Online Philosophy Course: Introduction to Stoicism

What does it mean to live a good life? How should we respond to uncertainty, adversity, and success?

Stoicism—one of the most influential philosophical traditions of the ancient world—offers a rigorous and practical framework for addressing these enduring questions. Originating in the fourth century BCE, it has seen a renewed surge of interest in recent years, not as a passing trend, but as a philosophy capable of speaking meaningfully to contemporary life.

Developed by thinkers such as Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, Stoicism combines ethical inquiry with psychological discipline. It challenges us to examine our assumptions, refine our judgement, and distinguish clearly between what is within our control and what is not.

In this 8-week Introduction to Stoicism course, you will engage closely with the ideas, texts, and historical context of the Roman Stoics, while also considering how their insights might be applied in a modern setting. Rather than offering quick answers, Stoicism invites careful reflection—encouraging us to cultivate reason, resilience, and a measured response to the complexities of life.

Designed to be both intellectually engaging and practically relevant, this course provides a structured introduction to Stoicism as a philosophy of life.

Course content

During the course, participants will work with concepts and ideas such as:

Week 1: What is Stoicism?

• Reason and virtue in a complex world

• Influences: Socrates, Heraclitus, and Diogenes

• Founders: Zeno of Citium, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus

• The development of Stoicism from ancient Greece to the present

• The tripartite structure: physics, logic, and ethics

Week 2: The Stoic worldview

• The cardinal virtues: courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom

• Amor fati and acceptance

• Preferred and dispreferred indifferents

• Eudaimonia, apatheia, and ataraxia

• Techniques: negative visualisation and the “view from above”

Week 3: Seneca

• Life and influence in imperial Rome

• Key writings, including Letters to Lucilius

• Stoicism in the context of power and political life

Week 4: Musonius Rufus

• The “Roman Socrates” and his teachings

• Stoicism as a philosophy of everyday practice

• The egalitarian dimensions of Stoic thought

Week 5: Epictetus

• From slavery to philosophical authority

• Discourses and the Enchiridion

• The dichotomy of control

Week 6: Marcus Aurelius

• The philosopher-emperor in a time of crisis

• Insights from Meditations

• The idea of the “inner citadel”

Week 7: Twilight and renewal

• Stoicism and early Christian thought

• The Neo-Stoics of the Renaissance

Week 8: Modern Stoicism

• Contemporary interpretations and applications

• Key modern thinkers including William B. Irvine, Donald Robertson, Massimo Pigliucci, and Ryan Holiday

• Further avenues for study

Intended audience

This course is suitable for anyone interested in philosophy, ethics, and the practical application of ideas to everyday life.

No prior background in philosophy is required—just curiosity and a willingness to engage with complex ideas.