Sheffield Stoic Philosophy Group

Join us at the next meeting of the Sheffield Stoic Philosophy Group on Monday 7 September, 18:15-20:15, Thackeray Room, St Mary's Community Hall, Howard Road, Walkley, Sheffield S6 3RX.
Arrive from 18:00 for 18:15 start.

You'll meet others interested in Stoic philosophy, read about Stoic ideas and discuss them in an informal and friendly environment.

We have recently finished reading Lessons in Stoicism by John Sellars, so we are ready for a new book.

In this month's meeting we will:

• Start reading a key Stoic text, the Handbook (Enchiridion) of Epictetus. There are free versions available online but the translations are often outdated and difficult to read. So we'll be following a clear, modern edition: Discourses and Selected Writings, translated by Robert Dobbin (the Handbook begins on page 219). It is fairly cheap on Amazon (£9.99 paperback / £2.99 Kindle). We'll make our way slowly through the text, discussing each paragraph as we go.
• Take some real-life situations and discuss how to deal with them using Stoic principles. This will build on the journaling and reviewing techniques we discussed last month. Feel free to bring you own examples of situations that you have faced during the last month and how you handled them.

Each of these activities will last roughly an hour (with a break in the middle) and you are welcome to attend one or both, as you like.

For those interested we will also be going for drinks afterwards. This month we are going to the Springvale Tavern, which is a 7 minute walk towards town from the meeting room (there is a bus stop outside for those going into town afterwards).

What is Stoicism?
Stoicism is a philosophy that originated in ancient Greece but is still practised in modern form today. It emphasises rationality and excellence of character, while seeing all people as part of an interconnected community. By distinguishing what is in our power (our thoughts, judgments and actions) and what is not (external events, luck and circumstances), and cultivating virtues like wisdom, justice, courage and moderation, we can achieve emotional resilience and inner peace. It's a practical guide for navigating life's challenges with tranquility.