The philosophy that will help you become more resilient in the face of life's challenges

Stoicism For Dummies will teach you the basic principles of stoic philosophy and show you how it can help you navigate the ups and downs of life. We all face challenges and setbacks, and, if we have the right mindset, we can sail through them with ease. This book offers a comprehensive look at Stoic philosophy, uncovering its strengths and attractions and shedding light on its limitations, both in the ancient world where it was developed, and in our world today. Learn how you can apply stoic principles for personal growth and better living, and how you can adapt this philosophical outlook to your unique circumstances. Written in terms anyone can understand, this friendly Dummies guide helps you understand stoicism, and also apply it in your life.

• Understand the basics of stoic philosophy, including virtues and practices
• Learn how to keep calm and carry on when life throws you curveballs
• Apply stoic principles to improve your relationships and quality of life

• Discover the history of stoicism and how its principles can apply to today's world

  This book is great for anyone who wants to learn more about stoicism and its benefits.

  Autorentext

  Tom Morris is author of Philosophy For Dummies and 30 other books. He was a philosophy professor at The University of Notre Dame and now heads The Morris Institute for Human Values. Gregory Bassham is author of The Philosophy Book, an illustrated history of philosophy, and 10 other books. Gregory was a professor of philosophy at King's College.

  Klappentext

  Live a more peaceful life with Stoicism Stoicism is the time-honored art of navigating life's ups and downs with moral strength and serenity. Every bit as relevant today as when it was founded in ancient Greece, the Stoic mindset can help you stay calm and balanced no matter what life throws your way. Stoicism For Dummies introduces you to the original ideas of the ancient Stoics and shows how you can adapt them to improve your life in the present. Written in terms anyone can understand, this book offers a simple, practical way of being your best self while dealing with challenges and setbacks. **Inside...

• How Stoicism got started
• Contemporary Stoic thinkers
• Stoicism in everyday life
• Staying sane in times of crisis
• Growing in inner strength and gratitude
• Pros and cons of Stoic thought

• Letting go of negativity**

  Inhalt

  Introduction 1

  About This Book 1

  Foolish Assumptions 2

  Icons Used in This Book 3

  Beyond the Book 3

  Where to Go from Here 4

  Part 1: Ancient Stoicism 5

  Chapter 1: Stoicism: A Philosophy for Our Time 7

  A Way of Thought for Our Time 8

  Hot philosophy in America 9

  The Stoic formula 9

  What Does "Philosophy" Even Mean? 10

  What Wisdom Is and Is Not 11

  Two sides of philosophy 12

  Philosophy and life 14

  Using Wisdom with the Stoics 17

  Happiness and freedom 18

  When to go to philosophy 20

  Chapter 2: Socrates and the Beginnings of Western Philosophy 21

  Heraclitus the (Cranky and) Obscure 22

  Socrates: The Barefoot Gadfly and General Pain-in-the-Patootie of Ancient Athens 24

