Lesson Titles
Lesson 1: The Great Stoic Revival
Lesson 2: Who Were the Stoics?
Lesson 3: Finding Calm
Lesson 4: Living with Emotions
Lesson 5: Grit and Resilience
Lesson 6: Healing through Self-Compassion
Lesson 7: Lifehacks
Lesson 8: The Art of Stoic Living
Lesson 9: A Healthy Modern Stoicism
Nancy Sherman is University Professor at Georgetown University,
Guggenheim Fellow, member of the American Academy of Arts &
Sciences, and the Inaugural Distinguished Chair of Ethics at the
United States Naval Academy. Sherman is a New York Times notable
author whose publications include Afterwar, The Untold War (a New
York Times editors' pick), Stoic Warriors, Making a Necessity
of
Virtue, The Fabric of Character, and over 100 articles and essays.
An ethicist with research training in psychoanalysis and a Ph.D.
from Harvard in ancient philosophy, Sherman lectures worldwide on
ethics, the emotions, moral injury, and resilience. She has
received honors and awards
for her work from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American
Philosophical Society, the Wilson Center, the National Endowment
for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, and others.
This book is one of a number of recent trade titles devoted to the
ancient philosophy of Stoicism. Over the last decade or so there
has been an upsurge of popular interest in this ancient school of
philosophy.
*JOHN SELLAR, The Classical Review*
Nancy Sherman goes far beyond the kind of 'pen-and-ink philosophy'
that the Stoics had so little time for. In this book, she applies
Stoicism where it is most needed
*for our warriors and working people alikeand helps them become
better and more resilient.Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times
bestselling author of The Daily Stoic and Stillness is the Key
*
What a delight this book is! Stoic Wisdom is a lively, deeply
knowledgeable, and wide-ranging exploration of the Stoic tradition,
and how it can inform modern life.
*Phil Klay, Winner of the National Book Award and author of
Missionaries and Redeployment *
Moving with grace and nuanced human understanding from ancient
Stoic texts to our world today, drawing vivid examples from
hospitals, the military, the world of Silicon Valley, and recent
protests seeking racial justice, Sherman proves a sure-footed and
appealing guide to what is truly worth holding on to in ancient
Greek and Roman Stoicism. Engaging sympathetically yet critically
with the ancient texts, she ultimately fashions her own Stoicism
for today: based not on detachment but on resilience and
adaptability, not on emotional hardness but on empathetic
attunement to the needs of others, not on a retreat from politics
but on a commitment to change what we cannot accept.
*Martha C. Nussbaum, University of Chicago *
Stoicism is more than two millennia old, and yet Stoicism has
become
*as Nancy Sherman writesthe Zen of the West. I can hardly think of
a more clear and useful guide to ancient and modern Stoicism than
Stoic Wisdom.Massimo Pigliucci, author of A Field Guide to a Happy
Life *
Stoic Wisdom is a fresh and insightful take on this ancient
philosophy. Sherman provides ways of updating Stoicism,
philosophically and psychologically, so that it can be of practical
benefit to modern readers in their daily lives. Its discussion of
moral injury and emotional resilience will be of particular value
to those in the armed forces. The lessons in this book contains are
relevant to everyone
*and increasingly needed for the welfare both of the individual and
our society.Donald Robertson, author of How to Think Like a Roman
Emperor *
Seneca and Epictetus would greatly appreciate Nancy Sherman's
subtle and elegant elucidation of Stoicism. Modern Stoic
popularizers embrace a philosophy of individual self-mastery and
toughness. Yet Sherman shows that they fail to grasp true Stoic
wisdom. She persuasively argues that Stoicism encourages action in
pursuit of a virtuous life aimed at overcoming both individual and
shared challenges to realize our collective well-being."
