What we’re about
Welcome to Orlando Stoics! We are a very active group, with over 3,800 members and five meetings a week. Some meetings are held online, while others are in-person. All classes are free.
What is Stoicism? It's an ancient Greek school of philosophy founded in Athens about 300 BC. The first teacher was Zeno of Citium. The school taught that virtue (the highest good) is based on knowledge, and that wise people live in harmony with nature. The school also taught tolerance and self-control. Famous Stoics were Seneca the Younger, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. We also study modern Stoics.
Why Stoicism? In our world of instant gratification, constant stimulation, and endless distractions, Stoicism offers a novel perspective on life. Interested in developing an unconquerable mind? Stoicism has the answers. We also link ideas to Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Existentialism, Minimalism, and other "lived philosophy" systems. We love in-depth discussions!
If you join our group, feel free to adjust the email and notification settings to suit your preferences. Since we have new meetings every week, those emails might be too much for your inbox. Feel free to turn them off (go to our meetup page, click "You're a Member", and then click group notifications). You can still check our meetup page for upcoming events whenever you want.
The goals of our group:
1. We read the ancient books, plus the modern books on Stoicism.
2. We discuss Stoicism in the media, pop culture, and arts & literature.
3. We compare recurring themes in Stoicism to history, religion, and psychology.
There have always been people attracted to Stoicism. It was a significant influence on Shakespeare, JD Salinger, Tom Wolfe, and Nelson Mandela. It has also attracted political and military leaders, such as Frederick the Great, President Bill Clinton, and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, who stated that he has read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations over 100 times.
We hope you will join us. The group is open to the public and has no subscription fee. Stoicism can help you cope with life's stresses, while retaining your ethics & character.
We hope to see you soon!
Upcoming events
39
•OnlineLanguage, Understanding, and Tacit Knowledge
OnlineEvery Sunday, a new lecture. Our meeting starts at 9:00 AM with a friendly conversation, then a dialogue at 9:15 AM, and a Q&A discussion follows.
This week, we begin with Ludwig Wittgenstein, whose Philosophical Investigations reshaped how we think about language. He argued that language isn’t a set of strict definitions—it’s something we do. Words get their meaning from how we use them in everyday life, in the “language-games” we play with one another. To understand a word is to know how it works within a shared activity. Many philosophical confusions, Wittgenstein says, arise when we pull words out of their natural contexts and expect them to behave like abstract labels.
We then turn to Geoffrey Hinton’s 2025 lecture, “What Is Understanding?” Hinton explains understanding through the way artificial neural networks learn. These systems do not follow preset rules or look up definitions. They learn by changing themselves as they encounter new experiences. Over time, they form internal patterns that help them notice similarities, relationships, and context. Understanding grows as the system’s inner “map” becomes more flexible and connected—something Hinton believes is close to how the human brain learns.
Finally, we explore Michael Polanyi, who argues that much of what we know cannot be put fully into words. He calls this tacit knowledge—the skills, intuitions, and subtle judgments we rely on without consciously explaining them. Riding a bike, recognizing a friend, or making a discovery all depend on this unspoken, embodied know-how. For Polanyi, understanding is rooted in this personal, experiential layer that guides how we make sense of the world.
Together, these three thinkers invite us to rethink what understanding is. If meaning comes from use, if learning reshapes our inner models, and if knowledge is mostly tacit, then what exactly is understanding? Is it something we do together? Something that grows through experience? Something that emerges from patterns and relationships? And how might these ideas help us understand both human and artificial intelligence?
Join Plato’s Cave and the Orlando Stoics for a discussion on language, learning, embodiment, and the deep mystery of how understanding takes shape.
