The heart of the Stoic Fellowship logo is the letter phi (Φ), represented by
the combined globe and doric column. Phi is famously associated with the
"golden ratio" which appears frequently in nature, art, and architecture,
and is often associated with beauty, harmony, and proportion. This aligns
with the Stoic emphasis of living a balanced life in accordance with nature
— and that doing so can lead to a life of peace and tranquility.
The globe represents the global nature of the Fellowship and our mission to
build communities of Stoics. It also represents the Stoic concept of
oikeiosis (Stoic cosmopolitanism) and is a symbol of the interconnectedness
of all things.
Inside the globe, the four vertical curves represent the four virtues:
wisdom, temperance, courage, and justice. The horizontal curves and straight
line represent logic, ethics, and physics. Ethics is straight because it
represents the path we attempt to walk — “straight—not straightened,” as
Marcus says. In the doric column, the three grooves represent the three
disciplines: desire, action, and assent.
The phi symbol is surrounded by a dual olive branch wreath, symbolizing the
Stoic path to virtue is by living according to nature — and that doing so
can lead to a life of peace and tranquility.
Finally, the color is Tyrian purple. We chose this color to honor Zeno, the
founder of Stoicism. Before he discovered philosophy, Zeno was a merchant
who sold the purple dye used in imperial robes and elsewhere. While sailing
to Athens, he experienced a shipwreck and lost all his cargo. Legend has it,
soon after the shipwreck, Zeno was in an Athenian bookstore, reading work by
Xenophon. Inspired by this new way of thinking, Zeno sought out a
philosopher who could teach him more. The bookstore owner pointed him to
Crates of Thebes who happened to have been walking by. This began Zeno’s
philosophical journey and was the spark that led to Stoicism.
We'd like to thank Mike Brooks for his tireless work designing our logo.