Right… Left… No Thanks.
A Stoic Political Perspective And Guide
I don’t do politics (in the modern sense of the word). I don’t write about it, I don’t discuss it, and I don’t think about it any longer than it takes to remind myself how averse I am to it; not my circus, not my monkeys. With that said, I’m going to write one-and-only-one piece (this one) about this topic and then be on my way, Stoically. Regardless, this is not really about politics, it’s about why the true Stoic has no time for such nonsense. Do not misunderstand, it is not that I do not stand for things, or that I am suggesting that you do not stand for things; I am saying whatever you stand for should be based on reason, logic, empathy, science, and facts—not alternate facts—real facts. That is Stoic, and by definition that cannot be anything to do with modern politics.
Modern politics is not based on reason and logic, it is based on ideology and power structures, and has nothing to do with right and wrong. Political parties are just marketing companies selling a product, nothing more. Politics is about power, and power is about money. There is nothing else to it. An instructive example: John Boehner, former speaker of the US House of Representative, and a staunch conservative, was firmly opposed to marijuana for his entire political career. As soon as Mr. Boehner leaves political office, what was first on his agenda? A marijuana business. So, after years of helping to pass laws against marijuana, and helping to lock up tens of thousands of people for marijuana possession, now he is a cannabis businessman. Now he sells a drug to all the people he didn’t manage to lock up for the same drug. He even has the audacity to lobby for the legalizing of marijuana. Of course, he attributes that to “evolving” and “learning,” and giving the American people what they want, and other such fabricated nonsense to justify his dishonorable, hypocritical behavior.
Yes, people do evolve and change opinions, but that’s not what this is, and you’re a fool if you believe it is. This is simple. While in office, Mr. Boehner made his fortune and kept power by towing the party line. Now, out of office, he makes money selling marijuana. It’s really that simple, money is all that matters. I doubt he ever had any real views either way. John Boehner is not a conservative, he’s a capitalist, and nothing more. He will sell anything that turns a profit, including ideology and marijuana. In office, he sold anti-drug conservative ideology for profit. Out of office, he sells drugs.
Meanwhile, while Mr. Boehner “evolves” and makes millions, tens of thousands of people with minor drug possession charges languish in prison because of him. While he lobbies to make marijuana legal, ask this: is he also lobbying to get those people out of prison because he “evolved” and realized he was mistaken? No, of course not; there’s no money in that.
“If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.”—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 12.17
“Don’t go on discussing what a good man should be. Just be one.”—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 10.16
There is no need for any further example because that one example can serve for every politician, every political party, and every set of political views, left, right, and otherwise; they are all just excuses for building power and making money (I should probably throw religion in there too, but that’s another post). Modern politics has one and only one definition, whatever is convenient to power and money is “right” and “moral.” Everything else is “wrong.” There could be no more dishonorable and un-Stoic behavior.
“They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else… They don’t give a fuck about you. They don't care about you at all—at all.”—George Carlin.
Personally, I don’t care if it’s left, right, up, down, sideways, orthogonal, parallel, or whatever; if you subscribe to any modern political ideology, you are not and cannot be Stoic. A Stoic’s life is based on reason, logic, and aligning with nature (true nature, not made up nature to suit your political agenda). There is nothing political about Stoicism in the modern use of the word. No belief-system or individual belief should be accepted by the Stoic without in-depth scrutiny using reason and logic, including Stoicism itself.
“The wise man does not jump to conclusions. He withholds assent, reserving judgment until he has tested the impression with reason.”—Paraphrased from Epictetus, Discourses, 1.27
“The ruling faculty must not be confused, rushed, or overthrown. It must stand ready, calm, and deliberate, examining all with justice and truth.”—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 3.9
“Truth is never hurt by scrutiny. Only falsehood fears examination.”—Seneca, implied throughout Letters to Lucilius, esp. 48 and 95
In the context of current US politics, and using myself as an example, I often get mistaken for right-wing. This is due partially to my look; 193 cm (6’4), shaved head, 113 kg (250 lbs), militaristic tattoos, muscular and fit. This is also partially due to my no-nonsense attitude, I am regularly heard to say, “no one cares, shut the fuck up and work harder,” and I am firmly opposed to entitlement behaviors. I avidly train martial arts, I am good with various weapons, and I tolerate absolute zero nonsense, physically, mentally, or emotionally. Sounds pretty right-wing, right? Wrong. I could not be more disgusted with the US right-wing. They are cruel, power hungry, hypocrites and, as far as I’m concerned, the definition of evil.
I am sometimes mistaken for left-wing. I am a PhD, a college professor, and part of the so-called “intelligentsia.” I am an atheist, in favor of all rights for everyone, believe democratic-socialism is superior to capitalism, and I’ll use whatever pronouns you ask me to use because it’s not about pronouns, it’s about respecting human dignity. Sounds pretty left-wing? Wrong. I could not have less respect for the US left-wing. They are weak, reactionary, entitled, naive, and, as far as I’m concerned, the definition of weakness and cowardice.
The Right has convictions without wisdom. The Left has convictions without courage. Both are devoid of justice and temperance. Both fail all Stoic core precepts of virtue, and neither is worthy of a Stoic.
