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How does one live a good life?
This simple question can be surprisingly difficult to answer. Yet not taking an honest try at answering it (or even worse: ignoring the question entirely) can lead to the risk of misliving one's life. One of the main goals of ancient philosophy in the West was to help guide people in answering this question rigorously and well, and then helping people to live in accordance with their life's philosophy (literally "the love of wisdom").
One of the most successful and influential schools of thought in the ancient world which addressed this question was Stoicism. Stoicism taught that by cultivating personal excellence ('arete' in Greek) was all that was needed to lead a good life and flourish as a human being ('eudaimonia' in ancient Greek). To do this, the ancient Stoics taught a host of practices and a sophisticated theory of mind to help the Stoic student on the path to eudaimonia. Stoic philosophy had a huge influence on the West, from helping shape early Christianity to being a strong influence on the modern psychological movement of cognitive-behavioral therapy.
But Stoic philosophy is not only useful for those in the ancient world. For instance, James Stockdale has cited Stoic philosophy as helping him cope with the horrors of being a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Also, the University of Exeter in the UK has conducting pilot studies starting in 2012 of the effect of Stoic practices on various measures psychological well-being with promising preliminary results. Stoicism can be of great use to people in our modern era.
The goal of this meetup is to introduce Stoic philosophy as a way of life to people interested in living a more meaningful, tranquil life and to support experienced students of Stoic philosophy in their practice. While many of the meetups will be focused around reading, this is not a group for disengaged study of ancient philosophy from an academic perspective. Instead, this is a group for helping people to put Stoic philosophy into practice in their daily lives, so they can live the best life they can.
Are you ready to attempt to live a more tranquil, meaningful, and happy life? Then join us today!
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Stoic Camp NY 2024: Single room RSVPStony Point Center PC(USA), Stony Point, NY$550.00
Stoic Camp NY began in 2015. It is led by Greg Lopez and Massimo Pigliucci -- co-authors of A Handbook for New Stoics.
RSVP on this page if you're interested in a single room. To RSVP for a double, go here.
RSVPing on Meetup does not guarantee admission -- you're only guaranteed a spot after payment. Greg will contact you via email for details on how to pay once you RSVP here.
Theme: A deep dive into Marcus Aurelius's Meditations
Brief description: Marcus Aurelius is one of the famous three big Roman Stoics (together with Seneca and Epictetus), and one of the few philosopher-kings in the entire history of the western world. Other examples include Julian the Apostate, the last pagan Roman emperor, and the 18th century king of Prussia, Frederick the Great.
Marcus did not just study philosophy, and Stoicism in particular. He tried to put it into practice throughout his life, including the nineteen years during which he was emperor.
During this year’s retreat we will do a deep dive into his famous book, known as the Meditations, a personal philosophical journal chock-full of reflections on human nature and the nature of the universe, as well as the source of a number of well known “spiritual” exercises.
As one might expect in a journal, Meditations has no internal structure, except for notebook 1, which is along exercise in gratitude, recognizing the people who positively influenced Marcus. Nevertheless, there are clear themes emerging from the book, which we will highlight and discuss, together with the major philosophical influences on Marcus’s view of life.
***
Key details:
- Check-in starts at 2pm on Friday, August 30th, and camp ends at 2pm on Sunday September 1st
Cost: $550 for a single room (for a double room, go here) - The cost covers room and meals for the entire event
- Several options for payment will be available, including fee-free ones. You're responsible for any transaction fees if they occur, though, since the event is being run at cost
- Registration on Meetup does not guarantee enrollment. Your enrollment is only guaranteed after payment. Once you RSVP here, Greg will reach out to you to arrange payment.
- Should you need to cancel, we may be able to refund some of the money. If someone fills your spot, you will be refunded 50% of what you paid minus any additional transaction fees. However, if there is no one who can take your spot, then no refund will be issued.
- No study materials need to be purchased. We'll provide you with readings a month or two before Camp
- Stony Point Center is accessible via a mix of public transportation and taxi, but is easier to reach via car. We'll provide more details on how to get there you register, and also attempt to organize carpools.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns!
- Check-in starts at 2pm on Friday, August 30th, and camp ends at 2pm on Sunday September 1st
- Stoic Camp NY 2024: Double room RSVPStony Point Center PC(USA), Stony Point, NY$350.00
Stoic Camp NY began in 2015. It is led by Greg Lopez and Massimo Pigliucci -- co-authors of A Handbook for New Stoics.
RSVP on this page if you're interested in a double room. To RSVP for a single, go here.
RSVPing on Meetup does not guarantee admission -- you're only guaranteed a spot after payment. Greg will contact you via email for details on how to pay once you RSVP here.
Theme: A deep dive into Marcus Aurelius's Meditations
Brief description: Marcus Aurelius is one of the famous three big Roman Stoics (together with Seneca and Epictetus), and one of the few philosopher-kings in the entire history of the western world. Other examples include Julian the Apostate, the last pagan Roman emperor, and the 18th century king of Prussia, Frederick the Great.
Marcus did not just study philosophy, and Stoicism in particular. He tried to put it into practice throughout his life, including the nineteen years during which he was emperor.
During this year’s retreat we will do a deep dive into his famous book, known as the Meditations, a personal philosophical journal chock-full of reflections on human nature and the nature of the universe, as well as the source of a number of well known “spiritual” exercises.
As one might expect in a journal, Meditations has no internal structure, except for notebook 1, which is along exercise in gratitude, recognizing the people who positively influenced Marcus. Nevertheless, there are clear themes emerging from the book, which we will highlight and discuss, together with the major philosophical influences on Marcus’s view of life.
***
Key details:
- Check-in starts at 2pm on Friday, August 30th, and camp ends at 2pm on Sunday September 1st
Cost: $350 for one spot in a double room ($700 for the entire room if you're booking with a +1) (for a single room, go here) - You can either register with someone you know or we can try to set you up with a roommate if you don't have one, but there are no guarantees we can find a match
- The cost covers room and meals for the entire event
- Several options for payment will be available, including fee-free ones. You're responsible for any transaction fees if they occur, though, since the event is being run at cost
- Registration on Meetup does not guarantee enrollment. Your enrollment is only guaranteed after payment. Once you RSVP here, Greg will reach out to you to arrange payment.
- Should you need to cancel, we may be able to refund some of the money. If someone fills your spot, you will be refunded 50% of what you paid minus any additional transaction fees. However, if there is no one who can take your spot, then no refund will be issued.
- No study materials need to be purchased. We'll provide you with readings a month or two before Camp
- Stony Point Center is accessible via a mix of public transportation and taxi, but is easier to reach via car. We'll provide more details on how to get there you register, and also attempt to organize carpools.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns!
- Check-in starts at 2pm on Friday, August 30th, and camp ends at 2pm on Sunday September 1st
