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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 (3)
Over the course of 2023, the New York City Stoics will be covering some of the main (or at least more interesting) alternatives and competitors to Stoicism in the ancient Greco-Roman world.
Over the past two meetings, we've covered the basics of Epicureanism. At this meetup, we'll learn how Epicureanism is being practiced in the modern world by chatting with a few modern Epicureans: Hiram Crespo and some of his friends.
Hiram is the author of Tending the Epicurean Garden and the chapter on Epicureanism in How To Live a Good Life. He is also the founder and editor of The Society of Friends of Epicurus.
To prepare for the meetup, please read Tending the Epicurean Garden in full and come prepared with any questions you may have concerning the modern practice of Epicureanism. We won't be covering the very basics of Epicureanism at this meetup, so if you haven't done the reading or have a basic understanding of Epicureanism, you may be left behind!
NOTE: This will be recorded so if you don't want to appear on recording, you can ask questions in the chat and keep your camera off.
- Greg
- Justine
- Joe
- 9 attendees
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: Alternatives to Stoicism
Brief description: Stoicism is possibly the most widely-known and practiced Greco-Roman life philosophy in modern times. However, the ancient Mediterranean world had many alternatives to Stoicism. Some, such as Epicureanism, rivalled Stoicism in terms of popularity. Others, such as Cyrenaicism, died out relatively quickly.
However, many of these life philosophies could plausibly be practiced in the modern world, too.
In this edition of Stoic Camp, we’ll be exploring the basics of four of the more interesting and practicable ancient alternatives to Stoicism:
- Epicureanism
- Cyrenaicism
- Pyrrhonian skepticism
- Academic skepticism
No prior knowledge of these philosophies is necessary, although it may help to have a rough understanding of Stoicism, since we may be comparing and contrasting Stoicism with these philosophes.
***
Key details:
- Camp starts at 3pm on Friday, August 4th, and ends at 2pm on Sunday August 6th
Cost: $360 for one spot in a double room ($720 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!
- Greg
- Massimo
- G
- 8 attendees
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: Alternatives to Stoicism
Brief description: Stoicism is possibly the most widely-known and practiced Greco-Roman life philosophy in modern times. However, the ancient Mediterranean world had many alternatives to Stoicism. Some, such as Epicureanism, rivalled Stoicism in terms of popularity. Others, such as Cyrenaicism, died out relatively quickly.
However, many of these life philosophies could plausibly be practiced in the modern world, too.
In this edition of Stoic Camp, we’ll be exploring the basics of four of the more interesting and practicable ancient alternatives to Stoicism:
- Epicureanism
- Cyrenaicism
- Pyrrhonian skepticism
- Academic skepticism
No prior knowledge of these philosophies is necessary, although it may help to have a rough understanding of Stoicism, since we may be comparing and contrasting Stoicism with these philosophes.
***
Key details:
- Camp starts at 3pm on Friday, August 4th, and ends at 2pm on Sunday August 6th
Cost: $540 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!
- Greg
- Massimo
- Mark R.
- 6 attendees
Past events (215)
- Greg
- Ariana
- Barbara F.
- 20 attendees
