This week, we explore a theme revived at Stoicon 2023: the Stoic idea of beauty not as surface appeal, but as harmony, proportion, and functional coherence. In his talk, Massimo Pigliucci asks the question: Did the Stoics get their theory of beauty wrong? His answer is “yes,” but in a way that helps us to deepen our understanding.

The ancient Stoics grounded beauty in summetria, the harmony of parts within a whole, drawing on Polycleitus’s canon of sculpture and a cosmic worldview guided by Logos. But as Pigliucci argues, this vision of a providential universe no longer fits what modern science reveals. Just as we’ve corrected Stoic views on the heart as the seat of the *hegemonikon* or the validity of divination, we may need to update their aesthetics as well.

Pigliucci suggests evolutionary aesthetics as a new path—beauty as an adaptive response shaped by natural selection, not a metaphysical property built into the cosmos. Modern psychology reinforces this shift, warning us about the attractiveness halo effect and reminding us to separate appearance from character. Yet summetria remains valuable as a *human* lens: a way of perceiving pattern, coherence, and functional integration in the world around us.

This week, we’ll discuss how Stoicism can honor the spirit of summetria while embracing the clarity offered by contemporary biology and psychology.

**Reading Material**
Did the Stoics Get Their Theory of Beauty Wrong?
[https://modernstoicism.com/did-the-stoics-get-their-theory-of-beauty-wrong-by-massimo-pigliucci/](https://modernstoicism.com/did-the-stoics-get-their-theory-of-beauty-wrong-by-massimo-pigliucci/)

Did the Stoics get their Theory of Beauty Wrong? - Massimo Pigliucci
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_Bhd6dQLOY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BozYoy3Szkg)

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About Our Group
We welcome open-minded, respectful conversation on Stoicism and its relevance to daily life, personal growth, and modern thought. Our discussions connect ancient philosophy with contemporary science, psychology, and culture—always with the aim of cultivating wisdom together.

**This meeting is free and open to the public.**

Joe Bullock

Rebecca Wright

Orlando Stoics

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Revisiting Stoic Beauty

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Revisiting Stoic Beauty

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