Is There Really a Problem With the Stoics?

Lipsius: The image of the stoics as proponents of some kind of violent feint that constricts us is simply mistaken. But 20 years later, when lipsius writes his handbooks of stoic philosophy, he tackles this question of fate again. He says if we read the ancient sources carefully, we'll see that in there isn't really a problem at all. We can simply say that fate is just another word for god's providence, for god's will. So with a kind of augustine on his side as his unimpeachable authority, lipsius can argue that the stoics are just fine as they are.