Stoicism in three simple steps

Stoicism is a philosophy of life, no different in that respect from a religion. True, Epictetus was not a god, and the Enchiridion is not Scripture. But all religions come with the same two fundamental components that characterize any philosophy of life: a metaphysics, that is, an account of how the world hangs together; and an ethics, that is, an account of how we should live in the world — given the way it hangs together. The major difference between Stoicism and an actual religion, say Christianity, is that Stoics feel free to keep updating and reinterpreting the ancient texts, and that the respective metaphysical axioms are different: naturalism and universal cause-effect for the Stoics, supernaturalism and a creator God for Christians.

Now, one can study and practice Christianity at different levels. They can be one of the flock, just attending mass, developing an understanding of the basic precepts of the religion, and try to live accordingly. Other people devote their life to it, for instance priests and nuns. Still others pursue a sophisticated understanding of the theory behind the practice, as is the case of theologians. Some teach it, most don’t.

The same goes with Stoicism. One can be a proficiens, as Seneca calls those who make progress, on the basis of a minimalist take on the theory and a focus on the practice. Or one can write books and teach…