An Ataraxist Critique of Stoicism

Max Severin
5 min readMay 16, 2023

This short essay must be prefaced by stating that the Ataraxist life philosophy is indebted to Stoic insights. Many elements of Stoic wisdom are incorporated into our core principles and our practical philosophy. However, it is essential to recognize that Stoicism, even in its contemporary interpretations, has significant flaws. I will outline them, in brief, below.

  1. Stoicism can be seen as a form of quietism (passive acceptance of the status quo without desiring or trying to change things).

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Max Severin

I write about psychology, philosophy, suffering abolitionism & the pursuit of eudaimonia.