Maybe You’re Learning the Wrong Lessons From Their Lives?
When I started looking into the Stoic philosophy — both modern and ancient — I subjected it to the same test I give any philosophy. Namely, if it seems that it’s mainly designed to help out cis white men (a group of which I am a member), I get pretty skeptical.
I’m afraid that the modern Stoic movement fails this subcategory of the Bechdel test pretty spectacularly, especially when it comes to the way the men of the modern Stoic movement write about women.
Note: you can read from the women themselves in several places, such as Pamela Daw or this the three-part symposium published by Modern Stoicism which I found…um…interesting, in light of what I’ve learned about feminist theory from other women.
But I’m not here to critique the women Stoics — I’m here in the spirit of calling out other men — other cis-white-heteronormative-presenting men, in fact.
I am also reassured by the fact that by using that hyphenated term a good number of people (I would wager who also fit that description) have snorted and closed their browsers, leaving just us friendly, intersectionally-aware folks here to talk about this.
Wait. Dammit. Now I’ve created a choir…ah, well, too late. On with the sermon.
