Frequently Asked Questions on Stoicism

This work is the creative commons CC BY-SA 4.0 version of the FAQ page for the r/Stoicism subreddit. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This text of this work differs from the page hosted on reddit in that it is missing three questions whose authors could not be contacted for permission to include their work in the creative commons version. Two of these compare Buddhism and Stoicism, and one provides a list of exercises.

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Resources

• Recommended on-line resources about Stoicism
• Recommended books for newcomers to Stoicism
• Other useful classical sources
• Descriptions of Stoic exercises
• Predecessors and Successors
• Advanced and scholarly works
• Older introductory overviews
• Translations of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations

Frequently Asked Questions (with answers)

• Introductory Questions
  • Why study Stoicism?
  • Is Stoicism something I have to believe in, or commit my life to?
  • What is Stoicism, considered as a philosophy of life in modern times?
  • What was Stoicism, historically?
• Virtue and Nature
  • What did the Stoics mean by “virtue?”
  • What does it mean to live in accordance with nature?
  • What is meant by a “preferred” or “unpreferred” indifferent?
• The big questions
  • What motivates a Stoic?
  • What is the goal of life?
  • How do I find meaning in life?
• Advice and coping with problems
  • How can Stoicism help me with my problem?
  • How would a Stoic help me with my problem?
  • How might a student of Stoicism cope with my problem?
  • What would a student of Stoicism do in my situation?
  • How would a Stoic sage react to my problem?
• Misconceptions
  • Is it true that Stoics repress their emotions and feelings?
  • Does Stoicism encourage passively accepting your fate?
  • Does Stoicism advocate obedience to tradition and authority?
  • Is avoiding pain the goal of Stoicism?
  • Is enjoyment of life’s pleasures a goal advocated in Stoicism?
  • Is Stoicism a selfish or individualistic philosophy?
  • Is it Stoic to be hard-hearted or callous toward others?
  • Can Stoics appreciate life?
  • Is Stoicism pessimistic?
• Religion, theology, and the gods
  • Do Stoics believe in God, or gods?
  • If modern Stoics do not adopt the classical Stoic theology, what do they believe?
• Determinism and free will
  • Were the classical Stoics determinists?
  • If Stoics believed in determinism, what is “in our control?”
  • How did the Stoics reconcile determinism with moral responsibility?
  • If everything is determined, what is the point of trying to do anything?
  • How did the Stoics reconcile determinism with the asserted “freedom” of the sage?
  • What resources are there for further exploration of Stoic determinism and free will?
• Physics
  • What are the Stoic views on physics?
• Other philosophies
  • What are some similarities and differences between Stoicism and Cynicism?
• Miscellaneous questions
  • What about things that are partially under our control?
  • It’s not that easy!
  • Isn’t anger sometimes useful?
  • What is the best translation of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations?
  • How should I read Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations?

Frequently Discussed Topics

• What is “modern Stoicism”?
• Who is “Stoic”?
• Why is virtue the only good?
• Stoic journaling
• What does Stoicism say about politics?
• Stoicism and mental illness
• “Modern Stoics” are too dogmatic!
• “Modern Stoics” are not Stoic enough!
• Stoicism vs. Epicureanism
• Symbols for Stoicism
• Stoicism is a “sour grapes” philosophy!
• Stoicism only works for the privileged!
• Nietzsche’s criticism of the Stoics
• Examples of Stoic women
• Seneca was a hypocrite!
• Marcus Aurelius persecuted Christians!
• Marcus Aurelius invaded Germany!
• Marcus Aurelius was an opium addict!
• Flaws in Stoicism
• Sex
• William B. Irvine’s A Guide to the Good Life
• Jordan Peterson
• Does Stoic ethics depend on the Stoic theology?
• Suicide