How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life

I can still recall the first time I was introduced to Stoicism. I majored in philosophy and was fortunate to take most of my courses from an aging professor who is undoubtedly the most analytical person I've ever met. We read only primary texts. And this professor would methodically reconstruct each author's argument on a (real) blackboard, leading the discussion through Socratic questioning. In a course covering ancient philosophy, he introduced us to Epictetus. After leading us through the argument of the first section of the Enchiridion, he commented: "In my view, this is the only argument in the history of philosophy that actually proves its conclusion." Coming from him, this was a striking statement. In every other instance, he steadfastly refused to say if he thought an argument was (or was not) successful. Epictetus is the central character in How to Be a Stoic. Dr. Pigliucci claims Epictetus as his favorite Stoic, and he engages in a kind of ongoing dialogue with the philosopher using the ancient texts. The book is organized (following two introductory chapters) into three parts: 1) The Discipline of Desire; 2) The Discipline of Action; and 3) The Discipline of Assent. He covers such topics as character, mental illness, disability, loneliness, and death. In the chapter covering disability, Dr. Pigliucci discuses the life of another Stoic academic, Dr. Lawrence Becker. Dr. Becker turned to Stoicism early in life to help meet the challenges of a physical disability. The first thing that Dr. Becker did as a Stoic novice was to reclaim his "agency". To cope with a hardship, we should begin by telling ourselves we can and will take responsibility for meeting our challenges. Though simple, this resonated deeply with me. I am something of a fatalist by nature. But whatever the ultimate truth is regarding free will, Dr. Becker's practical approach is helpful: Reclaim your agency! And then see what you can do--today--to improve your sense of well-being. This an excellent introduction to Stoicism and overall a very good book. The writing is clear and engaging. The topics feel relevant. Most importantly, the book is eminently practical. If you're interested in Stoicism, this is a great place to start. It's also a great place to finish, especially if you're only looking for the basics. You can read this book, begin doing the "spiritual" exercises--maybe find a copy of Epictetus's Manual--and "be" a Stoic. It will also serve as a fantastic introduction for a much deeper dive into Stoic philosophy. And finally, if you've already studied and practiced Stoicism, you may still benefit from Dr. Pigliucci's application of Stoic principles to modern problems. It's been nearly a decade and a half since I was introduced to Stoicism. As I made my way through young adulthood, I often returned to Stoicism through the works of Seneca and Epictetus, as well as more contemporary authors. I can hardly call myself a Stoic. Somehow I feel compelled to avoid the label altogether. How to Be a Stoic opened a new pathway: Label or no label, there are many things I can do that just might lead to a lasting change.

How To Be A Stoic Using Ancient Philosophy To Live A Modern Life Massimo Pigliucci Thought-provoking are words that do not come close to describing this gem of a book. Life-changing is much closer to an adequate description of what this title contains. Massimo Pigliucci does not just present a theoretical, theological, and practical philosophy to live by, he writes in such a way as to empower and encourage the reader to develop their lives to become the best person they can possibly become. Each chapter introduces innovative concepts designed to motivate the reader to think in broadminded, healthy, and community based ways that, if practiced daily, are intended to change one’s behavior, and even one’s way of thinking. Using concepts presented in this book will enable the reader to LEARN how to THINK in ways that will create calm, tranquility, and a more ordered life for the reader, which will benefit those closest to the reader’s sphere of influence. This is not a preachy book filled with thou shalt not’s; it is also not a motivational book designed to lighten the mood of the reader for a short time. Massimo Pigliucci warns that “Stoicism, like any life philosophy, may not appeal to or work for everyone.” He also warns that Stoicism is rather demanding, stipulating that moral character (virtue) is the only truly worthy thing to cultivate.” This is a book written to change lives for the betterment of mankind. The concepts and ideas presenting in this book are not easy to incorporate into one’s life, but are more than worth the effort expended to put them into practice. Each page contains valuable nuggets of wisdom, ideas, and advice on how to bring the practice of Stoicism alive for the reader. Consider this book like a very rich and decadent dessert that is best (and only possible) eaten slowly to savor and experience the full effect of pleasure on the taste buds. It may take a while to read this book because after reading almost each page, the reader feels compelled to chew on and digest the concepts presented. There may also be a need to THINK/contemplate about how to put these concepts and ideas into immediate practice. Anyone who is serious about changing their lives for the better by finding, developing, and practicing a new life philosophy will find this book more than adequate to begin such a journey. I personally give this book a five-star review because it is a keeper, I highlighted several passages for future reference, it is a story (or information) that will stay with me and is excellent reference material.

