In Seneca’s 69th letter, he writes to Lucilius that he should avoid “frequent . . . flitting [and] scurry[ing] about from one place to another.” Where the body goes, the spirit follows, says Seneca, so “To be able to hold your spirit in check, you must first stop the runaway flight of the body.” The…
Objects of devotion in Stoicism
Erich Fromm When one’s own rationality is obscured, it is hard to turn to a system of thought such as Stoicism, which prizes human reason and logic as the means of rising above adversity. When we are in a rational frame of mind, its precepts make sense and form a worldview that is solid and…
Stoicism and Anna Karenina
I am reading Anna Karenina and have come across a few passages that remind me of the Stoic mindset. The first, describing the landowner Levin, strikes me as a good example of someone drawing on inner strength and outward-directed goals to lead a fulfilling life. Levin is caught in a hailstorm while riding on horseback; while…
Nose-wiping and other Stoic actions
It’s been surprising for me to see how much mental energy changing jobs has taken up--and I haven’t even started the new job yet, but am taking some time off in between. I look forward to settling into a new routine so that some mental space can be cleared again for writing. Stoicism helped me…
“Ethismos” and good habits
In his essay “On Cruelty,” Montaigne wrote of Cato and Socrates, “We see in the souls of these two men and their imitators - for I very much doubt whether they had equals - so perfect a habit of virtue that it has become their common complexion.” How can we get to the point where…
Daily Stoic exercises for beginners
From reading the Stoics we notice their emphasis on spiritual "training" to strengthen the character and enable one to endure difficulties with equanimity. What exactly did they mean by this training, also referred to as spiritual exercises? Is it enough to read the Stoics and apply what we learn there to situations as they arise? Or…
Back to basics: Reviving (or starting) a Stoic practice
Reflecting on basic Stoic precepts as I prepare to develop my practice.
Musonius Rufus on the good life at home and at work
I'm new at this guest-posting thing, but I wanted to let my readers know that Leah Goldrick at Common Sense Ethics has graciously published a post that I wrote on Musonius Rufus' take on the ideal job and the ideal marriage. The post is here. Her blog is terrific and well worth a bookmark.
Why rushing through life makes you less likely to help others
I am happy to present a guest post this week from one of my favorite bloggers, Leah Goldrick. Leah became a practicing Stoic as a result of her ongoing inquiry into the Western wisdom traditions. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and a Masters in Library and Information Science from Rutgers University. She used…
Epictetus on “the beginning of philosophy”
In Book Two, chapter 11 of his Discourses (free online version here), Epictetus describes what he takes to be the purpose of philosophy--to function as a ruler against which we measure our arguments--and explains how it comes about that, given that we all are born with a notion of good and evil, there are conflicting opinions…
