Stoicism consists of three strands – physics, logic, and ethics. Yet it is Stoic ethics that is at the core of Stoicism. Many practitioners of Stoicism today don’t even have passing familiarity with Stoic physics or logic. We can get an idea of the importance of Stoic ethics by reading the works of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, or Epictetus. Yet we don’t have many books addressed to a lay practitioner that deal systematically with Stoic ethics

So, Stoic Ethics: The Basics by Christopher Gill and Brittany Polat is a welcome addition to the modern Stoic library. It is a short, concisely structured book – just 161 pages, including introduction, glossary, references, and index.

What does Stoic Ethics cover?

This new book aims to answer seven basic questions:

1. Does happiness depend only on virtue?
2. How does virtue relate to other values?
3. Is Stoic ethics grounded in nature?
4. How do we learn to be good?
5. How do we learn to make good decisions?
6. How do we learn to have good emotions?
7. How should we relate to other people in society?

In addition, the authors also discuss the contribution of Stoicism to life guidance, modern virtue ethics, and modern environmental ethics.

How is this book structured?

In every chapter, both authors address one of the seven questions above.  Chris Gill opens by answering each question from a Stoic perspective, in layperson’s terms, supported by referenced sources.  Brittany Polat then wraps up each chapter by explaining how the concepts Chris Gill has introduced can be applied to modern life. Chris Gill’s writing is, as always, both scholarly and lucid. Brittany Polat’s writing is clear and relatable.

Who is this book for?

The book is intended for two different audiences: undergraduate students in philosophy and those who are interested in Stoicism as a basis for living (as for example, readers of THE STOIC.)

The book is right on target for the first audience: It covers the ground logically, clearly, and concisely. It provides references to all relevant sources so the interested student may explore the topic further.

A wish for more

I am a huge fan of brevity. Yet, there were times when I wished the book was a bit longer. Let’s consider a specific issue brought up in this book (page 110): 

When you are about to sell something, if what you are selling has defects, should you disclose it to the buyer?

Diogenes of Babylonia, the fifth head of Stoicism, claimed that the seller was not obligated to disclose them, unless compelled by law. For Diogenes, the sin of omission was not unjust or unethical. His student Antipater (who became the sixth head of Stoicism) disagreed on the basis that we should treat all humankind as our own community. In Stoic Ethics: The Basics the exploration stops here. I turned to the Modern Applications section for greater guidance, but it wasn’t explored there any further either. The issue is more or less left unresolved from a practitioner’s point of view.

Who would disagree in the abstract that we should be just? Where a practitioner needs guidance and clarity is when ethical decisions are not to their ‘advantage’. Suppose I am selling a house that has a defect that only I am aware of. Is it ethical on my part not to disclose it to the buyer, because it is to my advantage not to? What if the defect will make the house collapse in six months and the buyer is a close friend who trusts me and has sunk her life’s savings into this? What if it is likely that someone will be physically hurt as a result of the undisclosed defect? What is my ethical responsibility to the community? To strangers? When do I stop caring about the consequences of my actions? These are not just theoretical issues. We face such dilemmas all the time and it is for these issues we would like to turn to Stoic ethics for guidance. If Diogenes was right in claiming that you could transfer the risk to an unsuspecting buyer, we’d like to know why and how it is grounded in Stoic ethics, especially Stoic justice.

I don’t expect a short book like this to resolve all ethical issues but it does leave me wanting more.

Conclusion

From a student perspective, Stoic Ethics is an excellent book, concise and cohesive. It’s a great read for practitioners as well, although they, like me, may want to hash out some of the applications as well. This does not diminish the value of the book in any way. It just calls for another book focused on practitioners covering Stoic ethics in greater detail, with more complete discussions on implications. I cannot think of two better authors to do it than Chris Gill and Brittany Polat.

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