READING & VIEWING MATERIALS
Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Wittgenstein
Philosophical Investigations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_Investigations
Meaning is Use: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_(philosophy_of_language)#Wittgenstein
Geoffrey Hinton
“What Is Understanding?” (IASEAI 2025): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fvXWG9Auyg
Backpropagation experiments: https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~fritz/absps/bptr.pdf
Parallel Distributed Processing (PDP): https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~hinton/absps/pdpchapter.pdf
Michael Polanyi
Michael Polanyi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Polanyi
Tacit knowledge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacit_knowledge
Personal Knowledge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Knowledge
Lecture (first 30 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NPXKmEmIzY
TIMEZONES
For members in the United States:
6:00 AM — Pacific Time
7:00 AM — Mountain Time
8:00 AM — Central Time
9:00 AM — Eastern Time
For members in other countries, please convert time using:
https://www.worldtimebuddy.com
The meeting begins at 9:00 AM Eastern, with dialogue starting at 9:15 AM sharp.31 attendees
•OnlineONLINE / SPANISH: CARTAS A LUCILIO DE SENECA
OnlineEsta reunión es cada miércoles a las 7 p.m. EST
CALENDARIO
12/17/2025
Carta 40: El discurso de la verdad debe ser sencillo y sin adornos
Carta 47: Trato humano con los esclavos
Carta 75: Sencillez en el estilo.
Carta 84: En la lectura debemos imitar a las
ZONAS HORARIAS
Hora de encuentro (EE. UU.):
19:00 h, hora del este
18:00 h, hora central
17:00 h, hora de las montañas
16:00 h, hora del Pacífico
Para nuestros amigos internacionales:
Conviertan la hora con la herramienta gratuita
https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/
ENLACE ZOOM
HAGA CLIC PARA COMENZAR LA REUNIÓN - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7156108004
Si no tienes una computadora con cámara, también puedes marcar usando un teléfono. Elige uno de estos números y agrega el ID 7156108004#
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
Nuestro grupo disfruta de conversaciones abiertas y respetuosas sobre el estoicismo y su relación con la ciencia, la cultura, la filosofía, otros sistemas de creencias e incluso la cultura popular (libros y películas). A veces "acordamos estar en desacuerdo", pero el objetivo a largo plazo es mejorar nuestras mentes a través de debates grupales.
En general, el estoicismo nos enseña cómo manejar personas y eventos difíciles, cómo evitar la ira y la preocupación y, sobre todo, a utilizar la moderación en todos los aspectos de nuestra vida.
Esta reunión es gratuita y abierta al público.1 attendee
•OnlineTravels with Epicurus, Chapter 4, Online Friday Nights
Onlinehttps://us06web.zoom.us/j/83868472181?pwd=0jNaFXyoR4O2mgbaH5uOGgazB6dm4F.1
Join us as we continue to discuss Daniel Klein’s book, “Travels with Epicurus.” This week, we will discuss Chapter 4, “A Sirocco of Youth’s Beauty.” We will talk about beauty, the purpose of marriage, lust, ardor, companionship, and nostalgia. It is sure to be a lively conversation as we explore topics like the practical advice offered by Friedrich Nietzche on the topic of marriage: “When marrying, ask yourself this question: Do you believe that you will be able to converse well with this person into your old age? Everything else in marriage is transitory.”
