The four Stoic virtues:
Wisdom
Courage
Temperance
Justice
The four Stoic vices:
Foolishness
Cowardice
Intemperance
Injustice
As someone whose “minimum viable philosophy” has a Stoic-esque flavor, wisdom, the “mother of all virtues,” has been my main focus. This focus is the reason why all my creative (or “daemonically” inspired) projects are oriented towards midwifing a “wisdom commons,” a place that makes wisdom more common. I pursue wisdom through the Stoic heuristic of “via negativa,” removing rather than adding. I am shedding my foolishness daily, the cardinal Stoic vice opposite to wisdom, hence the title of this Substack.
The primary practice for less foolishness is philosophical inquiry through journaling or with friends of virtue. Wisdom is akin to existential wayfinding in that it points the way forward. Yet, without courage, one will not move forward. Courage, the “father of all virtues,” allows wisdom to manifest. Without practices and relationships to flex one's courage, inquiry becomes cowardly, allowing one to theorize about irrelevant things excessively.
I have enough practice and relationships to chip away at my foolishness. Now is the time for my courage to manifest some good.
