy the Stoics believed was ideal (Matson, 195). Though they existed concurrently, the similarities between the two philosophies ended there; the philosophical arguments presented by Stoicism and Epicureanism differ greatly in terms of religious beliefs, fatalistic existence, and how one might be able to live the happy life.
While here is little mention of the religious aspect of a happy life in the Stoic and the Epicurean philosophies, minimal reference is based on the idea of conquering fear.
Matson's Woods (Revisited) (1)
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Steve Mannion of Fearless Dawn at Asbury Park Comi...The Stoics believed that the human soul is the ultimate expression of the Logos (The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Stoicism); alternatively, Epicureans believed true religion lies in contemplation (Mannion, 30). Though Epicurus did not accept the traditional view of God, he did not consider himself an atheist, and acknowledged the existence of gods (Matson, 198). The contemplation involved in Epicurus' true religion was the reflection on the lives of gods, comparable to the gods' deliberation regarding the lives of humans (Encarta Reference Library 2004: Epicureanism). He believed these gods existed, indifferent as to what we did with our lives, unlike the Stoics who saw God as "the World-Soul [who] directs everything for the best" (Matson, 192). Stoicism simply instructs us to live a life in harmony with nature, which translates to living harmoniously with the divine order of the universe, and leaving us with nothing to fear...