MEETINGS

  • Referring to the calendar may be helpful: https://www.lastoics.com/calendar
  • General Meetings: monthly in person
  • Practice Meetings: sporadic (stay tunes for future updates)
  • Reading Group meetings : weekly, biweekly, or monthly on Discord or in person
    • Seneca RG (reading Seneca’s Letters): weekly on Discord
    • Epictetus RG (reading Epictetus’ Handbook): TBD
    • Marcus RG (reading Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations): TBD
    • Graver RG (currently reading Stoicism and Emotion): asynchronous with optional monthly meeting on Discord
    • Robertson RG (currently reading How to Think Like a Roman Emperor): biweekly on Discord
    • Pigliucci RG (currently reading How to be a Stoic): biweekly on Discord [concluded]
    • Spinoza RG (currently reading Spinoza and the Stoics ): monthly on Discord [conlcuded]
  • Special events: periodic (announced on Discord)
  • Receive announcements and reminders through Meetup, Patreon, or the mailing list (sign up using the “Join the Group” button found in the right margin or bottom of the page)

GENERAL MEETINGS (IN-PERSON)

  • WHEN: These take place every 2nd Saturday at 9am (until 11am)
  • WHERE: The meeting locations are disclosed in email newsletters and on Discord
  • WHAT ABOUT: These are often topic-centered meetings. Ultimately, the goal is community-building and growth through dialectic (an open-minded exchange of questions and responses).
  • READING: The reading is very light – often relegated to a handout or passage read together in the meeting itself

No preparation required; any reading will be read together during the meeting itself.

COVID-19 Safety Measures: The meeting location is outdoors and spacious enough for social distancing. If you are NOT fully vaccinated (with booster) or are feeling ill at all, please stay home and email Justin. We can still have a thoughtful discussion—perhaps in an online version of the meeting. Those who ARE fully vaccinated with booster are unlikely to transmit COVID in an outdoor setting and are unlikely to get seriously ill if they do.

PLEASE CONTACT THE FACILITATOR (justin@lastoics.com) IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.

See you then! –Justin K.

SENECA READING GROUP ― Letters From a Stoic (trans. Campbell)

No preparation required; we will read together during the meeting itself.

GRAVER READING GROUP ― Graver’s Stoicism and Emotion

  • WHEN: These take place every 4th Tuesday at 7pm (until 9pm)
  • WHERE: The meetings are held in a Discord voice channel [If you’re new to the group, please post on Discord or email Justin (justin@lastoics.com) and introduce yourself]
  • WHAT ABOUT: The group is studying Margaret Graver’s Stoicism and Emotion (2007), which brilliantly explains and expands upon the Stoic theory of emotion (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo5503948.html). Our primary goal will be to understand this theory and explore its potential strengths and weaknesses.
  • READING (try to prepare by reading in advance of the meetings)
    • April: Introduction
    • May: Chapter 1 (“A Science of the Mind”)
    • November: Chapter 7 (“The Development of Character”)
    • December: Chapter 8 (“City of Friends and Lovers”)
    • January: Chapter 9 (“The Tears of Alcibiades”)
    • February: Appendix (“The Status of Confidence in Stoic Classifications”) and conclusion

ROBERTSON READING GROUP ― How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

  • WHEN: These take place every other Thursday at 7pm (until 9pm)
  • WHERE: The meetings are held in a Discord voice channel [If you’re new to the group, please post on Discord or email Justin (justin@lastoics.com) and introduce yourself]
  • WHAT ABOUT: The group is reviewing Donald Robertson’s How to Think Like a Roman Emperor (2019) (https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250196620/howtothinklikearomanemperor). This book offers a very accessible, easy to read introduction to key Stoic concepts and principles, and it delivers some Stoic techniques that you can apply use to face life’s daily challenges.
  • READING (please try to read in advance of the meetings):
    • May 18th: Ch. 1-2
    • Jun. 1st: Ch. 3-4
    • Jun. 15th: Ch. 5-6
    • Jun. 29th: Ch. 7-8

How to access the L.A. Stoics Discord channel:

  1. Get access to Discord by creating an account with Discord (https://www.discord.com) and verifying your email with them.
  2. Get access to the “Los Angeles Stoics” server by using this invite link: https://discord.gg/pFJWuTDe9X
  3. Introduce yourself to the group in the #introduce-yourself channel or else introduce yourself to Justin at justin@lastoics.com

AGAIN, PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. ―Justin K.