This Is The Stoicism Talk The Navy Banned

Ryan Holiday, a prominent author and proponent of Stoicism, found himself banned from speaking about the philosophy at the U.S. Naval Academy due to concerns over his unorthodox interpretations and his emphasis on certain controversial aspects of Stoicism. The academy typically seeks to maintain a strict adherence to traditional military values and teachings, which may not fully align with Holiday’s modern interpretations.

Holiday’s approach to Stoicism often blends it with themes from marketing and personal development, which some faculty members felt could dilute or misrepresent the military’s foundational principles derived from Stoic thought. The decision to restrict his involvement may also reflect a broader caution within military institutions regarding the promotion of non-traditional ideas and the need to ensure that all teachings align closely with the academy’s mission and values.

While the Naval Academy has a history of integrating Stoic philosophy into its training—drawing on figures such as Marcus Aurelius and Seneca—Ryan Holiday’s contemporary and entrepreneurial applications of Stoicism raised questions about the appropriateness and applicability of his message in a military context. Watch the video and decide for yourself if the Navy was ‘right’ to ban Holiday..