Can Stoicism demystify capitalist ideals

In many capitalist societies across the globe, ideals regarding productivity, ownership, mass consumption and radical individualism are ubiquitous and closely held. The types of capitalist ideals which I am referring to are those which are deemed conducive to economic growth and the expansion of consumer markets (Binswanger, 2008). Such ideals are typically proliferated through advertising, technology, corporations, and globalisation (Dauvergne, P. 2010). Marx and many others have made the claim that capitalism greatly educates human relationships, personal identity, habits, actions, capacities and values (Cole, A. & Ferrarese, E. 2018). If we can accept this, the question then becomes, whether the types of behaviour and values instilled by capitalist markets are compatible with those of Stoicism.

Seneca, in teaching about the happy life, argued that Stoics must fully accept and let go of that which they have no power to change or influence. Values, judgments, actions, and reactions are the only things that are controllable. One cannot control fortune, fate, dictates of the universe nor nature. The things that are determined by such powers are therefore foolish to devote energy to (Seneca, On a Happy Life) Yet, the capitalist principle of meritocracy, that is the conviction that success and power is the result of hard work and ability, implies one can determine their life outcomes and trajectory through hard work and talent (Cambridge Dictionary, 2019). Such a rhetoric conversely implies that failure or loss is the natural consequence of a lack of competence or drive, and one could have had better if they had tried harder. The ‘American dream’ most clearly demonstrates how the social belief in meritocracy serves the capitalist agenda, through encouraging all workers to work tirelessly and therefore productively in the hope of one day achieving immense success (Lac, V. T. 2020). Such views foster feelings of self-blame, disappointment, and inaptitude in times of misfortune (Hirschman, 1990).

Stoic teaching encourages the acceptance, awareness and regular contemplation of death, illness, suffering, and loss. Such practices foster more rational and reasonable emotional responses when such events do inevitably arise (Earp, 2018). A Stoic does not grieve the loss of one dear to them or the loss of something they loved because they recognise the impermanence of life and the lack of control they have over the occasion of life and death. Seneca states, ‘I will look upon death and comedy with the same expression of countenance’ (Seneca, On a Happy Life) Stoics reject the temptation to express themselves in accordance with societal norms or to pander to public opinion. Doing so, they argue, shows a lack of personal judgement or reflection. ‘Let what flows be what emotion forces from us, not what is required to imitate others. Let’s not add anything to our genuine mourning, increasing it to follow someone else’s example’ (Seneca and Romm, On the shortness of life). Whilst in modern capitalist society, being deeply affected by death and loss, implies a type of morality and care, stoics suggest that the expression of excessive sorrow is the result of social imitation. Social expectation manifests itself in inauthentic emotional responses or false beliefs. False in the sense that they are not an accurate reflection of one’s true emotional reflex or belief (Graver, 2008).  Seneca argues that all people can and should individually exercise good judgment when assessing the appropriate emotional response instead of blindly following the reactions of others.

Capitalism on the other hand, commodifies emotion. It sets rules for what one should be feeling to encourage consumptive behaviour. In the most basic sense, products are sold on the basis that individuals experience intense feelings of grief, disappointment or inadequacy. Being fearful of these emotions or experiencing them directly, fuels consumption habits conducive to growth. Products are mostly if not always sold on the basis that they will somehow improve aspects of one’s life. Anxiety increases the likelihood of impulse buying and overspending as well as feeding into the notion of retail as therapy (Dholakia, 2020) When one feels inadequate, anxious, or unlucky (all feelings that are the result of heightened expectations) they are immensely vulnerable to modern marketing strategies. Modern capitalism could not exist if individuals accepted loss as natural part of life and did not fear it.

In the same way one should be indifferent to loss and gain, Stoics argue that one should be indifferent to wealth or the lack of it. The reason being that one cannot truly possess anything given the impermanence of life and everything in it. Marcus Aurelius identifies the world as being entirely subject to ‘universal flux’ (Sellars, 2023). People, places, feelings, the material and opportunities come and go according to the wills of nature and the universe and as such it is naïve to try and possess anything. Seneca states that one should ‘despise money when they have it and when they don’t’ (Seneca, On a happy life) Gaining wealth or material advantage should not evoke satisfaction nor delight. Conversely, the loss of money should not foster feelings of disappointment and disillusionment because money and that which it can buy is fleeting and vulnerable to change. He also advocates for frugality and sensibility in spending ‘do not hoard or squander’ (Seneca, On a happy life). Both lack any virtuous backbone; hoarding suggesting an obsession with possessing material means, squandering implying an overindulgence in wealth.

