Vegas Stoics Meetup

This month: "Do we need to understand Stoic physics and logic to practice ethics?"

​We are working through the introductory text What Is Stoicism? by Campbell & Whiting. Reading the text is optional but encouraged and low-lift; it's just a few pages. We'll start the meetup with a brief summary of the reading before discussing practical applications in daily life.

• Ch 15: Stoic Physics and Logic (pg 79-86)

​Link to the book:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204016439-what-is-stoicism

​If you are completely new to Stoicism, it might be helpful to read the following article before the meeting: https://www.vegas-stoics.com/stoicism-101

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Ground Rules

1. Stoicism is cosmopolitan: Anyone with a genuine interest in Stoicism, regardless of background, is welcome if they adhere to the ground rules and Socratic Guidelines
2. We’re all learning: Aim for curiosity, not correction.
3. Don’t interrupt: Let people finish; one conversation at a time.
4. Share the floor: If you’ve spoken a lot, pause before speaking again.
5. Respect confidentiality: Personal stories shared here stay here.
6. Stay focused: Brief tangents are welcome but return to the theme.
7. Politics and religion: Keep discussions of these topics philosophical and impersonal.

Socratic Guidelines

1. Seek the Truth: No view is immune from questioning—everything is open for debate. The purpose of inquiry is to get closer to the truth. It is not to advance an agenda, spare feelings, or win an argument.
2. Speak Boldy, Welcome Dissent: Say what you really think. Saying something unpopular is admirable; it moves us closer to truth. Take challenges in the same spirit—especially to your strongest convictions. If a challenger reveals your error, they've done you a favor. Confessing it is a sign of a healthy ego.
3. Use Reason: Judge arguments by the quality of their evidence and reasoning, not by who made the claim. For points of contention, seek common ground in first principles, then test each position for consistency against that shared foundation.
4. Question Everything, Even Yourself: Be curious and challenge your own beliefs. Too much love for your own ideas turns challengers into enemies and bends your reasoning toward winning rather than truth. Skepticism applies to groups too—distrust easy consensus. If an entire room agrees on something controversial, be ready to dissent. Groupthink is always a risk, and the Devil’s Advocate guards against it.
5. Steelman, Don’t Strawman: Don't quibble over misspeaks. Help your counterpart be clear, assume they're smart and mean well, and interpret what they say in its strongest form. Go after the hard truth, not an exercise in semantics.
6. Respect: Be Fierce, Stay Civil: Discussions should be rigorous and intense but always courteous. No name-calling, sarcasm, or shouting. Make your claims in ways that don't give personal offense and receive others' claims the same way. Offense—given or taken—is one of the greatest threats to truth-seeking.
7. Hold Conclusions Lightly: Conclusions are provisional, even when probable. Keep a reserve of doubt, an awareness of one’s own ignorance and blind spots, and a recollection that others have been equally sure before, only to be proven wrong.