Hello, I’m relatively new to philosophy and recently picked up A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton as part of a pre-university reading list. The book has had me thinking seriously about what happiness means and how we should live.
My question concerns stoicism. I read that we shouldn’t let external circumstances beyond our control affect us but I’ve been wondering: to what extent? Is pure stoic detachment genuinely virtuous, or does it risk becoming passivity? Would a true stoic forgive everyone who wronged them and simply move on, or is there a threshold beyond which some form of response,even revenge becomes justified?
Keen to hear what the forum thinks. Any reading recommendations are welcome.