Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience

In her most recent book, Georgetown Philosophy Professor and Ethicist Nancy Sherman '73 draws on the wisdom of Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and others and applies their ideas to 21st-century concerns—from workers facing stress and burnout to first responders in a pandemic. Focusing on what the Stoics can teach us about resilience, grit, and the importance of relationships, Stoic Wisdom debunks the idea that ancient or modern Stoicism is primarily a philosophy of rugged self-reliance. “Being at home” in the world, a pivotal Stoic notion, is a matter of being connected to others, locally and globally, and through emotions as well as reason, Sherman argues. (Oxford University Press, 2021)