“We should treat our fellow human beings as if they were our brothers… children of the same nature, and members of the same community.”
About
Though much of his voice is lost to time, what remains speaks clearly: we are one. Hierocles taught that virtue begins with the self but must never end there. With his image of concentric circles, self, family, community, and all humankind he offered a map of the moral life, expanding outward with empathy and intention. In a divided world, he urged unity through reason and shared nature. For Hierocles, to live justly was not to retreat from others, but to draw them closer until every stranger became kin.
Place of Birth
Greece or a Roman province (exact location unknown)
Birthday
2nd century CE
Death
Unknown, active during the Roman Imperial period
Legacy
Hierocles was a Stoic philosopher best known for his work on ethics and cosmopolitanism. Though much of his writing is lost, fragments of his work… especially his theory of concentric circles, have survived and remain a powerful image of Stoic ethics. His approach emphasized empathy, duty, and the expansion of moral concern from the self outward to all of humanity.
Influence
Hierocles’ ideas significantly shaped later Stoic thought and anticipated concepts in modern human rights, global citizenship, and moral psychology. His vision of the “circles of concern” influenced Enlightenment thinkers and continues to resonate in discussions on compassion, altruism, and civic responsibility.
Values & Beliefs
Hierocles believed in the shared rational nature of all human beings and in extending moral concern from oneself to family, friends, neighbors, and ultimately all humanity. He emphasized kindness, duty, self-awareness, and living in harmony with nature and society, key Stoic ideals applied to the structure of community.
Most Famous For:
The “Circles of Concern” model of ethics
Promoting universal brotherhood and cosmopolitanism
Writing on Stoic ethics and moral psychology
Advocating practical virtue and the natural kinship of all people
“Each of us is, as it were, enclosed by many circles. We must draw the outer circles toward the center.”
Ethan Townzen 