Ataraxia: A Year of Stoic Recovery

Three philosophers. Twelve steps. Three hundred and sixty-five days.Ataraxia pairs the Twelve Step programme of recovery with the philosophy of Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca. Each day offers a Stoic quotation, a reflection on how that idea applies to recovery, and a practical exercise.The Stoics were not writing for people in recovery. But they were writing for people in difficulty - people trying to act rightly in conditions that made it hard. Epictetus on the dichotomy of control maps precisely onto Step 1. The Stoic practice of daily self-examination is the philosophical ancestor of Steps 10 and 11. Marcus Aurelius's private journals read, at times, like someone working an inventory.This book is not a substitute for the steps, for meetings, or for professional support. It is a daily companion that takes both the steps and Stoic philosophy seriously, and asks what happens when you hold them next to each other honestly.Direct. Unsentimental. Secular-compatible. One day at a time. A Year of Stoic Recovery. Read more