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24 Common Criticisms of Stoicism — and Some Answers
The Stoics understand eudaimonia as a life worth living.
This semester I’ve been teaching a course at City College in New York entitled “Practical Ancient Philosophy.” Naturally, we talk a lot about Stoicism. One of my students said she really digs the Stoics, but she feels she’d be more confident in her understanding of the philosophy if she was aware of some of the common criticisms raised against it, as well as of how Stoics respond. So here we go, in my experience the 24 most common objections to Stoic philosophy, organized by general theme. Let me know if you can think of others, so that I can properly updated my list.
Category: Emotions
1. It’s about sporting a stiff upper lip.
Endurance is, indeed, a Stoic value. But it doesn’t define the philosophy.
2. It’s about suppressing emotions, a la Mr. Spock from Star Trek.
The Stoics divide emotions into three categories: pre-emotions, unhealthy emotions, and healthy emotions. Pre-emotions (e.g., blushing, beginning of anger) are inevitable even for the sage. Unhealthy emotions (full fledged anger, hatred, fear) interfere with reason and need to be negotiated. Never act on their basis. Healthy emotions (proper love, proper joy, sense of justice) are to be mindfully cultivated.
3. When Epictetus says that we ought not to be disturbed by the death of a loved one, it shows Stoicism is for sociopaths.
Epictetus was speaking from the point of view of someone who believed in a cosmic providence. For him, everything that happens in the world is in agreement with cosmic reason. We are cells of the cosmic organism, and what happens to us is not important in comparison with that organism (“god”). Indeed, our duty is to do our part in the overall functioning of the cosmos. However, most modern Stoics reject that aspect of Stoic metaphysics, so for us it makes perfect sense to grieve at the loss of a loved one, so long as we are at the same time ready to accept what is natural and inevitable, to focus on the good memories rather than the loss, and to be ready to rejoin the human cosmopolis since we have duties to other loved ones and to society in general.
