Where are you @socrates, @marcusaurelius, @seneca?
January 18, 2014 3:41 PM Subscribe
After a lifetime of messing around on the Web, I'm trying to approach it in a meaningful way. Stoic philosophy has made a difference in my life, and I was wondering if someone could point me out to thinkers or philosophers of that particular school who have spent time with Twitter, Facebook, etc..
At the very end of Nicholson Baker's The Mezzanine, the narrator comments on being wowed by Marcus Aurelius, and you could make the case that the whole novel's sense of detachment and consideration of the self are influenced by Stoicism. The author's latest collection of essays has pieces on Wikipedia, Google Earth, etc., but I haven't read it.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 3:55 PM on January 18, 2014
posted by Monsieur Caution at 3:55 PM on January 18, 2014
Not meant as snark...do you mean working academic philosophers ("students of the Greek Stoics," "students of the Roman Stoics") who are active on social media? Or social media accounts fictitiously run by a now-dead Stoic, in the spirit of Chaucer's blog?
posted by skbw at 4:22 PM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by skbw at 4:22 PM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
When I was studying philosophy, the professors frequently sent us to the SEP. Try googling the authors of the pages on stoicism and stoics.
posted by aniola at 6:09 PM on January 18, 2014
posted by aniola at 6:09 PM on January 18, 2014
Oh, I guess there's also Alain de Botton. Here he is presenting "Seneca on Anger" in a six-part documentary series, Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness, and here he is on Twitter this week commenting, "If Facebook had been designed by English people, there'd be a 'quite like' button," which is fairly representative.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 10:54 PM on January 18, 2014
posted by Monsieur Caution at 10:54 PM on January 18, 2014
Response by poster: skbw, I meant more along the lines of the Stoic take on social media. In the meantime, it seems that the Stoic Week facebook page has some jumping-off points.
posted by Jonny Camaney at 11:48 PM on January 18, 2014
posted by Jonny Camaney at 11:48 PM on January 18, 2014
OK. Though I am rusty, I am having a hard time imagining a Stoic distinction between our social media and their chitchat in the agora. IOW, social media is just news about the indifferents. Am I missing something? Please tell me if so.
I hate to imply that Martha Nussbaum is a popularizer, but her Therapy of Desire might be a good place to start.
My former advisor, Tad Brennan, has a book I HAVE NOT READ. I have read pieces of his dissertation and some articles, so on that basis I recommend his other writing. He is a clear writer, especially among academics. It's The Stoic Life: Emotions, Duties, and Fate.
Between those two, even if you don't read them cover-to-cover, you should be able to form an opinion.
posted by skbw at 11:04 AM on January 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
I hate to imply that Martha Nussbaum is a popularizer, but her Therapy of Desire might be a good place to start.
My former advisor, Tad Brennan, has a book I HAVE NOT READ. I have read pieces of his dissertation and some articles, so on that basis I recommend his other writing. He is a clear writer, especially among academics. It's The Stoic Life: Emotions, Duties, and Fate.
Between those two, even if you don't read them cover-to-cover, you should be able to form an opinion.
posted by skbw at 11:04 AM on January 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mmmbacon at 3:53 PM on January 18, 2014 [1 favorite]