For this post, I took an inventory of myself. I listed the top 10 political positions of the US Right and Left, and then I listed them for myself. No surprise to myself, my list was an equal mix of right and left. I cannot even claim to lean one way or another. Not that I do not have strong opinions on most top issues, they just do not fit into the broken boxes known as “left” and “right.” Further, my opinions can change depending on the country, society, and culture being discussed. Currently, I split my time between homes in Greece and the US. Some views I hold in the US do not hold in Greece, and vice versa. This is because I do not have political views. I have social views, and those views depend on the society, i.e., the original definition of politics (πολιτικά) as defined by classic Greek philosophers.
Modern political views are the refuge of weak minds corrupted by a mass marketing machine. Social views are the duty of every human, especially every Stoic. There is a massive difference. One demands you conform. The other demands you think—critically.
All that aside, the very idea there are two and only two options, and you must fit within one, tells you all you need to know about US politics. Why two? Because those are manageable products. “Right” and “left” are just brands, the parties are corporations, together they have a monopoly, and it’s about profit—not justice, governance, ethics, or anything else politics should be—for the people, by the people. The parties just split the issues down the middle, handed them out to each other like playing cards, and told you that you need to pick one. If you don’t, they shame you with idiotic statements like, “you have to pick the lesser of evils” and it’s “your patriotic duty to support one or the other.” The Stoic does not “pick the lesser of evils.” The Stoic rejects the unvirtuous. Done. The Stoic does not respect or support any system unless it earns respect—virtuously, and when it fails to do so, the Stoic withdraws support.
As for my views, I’m not going to list them because it’s not about my views, it’s about modern politics and why you, if you want to be Stoic, must not lower yourself to such things. The Stoic does not believe what they are told out of hand. They do not tow the party line. We do not follow the masses, and in fact, anything followed by the masses is immediately suspect, put on trial, and subjected to the most profound scrutiny.
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 6.10
“You should meet the opinion of the masses with this calm response: ‘You are mistaken.’”—Seneca, Letters to Lucilius, 29
“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid by the crowd.” —Epictetus, Discourses, 1.2.24
“We should not, like sheep, follow the flock in front of us. We should plan our course by reason.”—Seneca, Letters, 123.10
While on this topic, it is a good time to address the current right-wing trend of playing at Stoicism, especially as it relates to concepts of masculinity and gender roles. Because aspects of Stoicism are seemingly unfeeling, emotionally hard, and admittedly masculine in some terminology, the conservative bro-culture has co-opted it, twisting and perverting it to their agenda (as usual). Let’s be clear, there is NOTHING about Stoicism which supports misogyny, gender superiority (in any direction), or forced gender roles. NOTHING. FULL STOP. For that matter, there is nothing about Stoicism which supports capitalism, hustle-culture, so-called Christian values, conservative morality, or discrimination in any way. If you’re on my Substack because you subscribe to “Broicism” and you think I’m with you, let me be perfectly clear about this—leave, go away, you are not welcome. If that’s what you think Stoicism is for, there can be no compromise or meeting-of-the-minds between us.
“Women have received from the nature the same reasoning power as men. They are therefore capable of the same virtue and should study philosophy.”—Musonius Rufus, Lectures, Fragment III
“It is not the body or the role that defines a person, but how they use reason. Whether slave or emperor, man or woman, what matters is judgment.”—Epictetus, paraphrased from Discourses 1.2
“What difference is there between training the soul of a man or a woman? Both are born for the same virtue.”—Seneca, paraphrased from Letters 94
Bottom line, if you wish to be Stoic, you must divorce yourself from modern political parties and modern political agendas. You must not participate in the gender-wars, class-wars, or culture-wars, except to condemn them. You must not submit to left versus right, or play into the political party games. The truth is, the ancient Stoics did participate in the politics of their time, and considered it a duty to do so, but the word and process had a very different meaning. The word “politics” (πολιτικά) was not about parties or power, it was about how people lived justly and virtuously together in an organized society. It was the art of living in common under reasoned order. As a Stoic, that must be your approach as well. This is your guide.
You do not have political views. You have social views. Each one is formed independently and virtuously, through reason, logic, wisdom, justice, empathy, temperance, and truth. No exceptions. This is where your civic duty lies.
You refuse to subscribe to group think, especially political parties.
You refuse to be labelled right or left. You are a Stoic—you don’t explain, you don’t argue. If someone wishes to learn, teach, but do not explain yourself or argue with those who do not seek to learn.
You do not choose between the lesser of evils. Evil must be opposed—done. The Stoic does not participate in injustice, hypocrisy, and greed just to stop greater injustice, hypocrisy, and greed. You fight all of it, or you remove yourself from it. Pick one.
Lead by example. Say and do what you mean, mean and do what you say. If you cannot mean what you say and do, then nothing you say or do has meaning.
In everything you say, think, and do, ask yourself; does this align with courage, wisdom, justice, and temperance? If the answer is no, do not do it.
None of this means you do not stand for things, or that you do not fight for things, or that you remove yourself from public discourse. It simply means you refuse to support a corrupt and ignoble system designed to cage and contain, rather than uplift and free.
Above all, remember this, Stoicism is never exclusionary, never to be weaponized against any group, and never political (in the modern sense). Stoicism is never to be used to keep someone else down. Stoicism is a human philosophy meant to empower and uplift whoever adopts it, and to be taught to whomever has not yet adopted it and wishes to do so. It is not male, female, white, black, brown, gay, straight, trans, left, right, corporate, religious, or anything else besides human. If you are playing at Stoicism for any other purpose apart from the improvement of yourself as a virtuous human, and for the betterment of humanity—virtuously, then you are perverting Stoicism and you are not one of us.
If you accept this, then your political agenda is clear; you don’t have one.