“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates

This blog will concern itself with the aim of classical philosophy. What is that exactly? Well, far from being interested wholly in unanswerable questions ancient philosophers were concerned with living a good life.

Philosophy was not something that was opaque, academic, dry, and painfully abstract. Philosophy instead was living, as the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius once put in his meditations, “a life that flows in quiet.” The general aim of humanity is to strive for increasing happiness and this goal manifests itself through the search for truth. As countless philosophers throughout history have discovered, the path to truth is traveled on a road of discourse. Truth cannot be discovered on your own, only dogma.

On our quests for truth it’s important not to mistake the journey for the goal. As many of us have undoubtedly encountered, our conclusions are subject to change at a moments notice. One new piece of information can flip an entire lifetime of held beliefs upside down. Keep this German aphorism in mind during your search.

“Der Weg ist das Ziel.”

Or, the journey is its own reward. It isn’t the conclusion that is the most gratifying, or even the most important aspect of philosophy. Instead, the journey to that conclusion reveals much more about ourselves and the human condition. It can provide us with much more information and paths for further inquiry than any single intellectual destination.

The name of this blog pays homage to my philosophical roots. I was drawn into the depths of philosophy by the likes of Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca. The Stoic philosophers. They had a lot to say about the human condition and, in their own time and ours, contributed much to the well being of others. As such I’ll have a lot to say on this subject, both positive and negative. In the past decade the renaissance of Stoic thought has been extremely interesting. The further evolution, and misrepresentation, of Stoic thought has been taken in directions that further entrench dogmatic notions present throughout the school of thought. In coming posts I’ll explore it in-depth in order to parse the failures and triumphs of these modern academics in their attempt at a Stoic revival and add my voice to the din.

Ultimately, I do not want this to be a blog solely about Stoicism. I feel Stoicism has much to say and contribute toward living a good life. However, as could be expected from a philosophic school over 2000 years old, they did not have it completely right. This claim will be explored further in the future.

And so, the purpose of this blog will match its namesake. In ancient Athens, the birthplace of philosophic inquiry, philosophic discussions would take place in the agora which served as the hub of everyday life. Many people would gather under “stoas” or covered porches much like the one pictured in order to discuss such weighty topics as; virtue, piety, or good and evil. Let us use the platform of the internet as our Stoa and together explore the human condition on our collective searches for Truth.