In complete contrast to these values, capitalism promotes ideals of personal ownership, possession, and the permanence of things. A desire for and belief in stability, predictability and control. This manifests itself most clearly in the practice of private property (Posner, E Glen Weyl and Vitalik Buterin, 2019). America’s post WW2 housing boom saw not only a huge increase in demand for private property but also for associated products such as cars, appliances, and furniture. The consumer market drastically expanded and things never previously desired become ‘necessary’ staples of everyday life. This is just but one example of how inauthentic or artificially imposed desires manifest in capitalist markets for people to continue to want things that the market can provide. For markets to operate and expand, consumers must continue to demand things they do not already have. The accelerating turnover and importance of trends alienate individuals from their authentic desires and needs by inducing them to engage in constant consumption. The need to possess the material fosters greed and selfishness as individuals fear losing what they deem as their own and are therefore less willing to share or contribute to a common good. This type of radical individualism further encourages consumption as everyone requires their own set of goods as opposed to sharing that which is material between community members (Hirschman, Elizabeth C, 2024).

Given the incongruities between Stoicism and capitalism, one may naturally conclude that it is impossible to live an authentically stoic life within the confines and boundaries of modern capitalist society. How can one avoid the social pressure to consume, achieve and grieve without isolating themselves from society? Here, I argue that whilst difficult and requiring a type of work, stoic teachings can be, and to some extent are being, meaningfully practiced in modern capitalist societies.

Firstly, with an increasing social awareness of the true cost of consumption, that on the earth and those in less developed nations, the trend of anti-consumption, less formally known as ‘under consumption core’ has been on the rise across social media platforms. This trend advertises and encourages the use of items already within individual’s possession (Lee, 2022). A clear indifference to the material and a rejection of luxury and indulgence in the material. Regarding achievement and productivity, Gen Z workers outperform their older co-workers in being less stressed by their job and placing more of an emphasis on purposeful and impactful work over salary. This is indicative of a move away from productivity orientated work attitudes and a focus on virtue as opposed to wealth generation within the workplace. Finally in an increasingly unstable global environment, with issues of climate change, political upheaval and warfare being just a few of many global issues, many place less emphasis on needing to know, change or determine their future (Hershfield, 2011). To some extent, stoic teachings are only possible to actualise alongside capitalism if a significant share of people are not stoic. This is because if everyone were to drastically curtail their consumption, focus less on their personal productivity and worry less about loss, suffering, and death then it would be impossible for capitalism to survive. Capitalism does require and always will require production, efficient workers, and anxious consumers.

If one wanted to be perfectly Stoic in the face of capitalism, they would have to accept that meritocracy is a myth, life is prone to suffering and loss, nothing is permanent and there is much that cannot be controlled. All beliefs force a compromise and require some sacrifice of modern societal values. Many an influencer has mischaracterised and co-opted Stoic teachings to fit their agenda and in so doing have missed the richness and complexity of the philosophy. Whilst it is possible to live a Stoic life in capitalist society, if enough individuals felt inclined to do so, capitalism may need to rethink itself or else retire as the dominant social, political, and economic agenda before it gets the boot.

Bibliography

Aurelius, M. and Graves, R. (1811). The Meditations of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Stourport, Printed and Sold By G. Nicholas.

Binswanger, M. (2008). Is There a Growth Imperative in Capitalist Economies?. A Circular Flow Perspective.” Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, vol. 31, no. 4, 2009, pp. 707–27. JSTOR

Cambridge Dictionary (2019). MERITOCRACY | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. Cambridge.org.

Cole, A., & Ferrarese, E. (2018). How capitalism forms our lives. Journal for Cultural Research, 22(2), 105–112.

Dauvergne, P. (2010) The Problem of Consumption. Global environmental politics. 10 (2), 1–10.

Dholakia (2020) How Anxiety Affects Our Buying Behaviors

Earp, Brian. (2018). Against Mourning.

Epictetus, Long, A.A. and Oldfather, W.A. (2018). How to be free : an ancient guide to the stoic life : Encheiridion and selections from Discourses. Princeton University Press.

Graver, M. (2008). Stoicism and Emotion. University of Chicago Press.

Hirschman, E.C. (1990). Secular Immortality and the American Ideology of Affluence. Journal of Consumer Research, 17(1), p.31

Hershfield HE. 2011, Future self-continuity: how conceptions of the future self transform intertemporal choice. Ann N Y Acad Sci.  Oct;1235:30-43.

Lac, V. T. (2020) ‘“Now I know that meritocracy and the American dream are myths”: employing critical hope in a teacher pipeline program serving minoritized high school students’, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 34(5), pp. 447–463

Lucius Annaeus Seneca, On a Happy Life.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca and Romm, J.S. (2022). How to have a life : an ancient guide to using our time wisely. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Marcus Tullius Cicero and King, J.E. (1989). Tusculan disputations. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

Michael SW. Lee (2022) Anti-consumption research: A foundational and contemporary overview, Current Opinion in Psychology,Volume 45.

Posner, E.A., E Glen Weyl and Vitalik Buterin (2019). Radical markets : uprooting capitalism and democracy for a just society. Princeton University Press.

Sellars, J. (2023). Marcus Aurelius and the Tradition of Spiritual Exercises. Oxford University Press eBooks, pp.74–86.

Moore A, Grime J, Campbell P, Richardson J. (2012)Troubling stoicism: Sociocultural influences and applications to health and illness behaviour.