Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy
Oct 23, 2025
Commander William C. Spears, a U.S. Navy submarine warfare officer and author, shares his journey into Stoicism. He highlights how Stoicism equips military personnel with resilience and ethical decision-making. Exploring the synergy of warfare and virtue, he argues against absolute pacifism while advocating for a Stoic approach to modern challenges like drone warfare. Spears emphasizes that his upcoming book is both scholarly and accessible, aiming to enrich the Stoic dialogue for military and civilian audiences alike.
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Stockdale As Gateway To Stoicism
- William Spears discovered Stoicism through Admiral James Stockdale while at the Naval Academy and felt it fit his natural thinking.
- That discovery led him into a submarine career and deeper study of Stoic writers.
Stockdale's POW Leadership
- Spears recounts James Stockdale's leadership as the senior American POW in North Vietnam and his use of Stoic practice to preserve moral autonomy.
- Stockdale's suicide attempt and resistance are credited with stopping torture and saving lives.
Offer Stoicism As A Voluntary Resource
- Introduce Stoic practices as preventive resilience tools rather than forced military programs.
- Make literature available and allow bottom-up study groups instead of top-down mandates.