  Care for the soul 25

  Virtue is sufficient for happiness 26

  No harm can come to a good person 26

  Virtue is knowledge 27

  No one does wrong willingly 27

  Diogenes of Sinope: Socrates on Steroids 27

  Virtue is the only true good 28

  Virtue is sufficient for happiness 28

  "Follow nature" 29

  Be a citizen of the world 29

  Chapter 3: The First Stoics 31

  The Basic Teachings of Zeno and His Stoic Followers 32

  Materialists through and through 32

  Belief in Logos 33

  Strict determinists 35

  Belief in an afterlife 35

  Live rationally 36

  The good, the evil, and the indifferent 36

  Only virtue leads to happiness 37

  Why Stoicism Had Its Moment in Ancient Greece and Rome 39

  Chapter 4: Stoicism Comes to Rome 41

  Seneca and Epictetus 42

  Seneca: Wealthy but Frugal 42

  Philosophy as a therapy for the emotions 43

  Coping with life's hard knocks 44

  Controlling anger 45

  Epictetus: Slave Turned Philosopher 47

  True freedom 48

  The dichotomy of control 49

  Radical acceptance 50

  Chapter 5: Marcus Aurelius: Philosopher-Emperor 53

  A Stoic Philosopher Comes to the Throne 53

  Early influences 54

  Conversion to Stoicism 55

  Reign as emperor 55

  Personal tragedies and death 56

  Two Themes in Marcus's Philosophy 58

  Impermanence: Reality is flux 58

  Pessimism 59

  The Demise of Ancient Stoicism 63

  The demise of "the old gods" of paganism 63

  The rise of competing philosophies 63

  Failure to appeal to the masses 63

  Attacks by rival philosophical schools 64

  Down but not out 64

  Part 2: the Stoic Worldview 65

  Chapter 6: The Stoic View of Reality 67

  Everything Is Made of Matter 68

  God and Nature 69

  Stoic pantheism 69

  The Earth's place in the universe 70

  Stoic arguments for God 70

  Stoic belief in periodic conflagrations 72

  The Place of Humanity in the Cosmos 73

  An anthropocentric view 73

  Belief in a (temporary) afterlife 74

  Finding truth in outdated notions 76

  Chapter 7: Providence, Fate, and Free Will 77

  "Everything Is Fated" 78

  Fatalism gone rogue 79

  Free will and responsibility 81

  Is God to Blame for Evil? 85

  Seneca's response 85

  Natural evils and animal pain 86

  Are sin and evil caused by God? 87

  Stoic Fate and Passivity 88

  Divine Providence 89

  Part 3: Stoic Ethics 93

  Chapter 8: Virtue as the Goal of Life 95

  Virtus and Arete 96

  Virtus 96

  Arete 97

  Virtue at the Center 98

  May the Force be with you 98

  Vice: The opposite of virtue 99

  Can you progress toward virtue? 99

  Happiness and Virtue 101

  The surface complexity of happiness 103

  The Stoic simplification of it all 105

  Virtue and happiness coincide 105

  Only virtue is good, and only vice is bad 106

  The Good, Bad, and Indifferent 107

  What's different about the Stoic indifferent 109

  Inner and outer things 113

  A good person can't be harmed 114

  Use and value 115

  Chapter 9: Things We Can Control 119

  The Dichotomy of Control 120

  Your wants and your power 121

  Exploring the Concept of Control 124

  Value judgments, desires, and goals 125

  More options about control 126

  The inner citadel or fortress 128

  Another spectrum 130

  The Problem of External Goals 131

  Relationships, reason, and common good 131

  A modern Stoic's strategy 133

  Trying Our Best 137

  An Alternate Strategy 138

  Our emotional relationship to goals 139

  The proper path of action 140

  Chapter 10: Desire and the Happy Life 143

  Getting Clear about Desire 144

  Commitments 144

  Thought, desire, and action 145

  Managing desires 147

  Whatever should be will be 147

  Desiring only what is true 148

  The problem of evil 149

  Desire and Happiness 150

  The Desire Satisfaction View of Happiness 151

  Finding the real flaws here 154

  An Opportunity for Hope 156

  The gap is good 157

  Can you rid yourself of desires? 158

  The many facets of happiness 160

  Desire for that which is 160

  Happiness comes from within 162

  Chapter 11: Pleasure and Pain 163

  The Epicurean Pull of Pleasure 163

  Epicurus on pleasure 164

  Stoic objections to Epicureanism 166

  Pleasure and Pain with the Stoics 167

  Epictetus has his say 168

  Marcus Aurelius weighs in 170

  Seneca joins the fray 175

  Using Sensations and Situations 178

  Chapter 12: Natural Law 183

  What Is Natural Law? 184

  Cicero on natural law 185

  Basic elements of natural law 186

  Natural Law in Roman Law 189

  Modern Stoicism and Natural Law 190

  Natural law: Pros and cons 191

  Chapter 13: Building Strong Communities 197

  Philosophers as Social Advisors 197

  The Two Roots of Community 199

  Reason and relationality 199

  The self and society 200

  Plato and Aristotle Behind It All 20…