Date of Award
Winter 2020
Thesis Type
Open Access
Degree Name
Master of Liberal Studies
Advisor(s)
Scott Rubarth
Second Advisor
Tom Cook
Abstract
The ancient philosophical school of Stoicism has experienced a revival in the past decades. Psychologists created the field of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, inspired by Stoic techniques; self-help authors picked and chose from the Stoic canon to provide strategies for personal effectiveness; and academics attempted to reformulate Stoic theory on purely rational grounds. Yet, can Stoicism be the answer to our modern predicament of anxiousness and confusion? Can it help us live happy lives today, that is to say, satisfying lives that makes sense, and are full of purpose and meaning? In this thesis, I argue that today one still needs to make Stoicism a ‘way of life’ in order to achieve the good life. To be effective, the modernized version of Stoicism must provide a complete and cohesive system grounded on a worldview and a set of values, reinterpreted for our age. It must also command an active engagement in society and a focus on practice.
Recommended Citation
Trapp, Oliver, "The Stoic Trinity" (2020). Master of Liberal Studies Theses. 108.
https://scholarship.rollins.edu/mls/108
Rights Holder
Oliver Trapp