What is the Goal of Stoicism?
Stoicism is a philosophy of life grounded in the concept that virtue, or excellence of character, is the highest good. We flourish when we use Stoic virtue to guide our lives, eschewing the emptiness of materialism, status, and things outside of our control. Stoics follow the Four Virtues, which Zeno and his disciples believed were inherently good, and worthy of our striving:
- WISDOM enables ONE to make rational decisions and appropriate judgments.
- JUSTICE ENCOMPASSES ACTIONS BENEFITTING HUMANKIND, INCLUDING kindness, benevolence, and goodwill.
- TEMPERANCE HELPS US do things in just measure—not too much and not too little.
- COURAGE ALLOWS US TO FLOURISH AND TRIUMPH AGAINST ADVERSITY.
NOW ACCEPTING MEMBERS
"We envision a world where Stoics unite and take action to create personal flourishing — across the world, in our communities, and in ourselves."
- Bill Broadwater, Founder of Philadelphia Stoa
PHILOSOPHY FOR EVERYONE
What Is Philadelphia Stoa?
Philadelphia Stoa is leading the rebirth of the ancient philosophy of Stoicism to meet the challenges of modernity. We aim to resurrect the definition of what it meant to be a philosopher in antiquity—a person who strives to live a philosophical life. Through the practice of applying virtue ethics, reason, and critical thinking to our collective human experience, we endeavor to unlock the personal flourishing that is possible within all of us.
What Do We Offer?
We are building a new type of community which aims to guide society to a new era of human flourishing. We seek to revive the the ancient ideas which stand as the bedrock of Western civilization, and openly call on others in the community who are interested, motivated, and capable to join our mission.
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Meet Stoics from Philly and all over the world online and in person
INTERACTIVE COURSES
Learn to apply Stoic practices through the ease of a guided curriculum
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Benefit the local community through the application of Stoic principles
GUEST LECTURES
Learn key concepts from Stoic professors, authors, and thought leaders
STOIC LEADERSHIP
Get involved by offering your skills and time to build our Stoa
Interested in Joining?
The pressure of modernity weighs on all of us. Many people spend their time working, shopping, and eating alone as atomized consumers with no ethos or creed. Anger permeates our civic discourse. Civic associations are losing members, tearing apart the fabric of our communities. Our society has become paralyzed in the face of its new challenges.
Who claims to have the answers? All of the wrong people. Traditional religions want to discuss events from thousands of years ago as they ignore the issues of our time. Politicians espouse inflammatory rhetoric to incite rage. New social quasi-religions based on one’s race, gender, or sexual orientation divide our society by focusing on immutable characteristics instead of one’s character.
Philadelphia Stoa aims higher. Joining will help you meet likeminded practitioners of reason who aim to solve problems facing our world through applied virtue. We seek rational, open-minded people who have a bias to action in making the world a better place.