November 16
Monday, November 16, 2020Plenary – Chapel
Stoic Therapy: Self-Care and Care for Others
In this class we continue our study of Roman Stoicism, beginning with the distinction the Stoics drew between their approach to the good life and the approach of their main rival philosophical school, Epicureanism. We'll then move on to consider the Stoics' views on civic engagement, the relation between fate and free will, and their understanding of positive and negative emotions. At the end of class we will examine various challenges to Stoicism as well as the continuing influence of the Stoics' views in the rise of the Modern Stoicism movement.
Goals
Goals
- Understand how the Stoics looked to distinguish their views in ethics from Epicureanism
- Explore the Stoics’ cosmopolitan worldview
- Consider how the Stoics approached the problem of free will and their understanding of healthy and unhealthy emotions
- Become familiar with the influence of the Stoics in modern times and the revival of their views in the Modern Stoicism movement
Before Class
Watch This
Read This
Do This
Watch This
- Review the core principles of the Stoic school by listening to the above interview between Peter Adamson and David Sedley on the development of Stoicism in antiquity
- Next, please do the reading ⟹
Read This
- Read and annotate the selections from Seneca’s Letters in Perusall
- Finally, see “Do This” on the next tab ⟹
Do This
- As you read Seneca’s letters for today’s class, consider how his views in ethics connect with the views developed by Epictetus in last week’s reading and the core principles of Stoicism discussed in last week’s lecture.
After Class
Further Resources
Further Resources
- “Seneca” – entry from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Katja Vogt)
- “The Joys of Being a Stoic” – short and accessible essay for the science magazine Nautilus that clears up some stereotypes of Stoicism and discusses the connection between Stoicism and cognitive behavioral therapy (Massimo Pigliucci)
- “Marcus Aurelius Helped Me Survive Grief and Rebuild My Life” – moving essay for Aeon Magazine on the Stoics’ advice for dealing with grief (Jamie Lombardi)
- Website for Modern Stoicism
- Video of Zoom feed for this session
- Live Like a Stoic Week starts tomorrow!