Manual of Reformed Stoicism

Piotr Stankiewicz

Jun 2020 · Vernon Press

About this ebook

This book is a manifesto of reformed Stoicism. It proposes a system of life which is bullet-proof, universal, viable and effective in every cosmic setting. It holds in every possible universe, under any government and within any economic system. We can be reformed Stoics no matter what we believe in.

Reformed Stoicism is about enjoying and exercising our agency. In other words, it’s about the flow of making autonomous and right decisions, and about celebrating our ability to make them.

With no reliance on nature, with the recalibration of metaphysical positions, with skepticism towards grand discourses and universal answers, with an emphasis on the usefulness instead of truthfulness of narratives, with no reference to the vanity argument, with criticism of both conservative and ascetic misinterpretations of Stoicism, with an overall softer and more empathic approach, we can no longer be defined by the generic term “Stoicism”. Our time, in short, calls for a fresh interpretation of Stoicism. It is time for a new generation of Stoics. Thus: reformed Stoicism.

About the author

Piotr Stankiewicz PhD (b. 1983) is a philosopher, author and teacher specializing in Stoicism. He writes in English and in Polish, he is captivated by the idea that Stoicism is not only a school of philosophy from a Classics textbook, but a viable philosophy of life for modern times. Stankiewicz has a background in both philosophy and science. He is a member of the “Modern Stoicism” team, an international network of scholars and authors promoting Stoic philosophy. In 2019 he published another book on Stoicism with Vernon Press – “Does Happiness Write Blank Pages? On Stoicism and Artistic Creativity”. He is based in Warsaw, Poland.