About the Traditional Stoicism website
While this website and blog are the creation of Chris Fisher, the inspiration and encouragement came from a group of like-minded traditional Stoics from The Society of Epictetus. Traditional Stoics are not as numerous as modern Stoics on social media sites. As a result, our voice is often lost amidst numerous atheists and agnostics who place the divine and providential cosmos of Stoicism somewhere on the spectrum between “unnecessary” and “unreasonable.” Traditional Stoics consider the physics and theology of Stoicism an essential part of this philosophical way of life. Why? Because the ancient Stoics said it was essential and we have found that to be true in our individual practice. We believe this deeply spiritual, philosophical way of life is a legitimate option for many moderns seeking a rational form of spirituality that is not tied to organized religion. This website and the Traditional Stoicism Facebook group will provide resources to support traditional Stoics in their practice, and allow interested individuals to explore the traditional form of Stoicism for themselves. While many may find one of the recently formulated modern versions of Stoicism more to their liking, traditional Stoics attempt to follow, as much as possible, the same path toward excellence and happiness trod by Roman Senator, Seneca; freed slave turned philosopher, Epictetus; and Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius.
About Chris Fisher
Chris was exposed to the military version of “stoicism” while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. The mental resilience fostered by those mental practices served Chris well while he served in the Marine Corps Presidential Helicopter Squadron and during the nearly twenty years in large-scale computing as a hardware and software engineer. However, when Chris returned to public service as a law enforcement officer, he was not fully prepared for the often brutal realities of human behavior in the tough neighborhoods he worked. Chris began reading extensively in the areas of psychology, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology to understand the frequently violent behavior he witnessed on the streets. Eventually, he turned to Stoicism to deal with the effects of working in this chaotic environment.
Early in 2011, Chris began to study Stoicism seriously. He discovered The College of Stoic Philosophers later that year and enrolled in the Stoic Essential Studies course. Chris continued his studies at the college by completing the one-year-long Marcus Aurelius School. Within Stoicism, Chris discovered a philosophical way of life which provided meaning and convinced him to abandon the atheism he adhered to for more than twenty years. He stated this blog in 2015 to provide material for those who are interested in Traditional Stoic theory and practice. In 2018, he started the Stoicism on Fire podcast. Chris now serves as as the second Scholarch of the The College of Stoic Philosophers.
A Special Thank You
For those who enjoy this blog, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Mark Garvey. Mark is a practicing Stoic and a professional editor. While I love to write, I am admittedly terrible at editing my own work. Mark volunteered to edit many of my blog posts and the result has always been an improvement for those who read it. If you find any grammatical errors in a post, he probably did not edit that one.
Mark has his own writing and editing business, and I strongly encourage anyone in need of those services to contact him. He is a great guy, a practicing Stoic, and an exceptional editor.
