My Internet Rants – in Blog Form
Much like the Samurai of feudal Japan – the Stoics of ancient Greece and Rome realized that the eventuality of our deaths isn’t something to hide from – but something that we should stare right in the face. [powerpress /] Read more
While ancient Stoics no doubt held some views that are at odds with modern science, proper understanding of Stoicism requires that we differentiate the actual principles of the philosophy from context-specific influences in the ancient writings. Upon doing this, we Read more
Every time someone writes that the “indifferents” in Stoicism are either “preferred” or “dispreferred”, they underestimate how problematic it is that they neglect to mention a third category of indifferents – those that I would call “neutral”. In Stoic philosophy, Read more
In order to diversify the subject-areas covered by this blog without clogging your feed with unwanted, irrelevant stuff – this blog will undergo a few structural changes. Stoic philosophy has thus far been the subject of this blog – just Read more
While the Stoic advice to embrace insults may seem at times to put us in conflict with our obligation to stand up to societal injustice, Epictetus gives us a great way to resolve this dilemma. One thing is abundantly clear Read more
An interview with the Leader of the Philadelphia Ethical Society sheds light into a movement that some interpret as an alternative religion, and which others interpret as an alternative to religion altogether. Hugh Taft-Morales taught ethics for twenty years in Read more
Years after my YouTube presentation on Stoicism as a coping mechanism for trans-folk – there is much that the Stoic community doesn’t understand about trans-folk and about how our noble philosophy applies to the situation of trans-folk. Years ago, a Read more
Despite reluctance on my part – I have come to understand why modern Stoics include the writings of Seneca in the Stoic cannon. Despite all the reasons why ancient Stoics who came after him had no reason to study Seneca’s Read more
Even in situations that tempt you to focus on factors you don’t directly control, you can learn to spot the factors in the equation that are firmly in your control. Recently I wrote a piece about how Epictetus gave examples Read more
If you think it violates Stoicism to even attempt a change in the world – the Enchiridion of Epictetus includes a clear illustration of why that isn’t so. Quite possibly one of the sections of the Enchiridion of Epictetus that Read more