Full Width [alt+shift+f] Shortcuts [alt+shift+k]
Sign Up [alt+shift+s] Log In [alt+shift+l]

How to Be a Stoic

How to Be a Stoic
Stoic Q&A: can virtue justify evil? [Feel free to submit a question for this column, addressing it at massimo at howtobeastoic dot org.]...
over a year ago
31
over a year ago
[Feel free to submit a question for this column, addressing it at massimo at howtobeastoic dot org.] V. writes: My question is: can Stoic virtues be used as excuses to conduct evil deeds? I’m asking this question for several reasons. First, in the current political climate, the...
How to Be a Stoic
Welcome! Welcome to How to Be a Stoic! It began back in March ’15 as a blog to track my personal journey into...
over a year ago
31
over a year ago
Welcome to How to Be a Stoic! It began back in March ’15 as a blog to track my personal journey into modern practical Stoicism. The blog has now moved to Patreon and I hope you will follow me there. However, the full archive of 425 posts and a whopping 4,600 comments will remain...
How to Be a Stoic
Stoic advice: my friend is a jerk, what do I do? [Feel free to submit a question for this column, addressing it at massimo at howtobeastoic dot org....
over a year ago
29
over a year ago
[Feel free to submit a question for this column, addressing it at massimo at howtobeastoic dot org. However, consider that I have a significant backlog, and I may not get to your question for some time, or at all.] M. writes: My friend has been an avid member of the Red Pill...
How to Be a Stoic
The evolution of ancient Stoicism, and why it matters today Modern Stoics are interested in picking up the ancient tradition while at the same time updating it...
over a year ago
29
over a year ago
Modern Stoics are interested in picking up the ancient tradition while at the same time updating it and molding it to modern times. For some reason, this is often considered a controversial thing, with flying accusations of cherry picking and dire warnings about the result not...
How to Be a Stoic
Stoics should be vegetarian Vegetarianism is a big deal, ethically speaking. It was put on the map in terms of public philosophy...
over a year ago
29
over a year ago
Vegetarianism is a big deal, ethically speaking. It was put on the map in terms of public philosophy by utilitarian Peter Singer, with his landmark Animal Liberation, published back in 1975. In truth, utilitarians have been very clear on the subject from the beginning. The...
How to Be a Stoic
The Ethics of the Family in Seneca, VI: rewriting the family Seneca wrote his famous letters to Lucilius near the end of his life. They are not just...
over a year ago
29
over a year ago
Seneca wrote his famous letters to Lucilius near the end of his life. They are not just philosophical letters to a friend, but a structured curriculum in Stoic philosophy, as the entries are meant to be read in sequence, with the reader assuming the role of Lucilius. Moreover,...
How to Be a Stoic
What Would a Stoic Do? Dating “Dating” is a word I was not familiar with before coming to the United States. Especially with the...
over a year ago
28
over a year ago
“Dating” is a word I was not familiar with before coming to the United States. Especially with the advent of modern dating apps, it essentially means that you are trying out different people to see who “wins” the alleged honor of being your (next) partner. Except, of course, that...
How to Be a Stoic
Stoic advice: can a salesperson be a Stoic? [Feel free to submit a question for this column, addressing it at massimo at howtobeastoic dot org....
over a year ago
28
over a year ago
[Feel free to submit a question for this column, addressing it at massimo at howtobeastoic dot org. However, consider that I have a significant backlog, and I may not get to your question for some time, or at all.] D. writes: How should a practising Stoic ethically approach their...
How to Be a Stoic
How to make progress with your Stoic practice (or learn to drive a car), Epictetus style There are different ways to understand and practice Stoic philosophy, and this is true not just for...
over a year ago
26
over a year ago
There are different ways to understand and practice Stoic philosophy, and this is true not just for the differences between ancient and modern Stoicism, but even within ancient Stoicism itself. After all, the philosophy evolved over a course of more than five centuries from Zeno...
How to Be a Stoic
Were the ancient Stoics feminist? Should the modern ones be? The short answers to the title questions are: not really, and of course yes. At least, that’s the...
over a year ago
24
over a year ago
The short answers to the title questions are: not really, and of course yes. At least, that’s the conclusion of a detailed analysis of the relationship between Stoicism and feminism published in a paper by Scott Aikin and Emily McGill-Rutherford in Symposion, 1, 1 (2014): 9-22....