What is this website? And why 'Spartan Stoic?'

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It is primarily a vehicle for my book reviews, which I upload to YouTube. But I hope it can be more than that.

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The Spartans, and the Stoics, were not perfect. The Spartans lived in a brutal time, enslaved the helot population, and left babies that they didn't think were going to survive out in the wilderness to die. Stoics such as Seneca have been accused of hypocrisy; Stoicism itself has been accused (in my mind, incorrectly) of denying basic human emotion. But the Spartans also aspired to an ideal of excellence and community, and the Stoics aspired to the virtues of wisdom, temperance (moderation), courage and justice. These are worthy ideals to follow, in the Spartans perhaps more overtly physical, and in the Stoics mental. That makes a rather good rationale for a nickname I'd say. More simply, they're two groups of people I'm fascinated by.

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So what is this website? It will share blogs of my YouTube videos, as well as my other projects. My reviews don't just cover Spartans and the Stoics, though they will, of course, feature, but reviewing books across philosophy, literature, sci fi and fantasy and more.

 

More exciting projects are planned, and I welcome you to take part in this journey of learning and discovery.

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