(If anyone is interested in being on the “dialogue” panel, just send an email to Linda at LLB1966@gmail.com.)16 attendees
•OnlineONLINE / SPANISH: EPICTETO DISERTACIONES POR ARRIANO
OnlineEsta reunión es cada miércoles a las 7 p.m. EST
CALENDARIO
EPICTETO DISERTACIONES POR ARRIANO
1/7/2026 I SOBRE LO QUE DEPENDE DE NOSOTROS Y LO QUE NO DEPENDE DE NOSOTROS
1/14/2026 II CÓMO PODRÍA UNO EN CUALQUIER SITUACIÓN SALVAGUARDAR SU DIGNIDAD PERSONAL
1/21/2026 III CÓMO SE PODRÍAN OBTENER LAS CONSECUENCIAS DE QUE LA DIVINIDAD SEA PADRE DE LOS HOMBRES
1/28/2026 IV SOBRE EL PROGRESO
2/4/2026 V CONTRA LOS ACADÉMICOS 2/11/2026 VI SOBRE LA PROVIDENCIA
2/18/2026 VII SOBRE EL USO DE LOS RAZONAMIENTOS EQUÍVOCOS, HIPOTÉTICOS
2/25/2026 VIII QUE LAS CAPACIDADES DIALÉCTICAS NO CARECEN DE RIESGOS PARA LOS NO INSTRUIDOS
3/4/2026 IX DE CÓMO LLEGARÍA UNO A LAS CONSECUENCIAS DE NUESTRO PARENTESCO CON LA DIVINIDAD
3/11/2026 X A LOS QUE SE ESFUERZAN POR HACER CARRERA EN ROMA
3/18/2026 XI SOBRE EL CARIÑO FAMILIAR
3/25/2026 XII SOBRE LA SATISFACCIÓN
4/1/2026 XIII CÓMO ES POSIBLE HACERLO TODO DE MODO QUE AGRADE A LOS DIOSES
4/8/2026 XIV QUE LA DIVINIDAD CONTEMPLA A TODOS
4/15/2026 XV QUÉ PROMETE LA FILOSOFÍA
4/22/2026 XVI SOBRE LA PROVIDENCIA
4/29/2026 XVII QUE LA LÓGICA ES NECESARIA
5/6/2026 XVIII QUE NO HAY QUE ENFURECERSE CON QUIENES SE EQUIVOCAN
5/13/2026 XIX QUÉ ACTITUD HAY QUE MANTENER FRENTE A LOS TIRANOS
5/20/2026 XX DE CÓMO LA RAZÓN ES ESPECULATIVA SOBRE SÍ MISMA
5/27/2026 XXI A LOS QUE QUIEREN SER ADMIRADOS
6/3/2026 XXII SOBRE LAS PRESUNCIONES
6/10/2026 XXIII EN RESPUESTA A EPICURO
6/17/2026 XXIV CÓMO HAY QUE LUCHAR CONTRA LAS CIRCUNSTANCIAS DIFÍCILES
6/24/2026 XXV SOBRE LO MISMO
7/1/2026 XXVI CUÁL HA DE SER LA NORMA DE VIDA
7/8/2026 XXVII DE CUÁNTAS MANERAS SE PRESENTAN LAS REPRESENTACIONES Y QUÉ AYUDAS HAY QUE TENER A MANO FRENTE A ELLAS
7/15/2026 XXVIII QUE NO HAY QUE IRRITARSE CON LOS HOMBRES Y QUÉ COSAS SON PEQUEÑAS Y CUÁLES GRANDES ENTRE LOS HOMBRES
7/22/2026 XXIX SOBRE EL APLOMO
7/29/2026 XXX QUÉ HAY QUE TENER A MANO EN LAS DIFICULTADES
ZONAS HORARIAS
Hora de encuentro (EE. UU.):
19:00 h, hora del este
18:00 h, hora central
17:00 h, hora de las montañas
16:00 h, hora del Pacífico
Para nuestros amigos internacionales:
Conviertan la hora con la herramienta gratuita
https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/
ENLACE ZOOM
HAGA CLIC PARA COMENZAR LA REUNIÓN - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7156108004
Si no tienes una computadora con cámara, también puedes marcar usando un teléfono. Elige uno de estos números y agrega el ID 7156108004#
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
Nuestro grupo disfruta de conversaciones abiertas y respetuosas sobre el estoicismo y su relación con la ciencia, la cultura, la filosofía, otros sistemas de creencias e incluso la cultura popular (libros y películas). A veces "acordamos estar en desacuerdo", pero el objetivo a largo plazo es mejorar nuestras mentes a través de debates grupales.
En general, el estoicismo nos enseña cómo manejar personas y eventos difíciles, cómo evitar la ira y la preocupación y, sobre todo, a utilizar la moderación en todos los aspectos de nuestra vida.
Esta reunión es gratuita y abierta al público.1 attendee
Past events
1596
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