Massimo Pigliucci's book is a relatively short but interesting guide to applying the philosophy of Stoicism to one's own life. Much of it involves an imaginary discourse with Epictetus, the slave-turned-philosopher who is one of the better-known proponents of the ideology. Pigliucci writes well: although he is an academic by profession, this is no dry treatise. It is eminently readable and broken down into chapters that cover various aspects of Stoicism and suggested ways in which we can incorporate the subject of that chapter into dealing with the challenges of modern living. The book ends with a series of suggested spiritual exercises that form a kind of "Stoic's toolkit" to be broken out when one needs help in coping with certain issues and problems. I found this to be an interesting companion piece to books such as Ryan Holliday's "The Obstacle is the Way" and should be enjoyed be readers who liked that particular book.

I say it upfront: I like this compact little book. That is most likely because I have always admired Stoicism as the ancient Western philosophical school most congenial to my own life-perspectives and values. But, in addition, I admire the thinking of Massimo Pigliucci. Currently a Professor of Philosophy at CUNY, he holds doctorates in genetics, evolutionary biology, and philosophy, and is—in my view—a superb writer. I have three other books of his: Tales of the Rational: Skeptical Essays About Nature and Science (2000), Denying Evolution: Creationism, Scientism, and the Nature of Science (2002), and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (2010). As you can observe from the subtitles of the books above, Pigliucci’s tone seems to have become less formal, less academic, more—shall we say—chatty over time. It is the “chatty” tone that is present throughout How to be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Lead a Modern Life (2017) The informality of this introduction to Stoic philosophy is personal and conversational throughout, beginning with the modus operandi of the text: an imaginary dialog between Pigliucci and Epictetus (a worthy representative and proponent of Stoicism, indeed) as they walk the streets of Rome (if you surmised that Pigliucci is Italian you are most correct, of course; he was born and raised in Italy and completed this book in Rome on a sabbatical). The dialog is in three main sections: (1) The Discipline of Desire: What is Proper to Want and Not to Want, (2) The Discipline of Action: How to Behave in the World, (3) The Discipline of Assent: How to React to Situations. These three sections are subdivided into chapters. dealing with topics such as “Living According to Nature,” “God or Atoms,” “Disability and Mental Illness,” “On Death and Suicide,” “Love and Friendship,” and similar modern-day (perhaps ‘eternal’) issues—all discussed in 240 pages of text. I cannot think of a more attractive introduction to the tenets of Stoic Philosophy and their practical application to one’s personal life journey. Pigliucci is not joined at the hip to Epictetus as they stroll through Rome. He departs, at least mentally, on side trips—personal examples from his own life that illustrate the application of Stoic perspectives, the views of philosophers and scientists (Hume and Darwin are two such) whose views challenge Stoic assertions, and brief comments about Eastern and Western philosophies that compete with Stoicism for allegiance. All is done informally, as if one was sitting on a porch with Massimo on a warm summer day discussing “life” over lemonade, tea, or an alcoholic beverage (the latter in moderation, of course; it is, after all, Stoicism under discussion). I admit that books on philosophy will not rank high on lists of “summer reads.” Perhaps How to be a Stoic can be added to reading lists for when the air has more chill and life seems more serious. Or you can leave it off any list entirely. Up to you. But this book could be a help if you are in the situation Dante writes about in Canto I of the Divine Comedy, quoted by Pigliucci at the beginning of Chapter 1: "Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost." How to be a Stoic might be just the guide one needs to find the path again.

