What is Stoicism? There are many sources of information about Stoicism, but an easy way to start is with Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman’s DailyStoic.com, with its focus on living with virtue: wisdom, self-mastery, justice and courage. Their “Nine Core Stoic Beliefs” (https://www.dailystoic.com/9-core-stoic-beliefs) distills an excellent list of fundamental life principles, gleaned from Stoic classics, for new Stoics.
They are:
- If you want a smooth flow of life, live according to Nature.
- Happiness isn’t found in Things but in Virtue alone – its all about what we value and the choices we make.
- We don’t control external events, only our thoughts, opinions, decisions and duties.
- We’ve each been given all the inner resources we need to thrive.
- We must eliminate toxic emotions – why hope, fear, and anger are always the worst strategies.
- We are and must remain a unified self – We can’t complain or blame anyone else (deal with your own demons).
- No man is an island: The Stoic Golden Rule.
- Our personal development is bound up in cooperation with others.
- Persist and Resist: It is all about progress, not perfection.
For more resources and direction about What is Stoicism? , please consider the following resource pathway:
| In order to..... | More specifically... | Consider the following: |
|---|---|---|
| To begin answering the question: What is Stoicism? | Identify one's interests in pursuit of Stoic philosophy | College of Stoic Philosophers Stoic Essentials Studies The Stoic Handbook by Erik Weigardt (Stoic Registry Webpage under Resources) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Stoicism https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stoicism/ M. Pigliucci >24 Common Criticisms of Stoicism-and some answers |
| Expand understanding of Stoicism within Classical and Hellenistic philosophy traditions | Understanding the ancient philosophical roots and schools e.g. Socratic, Platonic, Aristotelian. Sceptic, etc | AA Long (1986) Hellenistic Philosophy: Stoics, Epicureans, Sceptics. |
| Discover the influence of Stoicism throughout the last two millennium. | Recognize Stoic principles as far flung as middle ages Christianity, Montaigne, Descartes, Kant, Nietzsche, and early American revolutionaries such as John Locke, Jefferson and Washington. | Under Construction |