Critiquing Stoicism

“However, my impression is that there is something more fundamentally toxic about Stoicism. In line with [Will] Durant’s assessment, its dominant theme seems to be retreat: retreat from unpleasant emotion into indifference (despite protestations to the contrary)…”

Stoicism has become immensely popular in recent years, and has received almost universally positive media coverage. However, the Stoic philosophy conflicts with human nature and should, consequently, be discarded. Centering on this core idea, this article seeks to present some objections to various parts of Stoicism as well as to offer some thoughts about its role in Western history.

Possible Non-European Origins

Friedrich Nietzsche wrote that Stoicism was “essentially the work of Semites.” This brief comment has since been substantiated by other authors. Will Durant’s 1926 bestseller The Story of Philosophy followed Nietzsche in claiming that Stoic thought had Asian roots. For Durant, the rise of Stoicism stemmed from the decline of ancient Greece. Hellenic culture was on a downward slide, as evidenced by the execution of Socrates. Alexander’s conquests had expanded communication from Asia, and “the Oriental spirit of apathy and resignation,” expressed in intellectual currents like Stoicism, “found a ready soil in decadent and despondent Greece.” Durant brands Stoicism as “the apathetic acceptance of defeat.”

The Stoic response to such a criticism is obvious: Stoicism teaches not that one should not try to prevent harmful outcomes but merely that one should not feel distressed when such outcomes do occur. But that is not how psychology works. The mind understands what is desirable or undesirable in terms of positive or negative emotion. Neuroscientist Mark Solms writes:

“the more pleasurable something feels, the more you want to do it. And this is what emotional feeling—consciousness—is ultimately for: it motivates you to do things that are biologically good for you and to avoid things that are biologically bad. That is why it evolved.”