From the archive
The Figs in Winter archive is deep, here are some choice bits
Figs in Winter now has several hundred articles on a wide range of topics, including various approaches to living a meaningful life (ethics), examinations of pseudoscientific claims (science), and essays on practical reasoning (logic). This occasional series is meant to remind my readers of some of this material for their enjoyment and use. All articles linked below are free.
The problem with presentism. Consider Marcus Aurelius: was he a wise ruler whose actions were informed by Stoic philosophy, or a brutal colonialist enforcing imperial rule? … (3 November 2023)
Stoicism and beauty. Stoicon is the annual international conference gathering people interested in Stoicism. “Gathering” is no longer exact, perhaps, since after Covid-19 we don’t meet in person anymore, but rather through the confine of a Zoom screen. No matter, this year’s theme was the relationship between Stoicism and beauty. Friends and colleagues gave talks on “The Stoic theory of beauty” (Aistė Čelkytė), “How to create a more beautiful world using harmony and proportion” (David Fideler), “The inspirational power of moral beauty” (Brittany Polat), “Peter Paul Rubens and the first modern revival of Stoicism” (John Sellars), “Selecting for beauty: some precepts for a Stoic” (Jennifer Baker), “From the cosmos to cracks in bread: things of beauty for Stoics” (Greg Sadler), and even “Dancing with the Stoics” (Nancy Sherman). The final keynote speech was given by John Vervaeke and was entitled “Why beauty is deeply implicit throughout Stoicism.” Videos of the talks will soon be available at the Modern Stoicism YouTube channel. … (10 November 2023)
Profiles in skepticism: Sextus Empiricus. Ancient skepticism was the root of a long tradition of critical thinking that eventually led to the maturing thought of Medieval, Renaissance, and finally modern and contemporary authors, ranging from John of Salisbury (1110-1180) to Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), from René Descartes (1596-1650) to Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677), from David Hume (1711-1776) to Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), and so on. … (17 November 2023)
Love, kindness, … and Stoicism? Darin wrote: I’m a subscriber at Figs in Winter, and am looking forward to the discussions about New Stoicism. When I mention Stoicism to people as a life philosophy and a way to deal with difficult, or indeed any points in life, I eventually get questions like ‘what about love, or kindness as central tenets, and helpful solutions to life’s ills?’ They feel like Stoicism is sterile and not addressing some central need. I feel like they are missing the point of Stoicism, but I don’t know how to address it. Can you post something in FiW to address this? I get what these people are saying. I used to say the same sort of things, before I paid attention to actual Stoicism, rather than the stiff upper lip caricature of it. Years ago I came across an announcement from Modern Stoicism inviting people to celebrate Stoic Week. I thought, what? Why would anyone want to live their life like Mr. Spock from Star Trek?? … (24 November 2023)
The Columnist and the Dog: a tale of two ascetics. On 27 February 380 CE Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. This was the doing of the Emperor Theodosius I, who decreed Nicene Christianity to be the only acceptable belief. Anyone following alternative versions of the religion was thereby labeled a heretic and a “foolish madman,” and authorities where given free reign to punish heresy in whatever guise it may manifest itself. Despite concerted attempts to distance itself from paganism, the new religion on the block owed a lot to the philosophical schools of Greece and Rome that preceded it, especially Platonism, Stoicism, and Cynicism, and later on Aristotelianism. … (1 December 2023)