Stoicism Course

Lesson 1 • Primary Stoic Texts and Sources

Surveys surviving texts by Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca. Equips students to read primary sources critically throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Core Stoic Premises

Introduces the foundational assumptions Stoics hold about reality, human nature, and the good life. Sets the conceptual baseline for all later chapters.

Lesson 3 • The Stoic Philosophical System

Explains how logic, physics, and ethics interlock in Stoic thought. Students see the philosophy as a unified system rather than isolated maxims.

Lesson 1 • Indifferents: Preferred and Dispreferred

Introduces the category of indifferents and the distinction between preferred and dispreferred items. Students learn to pursue externals without attaching ultimate value to them.

Lesson 2 • Virtue as the Highest Good

Defines the four cardinal virtues and explains why Stoics regard virtue as sufficient for happiness. Grounds the value theory introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 3 • Good, Bad, and Neither

Maps the full Stoic taxonomy of value across all life domains. Enables students to categorise any situation using Stoic criteria.

Lesson 1 • The Stoic Account of Emotion

Presents the Stoic view that passions are false value judgments, not involuntary feelings. Builds on Chapter 2's value theory to explain emotional disturbance.

Lesson 2 • Assent, Impression, and Impulse

Explains the Stoic cognitive sequence from impression to assent to action. Students gain a model for interrupting automatic emotional reactions.

Lesson 3 • Managing Anger and Grief

Applies Stoic psychology to two of the most disruptive emotional experiences. Provides concrete strategies grounded in the chapter's theoretical structure.

Lesson 4 • Eupatheiai: Healthy Rational Emotions

Introduces the three good emotional states Stoics endorse: joy, caution, and wishing. Distinguishes them from their passion counterparts.

Lesson 1 • Preferred Indifferents and Effort

Reconciles the dichotomy with the Stoic endorsement of pursuing preferred indifferents. Students learn to act fully while releasing attachment to outcomes.

Lesson 2 • Applying Control to Daily Situations

Translates the dichotomy into a decision-making filter for everyday challenges. Students practice categorising real scenarios as within or outside their control.

Lesson 3 • Control, Anxiety, and Resilience

Connects the dichotomy to psychological resilience and reduced anxiety. Students see how misplaced control beliefs generate suffering.

Lesson 1 • Wisdom in Everyday Decisions

Applies practical wisdom (phronesis) to professional and personal choices. Connects the virtue theory from Chapter 2 to concrete decision-making.

Lesson 2 • Courage in Adversity

Defines Stoic courage as rational endurance rather than recklessness. Students practice identifying courageous responses to real challenges.

Lesson 3 • Justice and Social Duty

Examines justice as the virtue governing relationships and civic responsibility. Students identify their duties within family, work, and community.

Lesson 4 • Integrity Across Life Roles

Synthesises all four virtues into a unified approach to role-based ethics. Students map virtuous conduct across their specific personal and professional roles.

Lesson 1 • Mindful Attention and Prosoche

Presents prosoche (self-attention) as the master Stoic practice underlying all others. Students develop moment-to-moment awareness of their judgments and impulses.

Lesson 2 • Negative Visualization

Teaches premeditatio malorum as a tool for gratitude and resilience. Students practice imagining loss to reduce attachment and increase appreciation.

Lesson 3 • The View from Above

Guides students through the Stoic cosmic perspective exercise to reduce ego-driven distress. Builds on the physics and cosmology introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 4 • Morning and Evening Reflection

Introduces structured journaling and review practices used by Stoic practitioners. Anchors daily philosophical practice in a consistent routine.

Lesson 1 • Stoic Friendship and Relationships

Examines how Stoics approach friendship, love, and family with virtue rather than need. Students reframe their closest relationships through a Stoic lens.

Lesson 2 • Cosmopolitanism and Human Brotherhood

Introduces the Stoic doctrine that all humans share reason and belong to one community. Provides the ethical foundation for all relational applications in this chapter.

Lesson 3 • Conflict Resolution and Forgiveness

Applies Stoic psychology to interpersonal conflict and the practice of forgiveness. Draws on the passion management skills from Chapter 3.

Lesson 4 • Stoic Leadership Principles

Derives leadership behaviours from Stoic ethics, using Marcus Aurelius as a case study. Students identify how Stoic virtues translate into effective leadership.

Lesson 1 • Designing a Personal Stoic Practice

Guides students in building a sustainable, individualised Stoic routine. Synthesises all practices from Chapter 6 into a coherent long-term plan.

Lesson 2 • Death, Impermanence, and Memento Mori

Addresses the Stoic practice of meditating on mortality to clarify values and priorities. Builds on negative visualisation from Chapter 6.

Lesson 3 • Fate, Providence, and Amor Fati

Examines the Stoic doctrines of fate and providence and the practice of loving one's fate. Integrates cosmology from Chapter 1 with the emotional tools from Chapter 3.

Lesson 4 • Obstacles as Opportunities

Presents the Stoic reframing of obstacles as material for virtue. Students practice converting adversity into growth using the full toolkit developed in prior chapters.