Table Of ContentPraise for: Stoic Warriors
"Sherman traces the origins of what we consider soldier-like behavior, reach-
ing back to ancient philosophers like Aristotle, Cicero and Seneca and finding
echoes of their moral view in later writers. She is at pains to show, in wonder-
fully clear prose, that Stoicism is filled with subtleties and nuance. It does not,
for instance, deny the Tightness of just anger but warns against its self-maiming
effects."—Watt Street Journal
"As the war in Iraq produces more combat deaths, Dr. Sherman describes how
the importance of collective grief works in war and the appropriate decorum
for a leader facing massive losses. This thoughtful analysis, written engagingly,
will contribute to our understanding."—Madeleine K.Albright, U.S. Secretary
of State, 1997-2001
"A brilliant exploration of Stoicism in the context of military culture, where
honor, endurance, discipline and the control of anger are constantly in mind,
and Stoic ideas resonate. Sherman's richly anecdotal account is both riveting
and moving as she explores Stoic themes in the lives of soldiers present and
past."—Julia Annas, University of Arizona
"This is an unusual, ambitious book and Nancy Sherman succeeds wonder-
fully. Readable and fascinating, the book helps you explore and understand
the military ethos through her examination of Stoicism—and the philosophy
through her accounts of military life."—Anthony Lake, U.S. National Security
Adviser, 1993-1997
"This is an impressive book, and in many ways a moving one, even a personal
one. It offers a valuable treatment of Stoic philosophy, and of military culture,
which she clearly understands and respects. Indeed readers will find here not so
much groundbreaking research on Stoic texts or their interpretations as some-
thing more like a philosophy, or the core of a philosophy, of military service—a
philosophy of one of the fundamental professional roles in our culture, with
implications for our most fundamental role of all, human agency."—Notre Dame
Philosophical Reviews
"Written with grace, insight, philosophical rigor, and a profound respect
for military culture, Stoic Warriors is a unique and richly illuminating book."
—Martha C. Nussbaum, University of Chicago
"Stoic Warriors is lively and readable, without losing expert command of the
original sources that give this book authority. American officers will profit
from re-examining their oldest invisible truths."—Jonathan Shay, Chair of
Ethics, Leadership, and Personnel Policy in the office of the Deputy Chief of
Staff of the Army, and author of Odysseus in America
"From kings to prisoners of war, military men have often reached for the wis-
dom of philosophers to help them understand and cope with their profes-
sions. Nancy Sherman, an expert in Stoic philosophy, traveled in the opposite
direction—teaching and applying her scholarship inside the military world.
Here she tests the wisdom of the ages against the experiences of our naval
officers. This book is a gift that permits us all to learn as she did."—Richard
Danzig, 71st Secretary, U.S. Navy
"A very interesting and valuable insight into the philosophy of Stoicism which
appears to guide the actions and influence the culture of many in the military,
even those who are not intimately familiar with the philosophy. Of interest to
military and civilian readers alike."—Admiral Charles Larson, 4 star and former
CINC PAC and USNA superintendent
Stoic Warriors
THE ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY
BEHIND THE MILITARY MIND
NANCY S H E R M AN
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
OXPORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
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Copyright © 2005 by Oxford University Press
First published by Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
www.oup.com
First issued as an Oxford University Press paperback, 2007
ISBN 978-0-19-531591-2
Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of Oxford University Press.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Sherman, Nancy, 1951-
Stoic warriors : the ancient philosophy
behind the military mind / Nancy Sherman,
p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index.
i. Stoics. 2. Psychology, Military. I. Title.
6528.8299 2005
188—dc22 2004065476
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
For my parents,
Beatrice and Seymour Sherman,
and my aunt,
Anna Cohen
Like the inner wall of a house
that after wars and destruction becomes
an outer one—
that's how I found myself suddenly,
too soon in life. I've almost forgotten what it means
to be inside. It no longer hurts;
I no longer love. Far or near—
they're both very far from me,
equally far.
I'd never imagined what happens to colors.
The same as with human beings: a bright blue drowses
inside the memory of dark blue and night,
a paleness sighs
out of a crimson dream. A breeze
carries odors from far away
but itself has no odor. The leaves of the squill die
long before its white flower,
which never knows
the greenness of spring and dark love.
I lift my eyes to the hills. Now I understand
what it means to lift up the eyes, what a heavy burden
it is. But these violent longings, this pain of
never-again-to-be-inside.
—Yehuda Amichai,
"Like the Inner Wall of a House"
(trans. Ghana Bloch)
Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments ix
1 A Brave New Stoicism 1
2 Sound Bodies and Sound Minds 18
3 Manners and Morals 42
4 A Warrior's Anger 64
5 Fear and Resilience 100
6 Permission to Grieve 130
7 The Downsized Self 150
Notes 180
Bibliography 209
Photograph Credits and Permissions 234
Index 235
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Preface and Acknowledgments
This book is about "sucking it up." In politer terms, it is about being stoic as
part of military bearing. The issue could not be more pressing, given the U.S.
Army's expansion of "stop-loss" orders to keep soldiers from leaving the ser-
vice and the general malaise of a war in Iraq that has turned into street fights
with insurgents. As war turns uglier and deadlier, the need to be stoic in war
seems ever more urgent. The question that preoccupies me is what light an-
cient Stoic theory can shed on our contemporary notions of what it means to
be stoic. In particular, how can tensions internal to the ancient debate itself
instruct us about the attractions and dangers of austere self-control and disci-
pline? These questions grew out of a stint at the United States Naval Academy,
where I held the Distinguished Chair in Ethics from 1997 to 1999. Popularized
notions of being stoic resonated with young and older officers alike, but so too
did the readings of actual Stoic philosophers such as Epictetus. The idea that
one's happiness could depend solely on one's own virtue and that one's agency
and control might be bulletproof appealed to them. But few had thought seri-
ously about the costs of being stoic. Personal psychological costs may be the
most obvious. Critical, but little noticed, are diminished capacity for moral rea-
soning and reduced ability to lead others in difficult and deadly circumstances.
As this book goes to press, thousands of U.S. combat troops are in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Some will never return. Others have returned or will return rav-
aged by war. Some will suffer from psychological trauma but think that not
being able to tough it out is a sure sign of moral weakness. Others know better
but worry about the stigma of seeking psychological help; they worry about
the shame of not bearing up in a culture in which unflappable strength is
always expected. Others worry that if all who suffer psychological pain or im-
pairment do seek help, the Veteran's Administration may not be able to pro-
vide treatment for them. (A recent study from Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research indicated that 17 percent of those returning from Iraq suffer from symp-
toms related to post-traumatic stress disorder three months after their return.
Other studies predict that the number will be higher later on, as assessments are
