Thinking Fast and Slow & Stoicism in Modern Times

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This chapter explores the concept of fast and slow thinking as popularized by Kahneman, as well as the history and applicability of stoicism in modern times. It discusses the origins of stoicism with Zeno of Cidium and the influence of Roman Stoics. The chapter also delves into the adaptation of stoicism to the present and the debate between traditional Stoics and those who adapt the philosophy to make it more useful in today's world.

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Why is Stoicism important and useful today? What are the main ideas of Stoicism? How can you tell if you're "living well"? And if you're not living well, then how can you move yourself in that direction? How can we learn to accept and embrace life as it comes without losing our desire to improve ourselves and the world around us? Do people vary in the degree to which Stoic practices might be beneficial for them? What's the relationship between Stoicism and CBT? What do Stoics have to say about the value or disvalue of emotions? Has Stoicism changed much since its inception? What does it mean to be a "reasonable" person? What are some clear signs that a person is a thinker or a feeler? How might we modify social media and/or ourselves so that our cognitive biases can't as easily be weaponized for political or economic ends? It's easy to see cognitive biases in others; but how can we learn to see them in ourselves?

William B. Irvine is emeritus professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, USA. He is the author of eight books that have been translated into more than twenty languages. His A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy played a key role in the Stoic renaissance that has taken place in recent years. His subsequent Stoic Challenge: A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient provides a strategy for dealing, in proper Stoic manner, with the setbacks we experience in daily living. He is currently at work on a book about thinking critically, but with an open mind, in the age of the internet.

Further reading:

The Enchiridion, by Epictetus
Thinking Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman
- Spencer's note: The chapter on social priming should be discounted because it is about research by other people that has not replicated.

Staff