Stoicism is a guide to living a happy, peaceful, and fearless life. It may be two thousand years old, but what it says – especially its way of life which the Stoics called “ethics” – is as applicable today as it has ever been. Stoicism doesn’t need “improvement” but it does need to be expressed in current English and the examples need to be updated so it is relevant to modern life.
There have been several attempts to do this. For example, Donald Robertson’s "Stoicism and the Art of Happiness" and "The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy" explain Stoicism in specific contexts. My own
Unshakable Freedom: Ancient Stoic Secrets Applied to Modern Life
is also an application of Stoic philosophy to a specific area of life – achieving personal freedom. William Irvine’s "A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy" takes a more comprehensive view of Stoicism. There is much to like in this book, but I felt Irvine was unduly defensive about Stoicism and deviated from it in some aspects. Therefore, I was looking for a comprehensive book on Stoicism that would be true the original Stoic thoughts, but would express them in current English with modern examples, without being defensive about it.
In Massimo Pigliucci’s How to be a Stoic, I found such a book. I got it yesterday, read it overnight, and I like it. Here is why.
1.It is clearly written.
Stoic thinkers were also excellent communicators and good at expressing their thoughts. And there are many translations of their works which are also excellent. The problem is, when 2,000-year-old texts are translated they sound stilted to the modern ear. Sometimes the sentences are too long, the references too obscure, and the examples too far removed from our experience. Massimo’s book, on the other hand, uses relatively shorter sentences, familiar words, contemporary idioms, and examples that are of immediate relevance. It is easier to read and understand.
2.The examples refer to problems we face today.
The ancient Stoics faced imminent execution, exile, and arbitrary punishment. When Stoicism is explained using those examples, it can sound far removed from our concerns. Massimo applies Stoicism to our current concerns. This not only modernizes the Stoic examples, but points to solutions to problems that many people face.
3.It answers objections to Stoicism without being defensive.
Anyone who tries to interpret Stoicism to a modern reader has this challenge: How to relate our current life situation to what the Stoics said some two thousand years ago? Massimo uses a clever device to achieve this just like Epicteuts did. While Epicteuts had an imaginary conversation with Zeus, Massimo has several imaginary conversations with Epictetus. Pigliucci brings his concerns to Epictetus who then deconstructs them and shows how the Stoic solution really works. What I really liked here was the fact that the responses of this imaginary Epictetus are not a pale imitation of what Epictetus actually taught, but a clear interpretation of it. The result is a compelling picture of a Stoic way of life that is compatible with modern life.
4.It uses personal experiences to illustrate the principles
Throughout the book, Massimo uses personal experiences. This works because it is immediate. It shows how he applied Stoicism in his own life. It is definitely easier to identify yourself with someone living today, leading a “normal” life than with someone who lived 2000 years ago under very different conditions.
The book, in the tradition of Pierre Hadot, uses the framework of three disciplines of the Stoics: Desire, Action, and Assent.
It starts with the basic premise of Stoicism that, “Some things are up to us and others are not.” Here Massimo discusses the dichotomy of control and why it makes sense. Then he goes on to discuss questions like: What does “living according to nature” mean? Why is life “playing ball?” How do preferred and dispreferred indifferents work? Most importantly, does God exist or is the universe a case of swirling atoms? While Epictetus (and other Stoics) were firmly in God’s camp, Massimo is not so sure. He prefers to be a skeptic, which should assure agnostics and atheists that the practice of Stoicism is open to anyone, believer or not.
Then the book moves on to the discipline of action or how to live in this world. It starts discussing character (virtue) and provides several examples such as Helvidius Priscus and Malala Yousafzai. Massimo mentions that the virtues of Stoicism can also be found in various religions and it is important to preserve one’s integrity. We need to develop compassion toward others. One way to achieve this is to remember that people do bad things because they lack wisdom, rather than out of pure malice. Having role models can help us put things in perspective, so we can become better human beings. This section of the book concludes with a particularly good and useful discussion of coping with disability and mental illness, and the relevance of Stoic principles in such contexts.
The third section of the book, the discipline of assent or how to react to situations, starts with a discussion of death and suicide. We are bothered by death because we are capable of contemplating it. Massimo believes that death is inevitable and takes issue with Ray Kurzweil (who believes in things like extraordinarily long life and singularity) for never wanting “to leave the party.” If you are thinking or worried about death, you may want to read this chapter. then moves on dealing with anger, anxiety, and loneliness. Here he reprises the idea that people do bad things because they don’t know any better. Think rationally about the situation to avert negative emotions. As Epictetus says “Logic defeats anger, because anger, even when it is justified, can quickly become irrational. So use cold, hard logic on yourself.” Massimo also discusses love and friendship before concluding the section with practical exercises.
The Appendix section of the book has a brief but useful outline of the Hellenistic schools of practical philosophy.
Massimo’s agnosticism and focus on Epictetus as the chief exponent of Stoicism parallel my own approach to Stoicism. I enjoyed reading the book. Reading it is like walking with a friend, who practices Stoicism, trying to explain to you what it is all about and how it helped him in his own life. A good read.
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Accessible Introduction to Stoic Thinking
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2020
There are a lot of books on the market claiming that they will teach you: "How To" be a Stoic. Many of them do an admirable job; what I appreciate about Massimo's book, "How to Be a Stoic" is that in this text and his other works, he has the ethos (credibility) of an actual Roman and as an actual scholar (PhD) on the subject. What gets delivered in this book is clean writing, clear organization, and a helpful entry point for anyone looking to learn more about Stoic thinking. I highly recommend.
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2020
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João Marcos Gris
Um excelente livro-guia para os trabalhos originais dos estóicos
Reviewed in Brazil on July 21, 2019
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