Massimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His new book is Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers (with Greg Lopez and Meredith Kunz, The Experiment). He is also the best selling author of How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life.
Ci vediamo a...
Rome 2026 | Practical Philosophy Seminar:
Stoicism and politics
Introduction
We live in times of social and political turmoil. So did the Stoics two millennia ago. Is there any guidance they could give us about how to navigate that kind of challenge? It is often said that the Stoics did not have much to contribute to discussions of politics, because Stoicism is an inward-looking, personal philosophy. But is that really the case?
Details
Join John Sellars and Massimo Pigliucci for an exploration of Stoicism and politics, with the aim not just to learn from the ancients, but to figure out, together, reason-based approaches to what is happening around the world right now.
Sponsored by the Stoa Nova school for a new Stoicism.
Suggested readings
Books by the faculty
- Seneca's On Clemency and On Benefits.
- Cicero’s On Duties.
- Epictetus’s Discourses.
- Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations.
About the facilitators
John Sellars is a Reader in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London (where he is currently program lead for Philosophy). He is a founder member of the London Centre for Ancient Philosophy. John is also a member of two non-profit organizations aimed at bringing the ancient philosophy of Stoicism to a wider audience, Modern Stoicism (of which he is the current Chair) and The Aurelius Foundation. John’s books include The Fourfold Remedy: Epicurus and the Art of Happiness (Allen Lane, 2022) and Lessons in Stoicism: What Ancient Philosophers Teach Us about How to Live (Allen Lane, 2019).
Seminar programme
(tentative programme, subject to change, please check back)
Friday, 9 January 206
Session times displayed in CET
1
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
(~10:00 a.m.☕)
Introduction
Traditional Greek political thinking in the polis (Plato, Aristotle); the shift after Alexander (Cynics, cosmopolitanism); active Stoics versus retiring Epicureans.
Traditional Greek political thinking in the polis (Plato, Aristotle); the shift after Alexander (Cynics, cosmopolitanism); active Stoics versus retiring Epicureans.
Faculty
2
3:00 (or 2:00?!)-6:00 p.m.
Cicero (and Panaetius)
On Duties
On Duties
Massimo Pigliucci
3
8:00-10:00 p.m.
🍽️ Dinner in small groups
Philosophy chats
Saturday, 10 January 2026
Session times displayed in CET
1
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
(~10:00 a.m. ☕)
Seneca—On Clemency and On Benefits.
Massimo Pigliucci
2
12:00-3:00 p.m.
🍽️ Lunch break, eateries nearby
Open groups
3
3:00-6:00 p.m.
(~4:00 p.m. ☕)
Epictetus and the Stoic Opposition. Stoicism and tyranny.
John Sellars
Sunday, 11 January 2026
Session times displayed in CET
1
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
(~10:00 a.m. ☕)
Marcus Aurelius and politics, selections from Meditations.
John Sellars
2
Afternoon hours
The...popolo has spoken: we are going to Musei Capitolini
Grazie Eleonora per i biglietti!!
Grazie Eleonora per i biglietti!!
Faculty & group
Substack
Resources
Events
Disclaimer: This website was developed by MIND THE ART. on a staging domain and thus does not ask for GDPR-compliant cookie consent.