Issue #23 June 2019

Stand Up, Don’t Be a Stoic!

In response to Carl O’Brien’s “Stoic Practical Philosophy: A Guide for Life?” from the April 2019 issue of Epoché.


Self-Regulation, Life Choices and their Embeddedness in Societal Contexts

Two Stoic Philosophical Premises (and their Political Implications)

Contemporary Stoicism in Capitalist Societies: Mindfulness and other cultural tranquilizers

The Scope of Action: Political Protest, Individual Agency, and the “Good Life”

Critical Thinking and Emancipation: Emotional Reaction and Autonomous Action

Dannica Fleuss is a postdoc and lecturer in political theory and political science at Helmut Schmidt University (Hamburg). She’s also an associate at Canberra’s Centre for Deliberative Democracy & Global Governance (@DelDemUCan). MA philosophy, PhD political science from Heidelberg University.

Works Cited

Bohman, J. (2013). “Critical Theory”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2016 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), Link.

Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of personality and social psychology84(4), 822–848.

Carrette, J., & King, R. (2004). Selling spirituality: The silent takeover of religion. Routledge.

Chambers, R., Gullone, E., & Allen, N. B. (2009). Mindful emotion regulation: An integrative review. Clinical psychology review29(6), 560–572.

Curato, N. (2019.) Democracy in a Time of Misery: From Spectacular Tragedy to Deliberative Action.Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Dryzek, J. S., & Pickering, J. (2018). The politics of the Anthropocene. Oxford University Press.

Forbes, D. (2019): How capitalism captured the mindfulness industry. (Guardian, April 16, 2019; https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/apr/16/how-capitalism-captured-the-mindfulness-industry).

Graver, Margaret (2017): “Epictetus”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), Link.(Accentuations: D.F.).

Horkheimer, M. (1972). Traditional and critical theory. Critical theory: Selected essays1, 188–243.

Jimenez, S. S., Niles, B. L., & Park, C. L. (2010). A mindfulness model of affect regulation and depressive symptoms: Positive emotions, mood regulation expectancies, and self-acceptance as regulatory mechanisms. Personality and individual differences49(6), 645–650.

Kant, I. (1929). Kant: Selections. (Ed. Beck, L. W. ). Charles Scribner’s Sons.

Loy, D. (2013): Beyond McMindfulness. (Huffington Post, July 1, 2013; https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beyond-mcmindfulness_b_3519289)

Mouffe, C. (2000). The Democratic Paradox. London/New York: Verso.

O’Brien, C. (2019). Stoic Practical Philosophy: A Guide for Good Life?, Epoché Magazine, 22 (April 2019).

Penny, L. (2016). Life-hacks of the poor and aimless: On negotiating the false idols of neoliberal self-care. The Baffler8.

Perez, S. (2018): “Self-care apps are booming” (Link)

Pettit, P. (2001). A Theory of Freedom: from the Psychology to the Politics of Agency. Oxford University Press.

Rostbøll, C. F. (2011). Freedom of expression, deliberation, autonomy and respect. European Journal of Political Theory10(1), 5–21; p. 7.

Wettergren, A. (2005): Mobilization and the moral shock. In Emotions and Social Movements. (Ed. by Helena Flam and Debra King). Routledge.

Young, I. M. (2002). Inclusion and Democracy. Oxford University Press.

11

This article responds to Carl O’Brien (2019): Stoic Practical Philosophy: A Guide for Good Life? In Epoche 22 (April 2019).

33

Graver, Margaret (2017): “Epictetus”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), Link. (Emphasis added).

44

Graver (2017).

55

Graver (2017).

66

Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of personality and social psychology84(4), 822–848.

This article does not refer to or offer a criticism of Buddhist traditions of mindfulness, but picks up on contemporary Western discourses that employ (and to a certain degree: decontextualize) this concept.

77

Interestingly, the definition of “autonomy” referred to in this psychology article stems from critical social theorist Iris Marion Young.

88

Chambers, R., Gullone, E., & Allen, N. B. (2009). Mindful emotion regulation: An integrative review. Clinical psychology review29(6), 560–572.

99

Graver (2017).

1010

E.g., Jimenez, S. S., Niles, B. L., & Park, C. L. (2010). A mindfulness model of affect regulation and depressive symptoms: Positive emotions, mood regulation expectancies, and self-acceptance as regulatory mechanisms. Personality and individual differences49(6), 645–650.

1313

Forbes, D. (2019): How capitalism captured the mindfulness industry. (Guardian, April 16, 2019; https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/apr/16/how-capitalism-captured-the-mindfulness-industry).

1414

Loy, D. (2013): Beyond McMindfulness. (Huffington Post, July 1, 2013; https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beyond-mcmindfulness_b_3519289)

1515

Carrette, J., & King, R. (2004). Selling spirituality: The silent takeover of religion. Routledge.

1616

Penny, L. (2016). Life-hacks of the poor and aimless: On negotiating the false idols of neoliberal self-care. The Baffler8.

1717

Perez, S. (2018): “Self-care apps are booming” (Link)

1818

Extinction Rebellion (2019).

1919

See for one proposal for such alternative institutions vis-à-vis some of the phenomena also addressed by Extinction Rebellion: Dryzek, J. S., & Pickering, J. (2018). The politics of the Anthropocene. Oxford University Press.

2020

Wettergren, A. (2005): Mobilization and the moral shock. In Emotions and Social Movements. (Ed. by Helena Flam and Debra King). Routledge, p. 111.

2121

Horkheimer, M. (1972). Traditional and critical theory. Critical theory: Selected essays1, 188–243; see Bohman, J. (2013). “Critical Theory”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2016 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), Link.

2222

Kant, I. (1929). Kant: Selections. (Ed. Beck, L. W. ). Charles Scribner’s Sons.

2323

Rostbøll, C. F. (2011). Freedom of expression, deliberation, autonomy and respect. European Journal of Political Theory10(1), 5–21; p. 7.

2424

See Graver (2017).

2525

E.g., Young, I. M. (2002). Inclusion and Democracy. Oxford University; Pettit, P. (2001). A Theory of Freedom: from the Psychology to the Politics of Agency. Oxford University Press; Mouffe, C. (2000). The Democratic Paradox. London/New York: Verso.

2626

Curato, N. (2019.) Democracy in a Time of Misery: From Spectacular Tragedy to Deliberative Action.Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Emphasis added)

2727

Chambers et al. (2009).

2828

Penny (2016).

#23

June 2019

Introduction

Stand Up, Don’t Be a Stoic!

by Dannica Fleuss

A Short Meditation on Grief

by Timofei Gerber

What is Modern Philosophy?

by Frank Breslin

Reverberating Mazes: Exploring Consciousness with Michel Serres

by John C. Brady