*Ezekiel J. Emanuel, Vice Provost of Global Initiatives and Levy
University Professor, University of Pennsylvania*
An accessible, powerful and thoughtful exploration of Stoicism as
guidance for life. Nancy Sherman probes the possible weaknesses as
well as strengths of the Stoic approach and in doing so brings out
its genuine value for us now. A special merit is that she
underlines the Stoic emphasis on social engagement as well as
self-reliance and resilience.
*Christopher Gill, University of Exeter *
In a season of pandemics, mass death, and worldwide economic
dysfunction, it is well worth listening, once again or for the
first time, to the views of the ancient Greek and Roman Stoics.
Sherman's book is an historically faithful guide to the ancient
thinkers, which shows on every page how their thought finds
application in our contemporary predicaments. Filled with lively
anecdotes, case-studies, and personal observations, this book is
unmatched in its combination of scholarly accuracy and urgent
relevance.
*Tad Brennan, Cornell University *
This is a wonderful book. With deft intelligence, Nancy Sherman
displays the part that Stoicism could play for all of us today in
these high-pressure times. Her case studies are drawn from the real
world of today and illuminated by snippets of ancient Stoic texts.
People in high-risk jobs loom large, because they show clearly what
can be done
*how we too can break free of what, in good Stoic fashion, she
calls our 'enslavement.' Sherman passionately urges that Stoicism
could help all of us, whatever form of emotional turmoil is
impeding us, to gain control of our lives.Robin Waterfield,
translator of Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus *
Stoicism is directly relevant to the way we live our lives, but it
appears at first to make unrealistic demands on us
*and it appears to require us to extinguish our emotions. Nancy
Sherman introduces us, with grace and liveliness, to the deep,
striking and complex ideas behind the seemingly harsh demands.
Appealing to today's events as well as the ancient world, and on
our full range of sources as well as the ones familiar from
self-help guides, she presents Stoicism in the round. She shows us
how we are called on to enlarge our lives as Stoics in our everyday
mundane dealings as well as in extreme and testing
situationsbecause Stoicism strengthens our social and political
energies as well as our resilience and grit. Sherman makes Stoicism
appealing without oversimplifying it, and calls attention to its
relevance to us while keeping us aware of our distance from the
world in which it developed. This is much the best introduction to
Stoicism.Julia Annas, University of Arizona *
Nancy Sherman has written a practical, readable guide for everyday
living. In this age of political polarization, impulsive tweeting,
and the threat of COVID-19, Stoic Wisdom is a refreshing reminder
that reasonable behavior is still a possibility.
*Barbara Mujica, Washington Independent Review of Books*
Nancy Sherman's Stoic Wisdom is a timely and well-written book, one
that aims to provide an overview of Stoicism geared toward an
audience that is living through the sort of times Stoicism would
seem to fit well: a pandemic, unrest over racism, climate change,
and the events of January 6. ... There is a great deal to admire in
this book. ... Sherman's extensive background in military ethics
and related philosophical issues, along with her knowledge of
psychoanalysis, enriches the text, as does her engagement with
contemporary politics.
*Daniel J. Kapust, Cambridge University Press Book Reviews*
The book serves as an introduction to Stoicism that stands apart
from others in that its goal is not just to teach the basics of
Stoicism
*the book also aims to provide 'a field guide for a credible Stoic
practical philosophy' by mapping out patterns of 'exaggeration and
distortion' brought about by the popularization of Stoicism...
Throughout Stoic Wisdom, Sherman calls out the many problems of our
modem world, from the still-raging pandemic to systemic racism. As
Sherman rightly points out, a healthy modem Stoicism is only
possible 'when empathy and mercy course through the veins of
reason.'Gregory Lopez, Philosopher's Magazine*
[T]he work is accessible, not dumbed-down, treating Stoicism as a
way to 'endure and cultivate inner virtue.'
*Harvard Magazine*
The book is an excellent example of how the classical world
continues to have relevance to issues we face in our own time.
*Clive Letchford, Journal of Classics Teaching*
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