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Biographical Notes of Anthony Hanania

Anthony Hanania is a certified teacher of religious education. He has done many studies in sociology, theology, comparative religion, philosophy, mission studies, education, psychology and social work. Anthony re-opened the Stoic School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in August 2004. He teaches his students at Tim Horton coffee shops (the modern agora). He lives in Ottawa.

The Stoic School of Philosophy was founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens around (300 BC). He was taught by the Cynic philosopher Crates. The Cynics were the ancestors of the Stoics and both schools were inspired by the great Greek philosopher Socrates (470-399 BC). The Stoics taught the end of the human being is to live in harmony with nature. The Stoics saw the world ordered and ruled by a divine reason called LOGOS. Heraclitus of Ephesus (540-475 BC) was the forerunner of the word LOGOS in which he saw the creative nature of reason in people and the universe, the subordination of the individual to the laws of nature, and the fact that all things are in a process of change.

After Zeno, Cleanthes (331-232 BC) headed the School and Chrysippus (280-208 BC) succeeded Cleanthes. These were the early Stoics and we only have fragments from them. The later Stoics left writings through which we could read their Stoic thoughts more thoroughly. Their writings became the foundational pillars of Stoicism. Seneca had letters and dialogues. Epictetus had The Discourses, and The Manual. And Marcus Aurelius wrote his famous Meditations. Emperor Marcus Aurelius was the last Stoic. After him the School closed but the Stoic thoughts influenced the later generations including Christianity. The Gospel of John starts with the statement: in the beginning was the LOGOS, the LOGOS was with GOD and the LOGOS was GOD. The influence of Stoicism continued throughout the centuries. The Stoic Foundation began in 2000 AD under the Scholarship of Professor Keith Seddon in which I am a member. I personally reopened The Stoic School of Philosophy in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 2004AD to teach the Stoic Philosophy and to promote its ethics among everyone who is thirsty for self-knowledge.

The main goal of The School is to achieve tranquility of mind by living in harmony with nature. The Stoic School encourages three steps: