What Is Stoicism?: A Brief and Accessible Overview

by Tanner Campbell

An easy, jargon-free introduction to Stoicism that covers the full range of Stoic thought in a single compact volume The word stoic has undergone an odd transformation over time. Today, we use it to mean someone who is indifferent to pleasure or pain. In ancient times, however, a Stoic was a member of a philosophical school whose original members gathered in Athens at a painted colonnade — or stoa in Greek. The modern meaning of the word gives some people the impression that Stoicism is cold and inhumane. In reality, Stoicism is a humanistic philosophy designed to help its practitioners find an inner peace that cannot be shaken by outer events. Some modern thinkers have noticed parallels between Stoic principles and the techniques of modern cognitive behavioral therapy. In What Is Stoicism?, Tanner Campbell and Kai Whiting introduce Stoicism to a new generation. Divided into short chapters that can be read in brief sittings, the book compresses several hundred years of Stoic thought into simple conversational prose. With present-day examples and quotes from famous Stoics, this whistle-stop tour of Stoicism covers topics such • the three pillars of Stoic logic, physics, and ethics • the ultimate goal of sagehood • the Stoic concept of circles of our individual obligations to our family, community, and world • the Stoic ideal of living in accordance with nature • the question of whether belief in God is necessary for practicing Stoicism During the journey, readers will meet some of the larger-than-life characters who have embodied Stoic Epictetus, a disabled former slave who became a respected teacher of Stoicism; the Roman statesman Seneca the Younger, the mentor of the infamous Roman emperor Nero; and the philosopher emperor Marcus Aurelius, whose austere Meditations have inspired thinkers for nearly two millennia. In the end, readers will come to appreciate the vitality of Stoicism and realize how the wisdom of the past can meet the challenges of the future.

Genres: Philosophy

120 pages, Paperback

Published November 19, 2024

About the author

Tanner Campbell is an American philosopher, writer, and the creator of Practical Stoicism, a widely followed podcast that brings the principles of Stoic philosophy to a modern audience. His work emphasizes the serious study and practical application of Stoicism, focusing on virtue ethics, cosmology, and personal growth.

Tanner is the lead author of "What is Stoicism? A Brief and Accessible Overview", where he and his co-author (philosopher Kai Whiting) explore Stoic ideas with depth and clarity, avoiding the superficial self-help interpretations common in popular discourse. He is also the creator of The Prokoptôn Journaling Program, a year-long guided Stoic journaling experience designed for those committed to philosophical self-examination.

Beyond his work in Stoicism, Tanner has a background in business, running companies in the US and the UK. He also provides consulting services to writers interested in incorporating Stoic philosophy into their work.

Born in the United States, Tanner now resides in the United Kingdom, where he continues to write, teach, and develop projects that promote serious engagement with Stoic thought. His work is guided by the belief that Stoic philosophy is not merely for study but for living well.

Reviews

[Ross Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent first read about Stoicism

This is an incredibly concise foundation of knowledge for Stoicism. I thought Stoicism is all about letting go of things that are not under our control and being emotionless. This book taught me that it’s more than that. Highly recommend this to anyone who wants to understand what stoicism really teaches people and to those who want to start learning about this philosophy.

[Noah Joeris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super structured and precise overview of Stoicism that covers all its key areas. It’s a quick read but packed with valuable insights. Highly recommend.

[Craig Carignan]

It was a well-done introduction to Stoicism.

[Hugo Borie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic introduction to Stoicism, offering a clear and engaging overview that’s both practical and easy to grasp. Whether you're a beginner or already familiar with the philosophy, it helps build or refresh your understanding with modern, real-world applications and concrete examples.

I especially appreciated how effortlessly it made Stoic principles accessible, helping me update my knowledge and see their relevance in daily life. My only small frustration was the final chapter on Stoic physics and logic—while important, it felt like it deserved more depth or an earlier placement.

Overall, a warmly recommended read for anyone looking to explore or deepen their understanding of Stoicism.

[Fasai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good afternoon read

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate this tiny volume on stoicism. The authors achieved what they set out to do: explain the concept in lay terms, and concisely.

The central feature of stoicism is virtue over vice. Virtue is the core ethic or moral that has spiritual basis. Achieving virtue means making virtuous choices (no matter how difficult) and avoiding falsely assenting to untruths. Virtue is also divided into Cardinal Virtues: Temperance, Justice, Courage, and Wisdom. Virtually no one achieves the coveted "Sage" state of absolutely vice-free living, but that's the ideal, and the point is to aim for excellence in all things. This involves much self-control and self-reflection, setting aside pathê ("negative" emotions) and embracing eupatheiai ("good" emotions).

I was personally surprised to find such a crucial connection to eudaimonia, another ancient philosophy, although the connection makes sense. Eudaimonia is the ideal state, and stoicism is the way to get there.

An interesting tension is expressed by the authors when it comes to the spiritual and theistic side of stoicism. Belief that virtue is the be-all, end-all is the crux of the philosophy. One author argues that this is a belief that can't be reasoned or evidenced, i.e., must be taken on faith, i.e., is a god. This author even argues that stoics not recognizing this as a godly concept means accepting cognitive dissonance. The other is more open. Frankly, I'm puzzled. What does centring a single value have to do with the existence of a deity? The stoic deity is also a bit curious, as it's been traditionally imagined as an "animal" in the "we are of the earth's body" kind of way.

I was left with a lot of questions, which may be expected for such a short volume, but also no shortage of niggling concerns. Despite the focus on reasoning and argumentation, I found myself pondering over many gaps in logic and detail, many assumptions and unexplained connections, and a decided lack of empirical engagement. One aspect that struck me the most is what even is "virtue"? Who decides that? The authors have an extended example on someone who is fat, writing "the choice to not do what we are able to do for the sake of our health is vicious," which is laden with assumptions and values about what health even is. I wonder how those in the fat acceptance and body positivity movement might feel about this condemnation. And, like many philosophies, this one requires a certain level of privilege and buy-in. Can stoicism help a poor single queer parent face personal and societal barriers and violence who's denied aid because they "didn't seem affected enough"? Epictetus may have been viewed as phenomenal for staying calm amidst the turmoil of his captivity, but that is exactly the reaction expected of peak masculinity (then and now).

This text helped me understand why certain people I know have tested the stoic waters. I can't help but notice that many (including founding philosopher Epictetus) came into stoicism after personal trauma, with the natural reactions of shutting down, compartmentalizing one's emotions, and grasping for control (over the self, when feeling a loss of control elsewhere) mapping a little too comfortably onto the stoic way. But perhaps I'm reading into things a little too deeply.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Ingram Publisher Services for the advance copy.

[Beau Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent and easy to read introduction to Stoicism. Stoicism as a philosophy is often confused in the modern day and context, and this book does an excellent job of explaining the key concepts behind the actual philosophy. The book is written in a personable and easy to read format (I finished it in a few hours) and by the end you'll know enough to confirm whether or not Stoicism is a philosophy you would like to pursue properly.

I'd recommend reading it if you're new to the philosophy and would like to understand it better, or if you are a practicing Stoic and would like an easy to refer to book for basic concepts.

[ScottG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook. a good introduction, somewhat challenging to follow as an audiobook.

[Joan Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice introduction to stoicism. The writing is clear and The tenets I easily understood. The examples given a simple.

[Tanner Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s half my book so, I’m rating Kai’s half 😉