Adel Elsherif's Articles
Stoicism Without Belief: A Manifesto for Rationalist Practitioners
Stoicism Without Belief: A Manifesto for Rationalist Practitioners by Adel Elsherif
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| Stoicism Without Belief: |
You don’t need to accept divine reason to live rationally. You don’t need to believe the universe is benevolent to cultivate virtue. Stoicism, stripped of metaphysical comfort, remains a powerful framework for resilience, clarity, and ethical action.
This is Stoicism for the rationalist: not a faith, but a discipline. Not a worldview, but a way of life.
A Personal Path to Stoicism
My journey with Stoicism began over a decade ago—not through a bestselling author or polished podcast, but with a free PDF written by a college student whose name I’ve long forgotten. That humble little book, focused on peace and happiness through Stoic thinking, shifted how I see the world. I’ve been walking this path ever since.
Along the way, I noticed something curious. Many well-educated people—academics, philosophers, public intellectuals—try to bend Stoicism to fit their own worldview. Some ignore science entirely, blending Stoic ethics with creationism, the watchmaker theory, or even rejecting evolution outright. The issue isn’t personal belief—it’s presenting belief as Stoic truth.
I’m surprised that some modern followers of Stoicism feel compelled to cling to pantheism simply because the ancient Stoics did. I don’t adopt beliefs out of historical loyalty. I don’t revere Nature just because Zeno did, or invoke the logos because Cleanthes found solace in it. Philosophy isn’t a museum—it’s a living practice. If a belief doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, I let it go.
Stoicism survives without metaphysics because its core insights—virtue, resilience, and reason—don’t rely on the divine.
Stoicism and the Divine: A Clear Distinction
The ancient Stoic conception of the divine was a rational, material force—the logos—that permeates the universe and governs it through natural law. This principle doesn’t intervene, perform miracles, or offer salvation.
This is radically different from the Abrahamic God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: a transcendent, personal deity who exists outside the universe, listens to prayers, performs miracles, and delivers moral commandments. That God judges human behavior and promises an afterlife where souls are rewarded or punished based on faith and obedience.
Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius spoke of harmony, order, and reason—but not in the language of divine judgment or supernatural design. They didn’t deny science or twist Stoicism into a religious shield. Their philosophy was about living ethically in a rational universe—not defending dogma or pushing agendas.
Real philosophy demands honesty—with ancient texts, and with the realities we face today. It means engaging with science, not bending Stoicism to match our preferences.
The Skeptic's Compass: Reclaiming Stoicism's Roots
The Modern Necessity: Reframing Ancient Wisdom
The ancient Stoics—materialists and pantheists—built a philosophy whose core principles transcend their metaphysical framework. For the modern secular reader, engaging with this wisdom requires reframing. This isn’t about rewriting history or pretending the Stoics were atheists. It’s about consciously translating ancient ideas into a contemporary worldview—stripping away metaphysical language while preserving actionable insight.
At its heart, Stoicism is about virtue, self-control, and resilience. These values don’t depend on belief in a divine logos. They survive—and thrive—without gods.
Translating Stoic Concepts for the Secular Mind
- God / Logos
The Stoic “God” was a rational force organizing the cosmos. Today, we reinterpret this as the universe, natural laws, and reason. The universe is indifferent, governed by cause and effect. The logos becomes our uniquely human capacity for reason—our tool for understanding and navigating reality.
- Providence
Ancient Stoics believed in a benevolent cosmic plan. We replace this with scientific determinism—the idea that events unfold through necessity, not moral design. Things aren’t “for the best,” but they are inevitable. Wisdom lies in accepting reality, not resisting it.
- Living According to Nature
For the Stoics, this meant aligning with the rational order of the cosmos. For us, it means living according to reason and human nature—using logic and social intelligence to guide our lives, rather than being ruled by impulse or instinct.
- Virtue
Once seen as a divine gift, virtue today is a rational and social imperative. It remains the most coherent and fulfilling way to live—entirely within our control, shaped by our choices and effort. I don’t reject Stoic virtue; I reject the misconceptions that distort it. Virtue isn’t rigid or outdated—it’s adaptable, relevant across ages, and rooted in reason and human nature. It’s not about moral perfection or divine approval—it’s about living with integrity, clarity, and purpose in a complex world.
The Tools of Modern Stoic Wisdom
Ancient Stoic “physics” encompassed everything from matter to metaphysics. In a secular context, we replace this with a scientific worldview—one that offers clarity, coherence, and practical guidance.
1. The Scientific Mindset as Modern Physics
- Core Idea: Ancient wisdom began with understanding the cosmos. Modern Stoicism begins with embracing science.
- How It Works: Instead of a divine logos, we have elegant, predictable laws. Instead of a conscious universe, we recognize a system governed by forces and patterns.
- Practical Application: Use science to separate reality from superstition. Ground your ethics in evidence, not dogma. This clarity strengthens resilience and decision-making.
2. Critical Thinking and Epistemic Humility as Modern Logic
- Core Idea: Stoics valued logic as the foundation of wisdom. Today, that means critical thinking and intellectual honesty.
- How It Works: Modern logic involves spotting biases, fallacies, and emotional distortions. It’s Epictetus’s call to “examine appearances” and Marcus’s habit of “reviewing your judgments.”
- Practical Application: Practice epistemic humility—the courage to say “I don’t know” and the discipline to revise beliefs with new evidence. This is the scientific version of being teachable.
3. The Dichotomy of Control as an Evidence-Based Tool
- Core Idea: Wisdom means knowing what’s truly within your control.
- How It Works: Science helps us draw clearer boundaries between internal and external realities. A medical diagnosis, for example, is an external fact. Accepting it is wisdom; despair is misjudgment.
- Practical Application: Use evidence—not emotion—to guide your focus. Act where you can, accept what you can’t. This leads to greater tranquility and emotional strength.
This act of reframing is what makes Stoicism a living, breathing philosophy for the 21st century—not a historical artifact. It’s a powerful tool for building a coherent, rational, and meaningful life, grounded in scientific understanding and personal integrity.
Stoicism’s Historical Secular Roots
To understand Stoicism’s enduring power for a modern, secular mind, it’s vital to look at its origins. The philosophy began around 300 BCE with Zeno of Citium, who taught in Athens. While the early Stoics held what are often described as pantheistic beliefs—viewing God and the universe as one, an all-pervading rational force (logos) that was inherently material—their conception of divinity was far from that of a personal, intervening deity found in many religions.
This view, preserved in works like Diogenes Laertius’s Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers, emphasizes God as the rational order within the cosmos—not separate from it.
Even in ancient times, Stoicism wasn’t monolithic. Aristo of Chios, one of Zeno’s direct contemporaries, famously stripped the philosophy of its metaphysical and physical layers, emphasizing ethics and logic as the sole focus. He reportedly scoffed at the study of nature and logic for their own sakes, believing that only the pursuit of virtue mattered.
This early divergence within the school itself highlights Stoicism’s inherent adaptability and its capacity to appeal to minds less concerned with grand cosmic designs and more interested in practical moral guidance.
This legacy makes Stoicism particularly accessible to secular individuals today. It doesn’t demand belief in gods, spirits, or complex cosmic plans—it offers practical tools to navigate reality as it is, grounded in reason and self-mastery.
