Announcing Stoic Week 2015

Modern-day Meditations on Marcus Aurelius

2nd – 8th November

Do not act as if you were going to live for a thousand years… while you are alive, while it is still possible, become a good person. – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Enrol Now…
You can now enrol for Stoic Week 2015 at the website below, using the enrolment key “Marcus” (without the quotes).
Modern Stoicism
Follow our Twitter account @Stoicweek or see our Facebook group for more information.  See below for further contact details.
What is Stoic Week?
Stoic Week is an online and international event taking place this year from Monday 2^nd to Sunday 8^th November.  2015 will be the fourth year in a row that Stoic Week has run.  Anyone can participate by following the daily instructions in the Stoic Week 2015 Handbook, which will be published online. You will be following the practice of Stoic philosophers for seven days.  You will also be discussing the experience of adapting Stoic ideas for modern living with other participants in our online forums. The aims of the course are to introduce the philosophy so that you can see how it might be useful in your own life and to measure its psychological benefits.  This year’s  theme is The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, the most widely-read of all Stoic authors.
What is Stoicism?
Stoicism is an ancient Graeco-Roman school of philosophy.  It has an emphasis on practical training and lifestyle changes aimed at improving our moral character and psychological wellbeing.  The Stoic school was founded around 300 BC by Zeno of Citium.  At the core of Stoicism is the idea that virtue, or strength of character, is the most important thing in life. The  central doctrine of Stoicism is that we should ‘follow Nature’.  This means perfecting our own rational nature as human beings, through developing the cardinal virtues: wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation.  It also entails expressing our social nature as human beings,  by involvement in family life and society and by treating all human beings as brothers and sisters. So Stoicism is simultaneously a philosophy of inner strength and outer excellence.  Many people today are interested in Stoicism because of its similarities to modern self-help literature and its influence upon the evidence-based psychological strategies employed in cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT).
What sort of Course is it?
The course guides you through all the basic ideas of Stoicism. Each day has its own theme, exercises to practise,  and reflections from original Stoic texts to consider. It has been written by the Stoicism Today team, an interdisciplinary group of academics and psychotherapists. You are also encouraged to take wellbeing surveys before and after the week, so we can measure the effectiveness of the course.
How can I Share my Experience of Stoic Week?
There will be very active discussion boards during Stoic Week on the course website. You can also share your reflections  via social networks via our Stoicism Twitter account, and our Facebook and Google+ groups.
How can I Meet Other People Interested in Stoicism?
If you live in the UK, there is a one-day conference being held at Queen Mary, University of London, on Saturday  November 7^th. There are 300 places available, so you should book now to avoid disappointment.  Videos and audio recordings of this event are planned, and will be uploaded on to the Stoicism Today website in the weeks that follow Stoic Week. You can see a video of last year’s London event: Stoicism Today Conference.
Tickets are available here. Further details are available on the relevant post, to be found here.
There are also other events being organised around the world. Get in touch  if you are organising an event and would like it listed on the blog.
What Were the Findings of Last Year’s Study?
Last year, around 2,500 people took part in Stoic Week worldwide. Our findings supported the view that Stoicism is  helpful. Participants reported a 16% improvement in life satisfaction, a 10% increase in flourishing, a 11% increase in positive emotions and a 16% reduction in negative emotions. We developed a special Stoic Attitudes and Behaviours Scale (SABS), which showed increases in Stoic attitudes (12%) and behaviours (15%) in the course of the week. It also showed a consistently positive relationship between adopting Stoic attitudes and behaviours and improvements in well-being.
What about Stoicism in Schools and Universities?
Are you a teacher or lecturer who might be interested in Stoic Week?  Why not download the Stoic Week booklet and share it with your students to try out Stoicism for a week, and invite them to write up their experience for the blog….
Stoicism in the Media
In previous years there has been a lot of media interest in Stoic Week and Stoicism in general.  If you would like to run a feature on Stoic Week, please get in touch. You can read of the previous media interest in Stoic Week on our Stoicism  Today blog.
Please share this page with anyone you think might be interested.  You can post it on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social networks.
How can I Contact the Stoicism Today team about Stoic Week 2015?
Twitter
@StoicWeek
https://twitter.com/StoicWeek
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Stoicism/
Google+
https://plus.google.com/communities/102137740186330075111
Calendars
Subscribe to the Stoic Week 2015 calendar for updates:

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Right here – WordPress
http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtoday/
Make sure to subscribe to the blog (subscription box in the upper right-hand corner of the blog) to ensure you receive further information about how to register for Stoic Week and to download the 2015 booklet closer to the time.