A Brief Defense of Stoicism

Thinking through some objections

I’ve received some pushback recently about my promotion of Stoicism — but it was the good kind of pushback. It was the kind of pushback that focused on ideas. Because I appreciate quality criticism, I want to take a break from our regular reflections on Marcus Aurelius and discuss this pushback.

(Just as a note: I’m not going to quote or name anybody who raised these concerns. These were mostly commenters on YouTube who don’t deserve to have their usernames splayed over the internet, even if I intend it all charitably.)

As I understand it, there are essentially two sorts of objections to the rise of Stoicism. One is that Stoicism is going to ultimately be supportive of some odious political projects, and the other is that Stoicism necessarily appeals to certain demographics who enjoy some level of social power.

I can see what the objectors have in mind, here. I don’t want to simply dismiss them. However, I do think that these objections don’t quite hit their target, and so I feel the need to stick up for the Stoics.¹ And so I have written this brief defense of Stoicism.