Editing Chrysippus (section)

===God===
The Stoics believed that the universe is [[God]], and Chrysippus affirmed that "the universe itself is God and the universal outpouring of its soul."<ref name="cicerodenati15">Cicero, ''De Natura Deorum'', i. 15</ref> It is the guiding principle of the universe, "operating in mind and reason, together with the common nature of things and the totality which embraces all existence."<ref name="cicerodenati15"/> Based on these beliefs, physicist and philosopher [[Max Bernhard Weinstein]] identified Chrysippus as a [[Pandeist]].{{efn|"Dieser Pandeismus, der von Chrysippos (aus Soloi 280–208 v. Chr.) herrühren soll, ist schon eine Verbindung mit dem Emanismus; Gott ist die Welt, insofern als diese aus seiner Substanz durch Verdichtung und Abkühlung entstanden ist und entsteht, und er sich strahlengleich mit seiner Substanz durch sie noch verbreitet."<ref>Max Bernhard Weinsten, ''Welt- und Lebensanschauungen, Hervorgegangen aus Religion, Philosophie und Naturerkenntnis'' ("World and Life Views, Emerging From Religion, Philosophy and Perception of Nature") (1910), p. 233</ref>}}

Chrysippus sought to prove the [[existence of God]], making use of a [[teleological argument]]:
<blockquote>If there is anything that humanity cannot produce, the being who produces it is better than humanity. But humanity cannot produce the things that are in the universe{{snd}}the heavenly bodies, etc. The being, therefore, who produces them is superior to humanity. But who is there that is superior to humanity, except God? Therefore, God exists.<ref>Cicero, ''De Natura Deorum'', iii. 10. Cf. ii. 6 for the fuller version of this argument</ref></blockquote>
Chrysippus spoke of God and gods interchangeably. He interpreted the [[Greek gods|gods]] of traditional Greek religion by viewing them as different aspects of the one reality. [[Cicero]] tells us that "he further maintained that aether is that which people call [[Zeus]], and that the air which permeates the seas is [[Poseidon]], and that the earth is what is known by the name of [[Demeter]], and he treated in similar style the names of the other gods."<ref name="cicerodenati15"/> In addition, the universe exists for the benefit of the universal god:
<blockquote>We should infer in the case of a beautiful dwelling-place that it was built for its owners and not for [[mice]]; we ought, therefore, in the same way to regard the universe as the dwelling-place of the gods.<ref name="cicerodenatiii10">Cicero, ''De Natura Deorum'', iii. 10</ref></blockquote>