by Massimo Pigliucci
[Part of an occasional series presenting academic papers I have published but that may be of general interest. Full list with links here.]
Why would anyone want to resurrect ancient Stoicism as a way to tackle today’s troubles? Isn’t it all about going through life with a stiff upper lip while doing one’s best to suppress emotions? It may have been good for Roman legionnaires, but hardly suitable to the uber-technologic society of the twenty-first century, with its fast-paced life, recurring economic upheavals, and possible environmental catastrophe.
Also, wasn’t Stoicism a man’s thing? After all, the very Latin root of that crucial word, “virtue” [vir] means “man.” And we know that women in ancient Roman and Greek societies were confined to very restrictive roles, not really citizens in any meaningful way of the word. How is that going to square after three waves of feminism, the #metoo (fourth wave) movement, and the increasing, if still painfully slow, undoing of the patriarchy? …
[From: The Routledge Handbook of Hellenistic Philosophy, edited by Kelly Arenson, Routledge, 2020. You can ask for a free reprint by using this Contact Form.]
Massimo Pigliucci 
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