A Year of Stoic Reading

Making progress, one book at a time

Dec 15, 2023

Dear Readers—thank you for joining me for the inaugural year of Stoicism for Humans. It’s been wonderful having you here as I explore Stoicism from a humanist perspective. I will be taking a short break over the holidays, so this is my last post for 2023. See you again in 2024!

If you’re new to Stoicism—or even if you’re not—it can be daunting to figure out how to educate yourself to grow in your Stoic practice. There are many, many books out there on Stoicism, but not all of them are good, and some are inaccurate, inauthentic, or misleading. How do you know what to read next?

I’ve put together a recommended reading list to take you from your first book on Stoicism through some of the most advanced. If you’re extremely committed, you could read all these in a year, or you could choose the ones that appeal to you most. Alternatively, you could spread the list over two years to take things at a slower pace.

Regardless of how fast you go or how much you read, the most important thing is that you incorporate what you learn into your life. Epictetus used to make fun of students who thought they were really smart just because they could read advanced Stoic works by Chrysippus:

Who is making progress, then? Someone who has read many treatises by Chrysippus? For if that is the case, virtue assuredly consists in nothing else than in having gained a knowledge of Chrysippus…
“That person,” someone says, “is already able to read Chrysippus on his own.”
By the gods, man, you’re making excellent progress, what wonderful progress!”
Discourses, 1.4

So what constitutes true progress, according to Epictetus?

concentrating on your own power of choice, bringing it into harmony with nature
understanding that if you long for things that are outside your power, or seek to avoid them, you will be tossed in all directions along with those things
holding in mind what you’ve learned and keeping true to it
putting your guiding principles into action in relation to anything you have to deal with

Reading is essential for understanding Stoic principles, but reading alone will not improve your life. So I encourage you, as you make your way through the reading list, to continuously monitor your progress in applying these ideas to your life. Many of the authors included below recommend various exercises to help you on your way. You might also like to join a Stoic group, like the Stoic Fellowship’s new online network, to discuss Stoicism with others.

You’ll notice that each month has at least one modern reading and one ancient reading. That’s because I think both are extremely important in any Stoic education. The ancient works are foundational, and the modern works help contextualize ancient ideas and adapt them for the 21st century. I believe they should be read side by side.

Just a few notes on my choices here. This is not a “best of” list, but a curriculum designed to move readers from introductory to more advanced concepts. There is no way I can include every good book on Stoicism. My focus was on works that offer a good, well-rounded education. For that reason, you will find very few books on single topics or single Stoic figures. I did indulge in one biographical work for each of the big three Roman Stoics (Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius), and I did include a few single-topic works on select themes (spiritual exercises, emotions). But there are no specialized academic studies here. For the most part, these books provide a general overview of Stoicism.

You will also see a few books that are not specifically on Stoicism, but rather on ancient philosophy in general (especially the books by Pierre Hadot and Julia Annas). I included them because I think it’s good for readers to know the broader context of ancient philosophy. You will understand Stoicism much better if you understand and appreciate Greek and Roman philosophy in general. And there is much wisdom to be found in these other philosophies as well.

Also, I did not include books that were designed as workbooks (such as my book Journal Like a Stoic or A Handbook for New Stoics by Massimo Pigliucci and Greg Lopez). These books would be a great accompaniment to your year of reading.

And finally, I’m not claiming this list is in any way objective or universal. It reflects my own reading and preferences. My purpose is just to provide some suggestions for those educating themselves on Stoic philosophy.

With all the caveats out of the way, here is a year of Stoic reading. I wish you good reading and good progress in the new year.

Super helpful! I'm gonna look into every one of those books. Also, while obviously not a good academic source, I can't help but be entertained by the "Stoic bros" online teaching about going to the gym and finding a hot girlfriend. Any thoughts of "broicism"?

Merry Christmas (and Saturnalia), and thank you so much for sharing!!

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AJ Bhardwaj

Jan 8, 2024

Super helpful list.

Question - how are you dealing with books that aren’t really meant to be digested in one continuous sitting. For eg, I am reading discourses now and it has taken my 2 months to full digest the handbook up to No. 29.

What’s the game plan around reading books like meditations or senecas letters that are less books and more something to be contemplated upon.

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Stoicism for Humans

A Year of Stoic Reading

Making progress, one book at a time

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