Seeking simplicity

I’m pretty sure I was born with a tendency to simplify things: to focus on what matters, ignore what doesn’t, and look for a few deep truths rather than get lost in endless details.

However, we are often impressed by complexity in ways we aren’t by simplicity. I’m sometimes accused of oversimplifying or even being inaccurate at times. That may be true, but I am guided by two principles:

•  Accept the simplest explanation. (Occam’s razor)
• Sometimes a little inaccuracy saves a lot of explanation. (Saki’s observation)

These principles help me communicate ideas clearly while being “accurate enough.” As a Stoic writer, my goal is to share essential Stoic ideas as directly and clearly as possible. I leave detailed explanations and perfect accuracy to academics and Stoic scholars.

Take Stoic justice, for example. It includes many “sub-virtues” such as fairness, integrity, empathy, active benevolence, social responsibility, and universal brotherhood. Understanding these takes time and effort. And even if someone puts in the effort, they’re unlikely to remember them and therefore not practice them. Philosophical principles serve no practical purpose if we don’t remember them when we need them.

A simple definition of Stoic justice

So I looked for a definition that’s easy to remember and accurate enough. I found one in Stoic Ethics by Chris Gill and Brittany Polat: Justice is defined as “the proper treatment of other people and property” and “an active engagement in human association.”

That boils Stoic justice down to two key ideas:

1. Treat others and their property fairly.
2. Be actively involved with others.

This simple definition does three things: It clearly explains what Stoic justice means, it’s easy to remember, and it gives us two practical ways to judge whether an action is just from a Stoic point of view.

But you can go deeper

That doesn’t mean you should stop at the simple version—especially if you want to explore further.
Greg Sadler recommends sources that will deepen our understanding of Stoic justice.

Other writers explore different aspects:

• Shirley Kwosek Sciacca says Stoic justice is a lifelong practice.
• Andi Sciacca reminds us that justice isn’t abstract—it becomes real when we live it.
• Brandon Tumblin argues that justice can’t be practiced selectively. You should be just whether people are watching or not.
• Glenn Citerony suggests we should reflect on our reactions, choose restraint over retaliation, and decide whether to carry an injury as a scar or a lesson.
• Karen Duffy reinforces our simple definition: act fairly and treat others with respect and dignity. We’re all connected, and we should aim for the common good of all people.

Finally, Seneca explains why we should treat everyone fairly—even when we have complete power over them. We share a plain English version of Letter 47 of Seneca’s Moral Letters, translated and published by Philippe Belanger, MD, who we welcome as our new regular contributor.

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