Stoicism

We will be learning Stoicism in this course, as the ancients left it and as we can use it today. For this, we will read the work of Diogenes Laertius, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius. We also turn to the best explanations of Stoic ethical theory, the arguments of contemporary philosophers Julia Annas and Lawrence Becker. We consider whether Stoicism remains viable. We analyze a critique of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, an approach that is well-defended empirically and sourced in Stoic ethics. In our final session, we will re-read Diogenes Laertius, noting how many ancient concepts introduced there now make sense.