Stoicism 101

Stoic Philosophy 101
The Pursuit of Virtue

Wisdom * Courage * Temperance * Justice
This document was created by members of The Stoic Fellowship in response to requests for a
brief outline of the basics. It is not meant to be authorita;ve but aims to be an aid in providing
some context to the readings and a poten;al star;ng point for further explora;ons of the
philosophy.
The Founding Principle

We are endowed by Nature with the ability to reason and we seek to employ reason to
understand the world, to meet the challenges we face, and to make our lives better.
Generations of Stoic philosophers have discovered, developed, refined, and expanded

this concept into a formal school of thought. This heritage is our guide and not dogma.
All points are open to debate and, in fact, that is the best way to learn, understand, and
appreciate the concepts which many have used on their path towards happier and
psychologically healthier lives.
What’s it Good For?

Through theory and practice the Stoic philosophy offers:
1. A way to think about how to live and whether what you want will actually help or
hinder your happiness.
2. A way to understand what goals to set in order to help you live your best life.
As the Stoic Seneca said:
“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.”
If you don’t know where you’d like to head in life, then how will you know if you’re
making progress toward it or not?
The Goal of Philosophy
Stoicism is a philosophy of life that comes from ancient Greece and its goal is spiritual
well-being – i.e., to allay the sufferings of humanity and become the best human being
you can be.
There were several different philosophies in ancient Greece, but they had one common
goal called eudaimonia. This literally means “having a good spirit”, also translated as
‘well-being’ or “thriving”. Some philosophers thought that eudaimonia consisted in bodily
pleasure, others that it was the avoidance of pain, or in not clinging to beliefs. Aristotle’s
school thought virtue and luck were needed to flourish. The Stoics, though, settled on
virtue alone as being both necessary and sufficient for eudaimonia.
The Stoic Path to Peace and Happiness: Excellence

The Stoics noticed that we can’t control everything that happens to us. After all, you
can’t always avoid pain, get pleasure, or be lucky. Also, unlike the Skeptics, the Stoics
thought that we could actually know things. This ruled out Skepticism for the Stoics. So
what’s left? The Stoic answer is: virtue. The Greek word for virtue is arete, which means
“excellence”.
They answered this way for two reasons. The first is that virtue is a prerequisite to use
the luck you get in life. If you’re wealthy, you could use it to help others and yourself…
but only if you’re wise. But you could also use it to harm others or yourself if you’re not.
The same thing goes for being healthy, and other things people tend to value that don’t
relate to character. After all, would you rather have a healthy, wealthy Hitler or a sickly,
poor Hitler? This shows that while things can be used for good or bad purposes, it is the
wisdom and skill with which we use them that matters. Being an “excellent” person is
always useful in every circumstance.
The second reason why the Stoics focused on virtue was because they believed it’s
completely under our control. We can always change our conscious thoughts and habits
in order to become a better person. Through repeated practice, we can become better
and better people in any circumstance, whether or not luck is going our way.
So, because being virtuous is ultimately always useful and under our complete control,
it is sufficient to do well in any circumstance. Whatever befalls us, doing the right thing
always is its own reward.
The Stoic Curriculum of Excellence
The Three Stoic Studies
Stoics began by first learning theory, then moving on to practice. The theory consisted
of learning:
• Logic - how to reason well
• Physics - how the world works
• Ethics - how to live well
They had a metaphor for how these worked together: logic is the fence of a garden,
from which the crop of ethics sprouts from the soil of physics. Learning how to live
(ethics) is what you ultimately harvest, but how to live well depends on how the world
works (physics) and is protected by good reasoning (logic).
The Three Stoic Disciplines

Stoics train and practice in three areas related to the theoretical studies listed above.
• Discipline of Assent (logic) – developing the ability to think critically, objectively,

and logically
• Discipline of Desire (physics) – training to accept the world as it is & focus on

what’s in one’s control
• Discipline of Action (ethics) – practicing how to act well and justly
A Good Life
Through an understanding of theory and training in the exercises and practices of the
Stoic Philosophy, many find a way of life that gives them inner strength, peace, and
freedom, even in the face of adversity — in short, a path to a good and worthwhile life.
According to the philosophy, this is something within everyone’s reach and our heritage
as rational beings.
“Therein is the secret of cheerfulness, of depending on no help from without and
needing to crave from no man the boon of tranquility. We have to stand upright
ourselves, not be set up.”
• Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 3.5
Stoicism Today
Several people are working to bring Stoic practice into the modern world and the
philosophy is enjoying a modern Renaissance. Searching on social media sites or the
internet in general will reveal several more sources which can help you learn how to
apply Stoicism to your life. You can also keep coming to more meetups to learn more!
Major Stoics and Their Works

Very few documents that were written by Stoics survive today. Here is a list of some
Stoics whose work survives to a decent extent:
• Letters of Seneca the Younger - A wealthy Roman Senator who wrote several
essays and public letters about Stoicism which survive to this day
• Discourses of Epictetus - A former slave turned Stoic teacher, some of whose

teachings were recorded by his student, Arrian
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - A well-respected Roman emperor whose

main surviving Stoic work was a diary used as a Stoic exercise to remind himself
of his Stoic principles

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Stoic Philosophy 101

The Pursuit of Virtue

The Founding Principle

Generations of Stoic philosophers have discovered, developed, refined, and expanded

What’s it Good For?

As the Stoic Seneca said:

The Stoic Path to Peace and Happiness: Excellence

• Logic - how to reason well

• Physics - how the world works

• Ethics - how to live well

The Three Stoic Disciplines

• Discipline of Assent (logic) – developing the ability to think critically, objectively,

• Discipline of Desire (physics) – training to accept the world as it is & focus on

• Discipline of Action (ethics) – practicing how to act well and justly

Major Stoics and Their Works

• Discourses of Epictetus - A former slave turned Stoic teacher, some of whose

• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - A well-respected Roman emperor whose

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