Recommended Topics for New Stoas

This sequence gives members a first taste of Stoicism, then goes a little deeper into both the theory and the practice. Give every meeting a clear focus; open-ended meetings tend to wander.

Meeting One Introduction to Stoicism (and to Each Other)

• Invite members to introduce themselves and share what drew them to Stoicism.
• Give a brief talk on your own understanding of Stoicism, drawing on Stoicism 101, then open it up for discussion.
• Watch and discuss this short video on the philosophy of Stoicism (about 5 minutes). Assign it beforehand or watch it together.

Meeting Two Virtue Is the Highest Good: Plato's Euthydemus

• The four cardinal virtues are practical wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. For the Stoics, they take precedence over everything else in life, which is considered “indifferent.” But why?
• In this dialogue, Socrates explains why wisdom (close to virtue) is the highest good. Read the relevant portion (278e–282e): topostext.org/work/93.

Meeting Three A Deeper Introduction to Stoicism

• Read and discuss the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy's article on Stoicism. It's a little dense, but rich with information and quite readable.
• Longer than one meeting can cover? Pick one or two sections to focus on.

Meeting Four Introduction to Stoic Practice

• So far you've approached Stoicism through the four cardinal virtues. The Roman Stoic teacher Epictetus taught through a different lens: the three disciplines. Read Donald Robertson's Introduction to Stoicism: The Three Disciplines.
• For specific daily practices, add his A Simplified Modern Approach to Stoicism.

Meetings Five and Six Read a Book Together: How to Be a Stoic

• Massimo Pigliucci's How to Be a Stoic introduces modern Stoic theory and practice through Epictetus' three disciplines. Split it across two meetings.
• The last chapter is a guide to basic Stoic exercises, a natural bridge into practice-focused meetings.

After the first six meetings, many stoas settle into one or more repeatable formats:

• Topic of the month. Briefly introduce a common problem, such as anger, anxiety, grief, or friendship, and discuss it from a Stoic perspective.
• A book over several months. Choose an ancient text or a modern introduction from our study resources and read it together a section at a time. Don't bite off more than your group can chew.
• Essays. Short essays make easy, focused readings. Try Massimo Pigliucci's Figs in Winter or Donald Robertson's articles.
• Practice sessions. Try a Stoic exercise together and share how it went. See our practice resources for ideas.