DISCLAIMER: In my opinion, before practicing any philosophy one needs to understand, at least in general, its overall theoretical underpinnings and the set of its existential and metaphysical positions. For example, many people turn to Stoic advice nowadays in the hope to attain some tranquility, and several authors and publishers are happy to try satisfying that demand in exchange for $$$, BUT one needs to understand the overall Stoic philosophy in order to know that tranquility for its own sake is NOT a worthy goal in Stoicism. Also, I think that anyone who is interested in practicing Stoicism specifically should expect to buy at least two books (or maybe I just haven't seen one book that covers Stoicism from both perspectives well enough): 1) theoretical and historical introduction/reference (a philosophy book); 2) practitioner's "how to" guide (a psychology book). REVIEW: That being said, I highly recommend this book as Type 1 - a theoretical (and somewhat historical) introduction and reference. There is only ONE chapter out of fifteen (if to count an appendix) that is dedicated specifically to practicing Stoicism, so the title is misleading - this is not a "how to" guide. However, it does not affect the overall content quality - it is still an excellent theoretical overview, so I did not deduct any stars for it. A potential buyer just needs to be aware of this. PROs: - Excellent theoretical overview of Stoicism (better than Bill Irvine's, in my opinion). - Good historical summary (although Bill Irvine's is better in some respects, I think). - Stoicism is presented in the context of some other Hellenistic schools of thought, explaining the lineage of ideas (this is very helpful - a reader will actually learn quite a bit about other teachings). - Virtue ethics of Stoicism is described in the context of major world religions and philosophical teachings (again, this is very helpful, I think). CONs: - Misleading title (this is not a "how to" guide).

I have some decent stoic information in it, but it’s a very repetitive book that puts in a lot of the authors personal life.

This author moved up on my list

Stoicism emphasizes virtue and reason to achieve an excellent life. For me it was the best choice of a life philosophy. I became interested in Stoicism before I knew of Massimo Pigliucci, mostly from Admiral Stockwell and Marcus Aurelius, but I actively practice Stoicism because of the advice and instruction that Massimo Pigliucci provides on the web. What better compliment to an author and philosopher than to say I changed the way I live life because of your teaching. This book is an excellent companion to his web writings and the works of others(William Irvine, Donald Robertson and L. Becker). Just a minor critique, down one star, because he digresses a bit too much before presenting some of his arguments for me.

まだ読んでないが、本の状況はあまり綺麗じゃなかった。Wに汚れがある😭😭😭

The book is written in an unconventional fashion, with long passages being a portrayed conversation between the author and the ancient Stoic Epictetus. Though it is somewhat unusual, I found the format to be surprisingly effective. The information was eminently practical and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the book. I strongly recommend it for anyone interested in Stoicism or related Hellenistic philosophies, or just philosophies of life in general.

Presenta herramientas muy valiosas para enfrentar los desafíos de la vida y válidas para el día a día también, siendo además un buen complemento para aquellos que ya traen consigo valores cristianos.

Great book which gives a great insight into what stoicism is about and how to apply it into your own life.

Excelente introdução ao estoicismo. Ler os três grandes estóicos sem um livro-guia como esse pode fazer com que o leitor se confunda entre as opiniões de um deles e temas centrais da filosofia. Isso é especialmente válido para o Epiteto que é o filósofo mais citado em How to Be a Stoic. Além disso, é uma excelente introdução aos textos do Massimo, que é um dos autores mais lúcidos que já li. Sugiro que o leitor que tenha gostado do estilo do autor procure a página no Patreon dele e leia as centenas de ensaios que ele produz sobre como aplicar filosofia no dia-dia. E até polêmicas como “Jeff Bezos é um estóico?”. Gostei tanto do livro que comprei o físico, a versão eletrônica e o audiobook.