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Stoicism cannot become obsolete, because it is the very “philosophy of a healthy person”, which is the core, the basis of any correct, reasonable and honest life that brings joy without anguish, peace in the soul without mystical intoxication, an honest and sincere worldview in front of oneself without self-deception.
I join previous advisors in recognizing the need to read Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus (I would recommend this order). Then there is the academic two-volume “Fragments of the Early Stoics”, but selectively, because there is a very extensive and detailed reference apparatus. And we must not forget that Montesquieu, Rousseau, and partly Locke and Lessing were not stoics. They are very useful for “bridging the bridge” from ancient to modern times. And it is quite interesting to listen and read a very active modern preacher of the latest stoicismKirill Martynov.
Stoicism is by no means obsolete, on the contrary, it is probably one of the most popular areas of ancient philosophy today. For example, in the post-apocalyptic science fiction series “Falling Skies” (completed in August 2015), one of the favorite authors of the main character, Tom Mason, is the stoic philosopher Epictetus.
This suggests that interest in stoicism is present not only in philosophical circles, but also in popular culture. A lot of literature about the Stoics is now being published in English, and precisely in the context of the application of stoic ideas in the modern world. One example of recent work of this kind is the book “Stoicism Today”, released in 2014: amazon.com
In Russian, it is probably best to take primary sources: the same Epictetus or Marcus Aurelius.
The best proof that stoicism cannot become obsolete is the example of James Bond Stockdale, a vice admiral in the US Navy. In 1959, Stockdale, a thirty-eight-year-old pilot who had served for two decades, began studying international relations at Stanford in preparation for a career as a strategic planner at the Pentagon. At the university, thanks to Professor Philip Rhinelander, he became interested in the philosophy of Epictetus, and his works became his reference books.
Three years after he completed his training, in 1964, Stockdale went to serve in Vietnam. On September 9, 1965, his plane was shot down over a village in North Vietnam. Stockdale spent seven and a half years in captivity in Vietnam, four of them in solitary confinement. His conscious adherence to Epictetus ' philosophy helped him survive the daily tortures. You can read more about this in his lecture “Courage under fire: testing Epictetus's doctrines in a laboratory of human behavior” or in his memoir “Thoughts of a philosophical fighter pilot”.
“Moral letters to Lucilius” by the famous Stoic philosopher Seneca in difficult days inspire me to enjoy life, fill me with faith in myself. Modern means of social communication have fallen on a society that is not prepared for their eco-friendly use. They threaten to destroy, crush the individual. This happens every day. Stoicism is a great antidote. After all, it teaches you to find grace here and now, to live in grace. Seneca is read quite modern, and sometimes very relevant. Sometimes you want to write a reply letter to a Stoic philosopher 🙂
To begin with, I recommend Pierre Ado's books “What is Ancient Philosophy” and “Spiritual Exercises and Ancient Philosophy”. Primary Sources of the Roman Stoics-Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca. Max Polenz ” Standing up. History of the spiritual movement”, Stolyarov A. A. “Stoya i stoizm”, Stepanova A. S.”Filosofiya Drevnoi Stoi”