Philosophical Dictionary

Silicon Valley turned Stoicism into a productivity hack. But the philosophy's founder wanted to abolish private property — and its most famous figures were expelled and killed for being political threats. Here's what billionaires quote, what they skip, and why that gap is not accidental.

Stoicism teaches focusing on what you control (thoughts, actions, character) while accepting what you cannot. Early Greek Stoics explored metaphysics and logos. Roman Stoics like Marcus Aurelius made it practical ethics. Modern pop-stoicism distorts the real philosophy.

Discover how Stoic philosophers like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus used death as life's greatest teacher. Learn practical ancient wisdom for overcoming anxiety, handling grief, and living with purpose in our modern world.

Discover how Diogenes of Sinope's radical Cynicism laid the groundwork for Stoic philosophy. This analysis compares ancient texts to reveal how concepts of self-sufficiency, emotional detachment, and cosmopolitanism evolved from provocative Cynic practices into the systematic philosophical framework of Stoicism.

Explore Mark Fisher's critique of capitalism, focusing on his concept of capitalist realism—the idea that it's easier to imagine global catastrophe than an alternative to capitalism. Tied to Slavoj Žižek's notion of surplus-enjoyment, Fisher argues that capitalism traps us in cycles of unfulfilling desire. While this may seem bleak, I offer ways to navigate capitalism's demands without falling into exploitation, emphasizing the importance of a personal philosophy of life for resisting distractions and finding meaning. For more, subscribe to our Memesletter for digestible philosophical insights.

Diogenes of Sinope lived in a storage jar, carried a lamp at noon and told the young Alexander the Great to stand out of his light. The memes are funny, and most of the stories survive only in a compilation written five centuries later. What did the Cynic actually stand for, and why did Alexander envy him?