Massimo Pigliucci

Italian-American philosopher and biologist; K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York; author of How to Be a Stoic (2017); writes the newsletter Figs in Winter.

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What they believe

Epictetus argued against the death penalty.

In this essay, I want to argue that Epictetus also pretty explicitly argued against the death penalty — then very common practice in the Roman world — in a famous passage of the Discourses.

figsinwintertime.substack.comSaid 27 Oct 2026This on korrents
When a label applies to everything it describes nothing, and we lose the ability to notice the real thing.

Because, arguably, when a word applies to everything it describes nothing, and the cost is not pedantic but epistemic: we lose the ability to notice when the real thing shows up.

figsinwintertime.substack.comSaid 13 Oct 2026This on korrents

The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These 2: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.

All 8 beliefs, on korrents

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Sources

27 October

Massimo PigliucciKorrents 27 Oct

From one piece Epictetus argues against the death penalty 3 beliefs · figsinwintertime.substack.com

korrents.com
Recidivism is lower under reform-oriented incarceration than under harsh retributive systems like the American one.

America

Their words

And just in case you are wondering, the incidence of recidivism is lower than that of harsh retributive approaches like the American “justice” (really, revenge) system.

Epictetus argues against the death penaltyfigsinwintertime.substack.com
korrents.com
Treating a wrongdoer as mistaken rather than evil is compatible with stopping them from doing further harm.

Their words

There is no contradiction in saying that someone is sick rather than evil, and yet taking measures so that he is in no position to keep stealing.

Epictetus argues against the death penaltyfigsinwintertime.substack.com
korrents.com
Epictetus argued against the death penalty.

Their words

In this essay, I want to argue that Epictetus also pretty explicitly argued against the death penalty — then very common practice in the Roman world — in a famous passage of the Discourses.

Epictetus argues against the death penaltyfigsinwintertime.substack.com

13 October

Massimo PigliucciKorrents 13 Oct

From one piece Conceptual stretching: why everyone you dislike is a fascist, or a communist, or both – Part I 2 beliefs · figsinwintertime.substack.com

korrents.com
Communism is a subset of socialism, not a distinct political position.

Their words

Communism, according to Karl Marx, is stateless, classless, and post-scarcity, but it is a sub-set of socialism, not a distinct political position.

figsinwintertime.substack.com
korrents.com
When a label applies to everything it describes nothing, and we lose the ability to notice the real thing.

Their words

Because, arguably, when a word applies to everything it describes nothing, and the cost is not pedantic but epistemic: we lose the ability to notice when the real thing shows up.

figsinwintertime.substack.com

24 September

Massimo PigliucciKorrents 24 Sept

From one piece The past is not a defendant 3 beliefs · figsinwintertime.substack.com

korrents.com
The moral truth that slavery is wrong was accessible in principle at all times.

Their words

The moral truth that slavery is wrong was accessible at all times, in principle, because (I think) it’s a truth about human nature, in line with my naturalistic realism.

The past is not a defendantfigsinwintertime.substack.com
korrents.com
People of the past should be judged by what a reasonable person in their context could be expected to see.

Their words

So the standard should not be “could a genius have known better?” but rather “what could a reasonable person embedded in that context be expected to see?”

The past is not a defendantfigsinwintertime.substack.com
korrents.com
Condemning people of the past by modern moral standards gets in the way of understanding them.

Their words

But the most important problem with presentism is that condemnation crowds out comprehension: you cannot learn from people you’re busy sentencing.

The past is not a defendantfigsinwintertime.substack.com

2 October 2022

Massimo PigliucciRecommends 2 Oct 2022

Recommendsrcmnd.app
The Character Gap

Their words

The title, The Character Gap, refers to the notion that, typically, we’re not as good as we think we should be.

fivebooks.com
Recommendsrcmnd.app
Meditations

Their words

The full title is Meditations: The Annotated Edition and you could spend more time looking through the notes than in the actual text.

fivebooks.com
Recommendsrcmnd.app
Pharsalia

Their words

In fact, quite apart from the topic that we’re talking about today, how to be a better person, Pharsalia is one of the best epic poems in the Western tradition.

fivebooks.com

1 September 2020

Massimo PigliucciRecommends 1 Sept 2020

Recommendsrcmnd.app
The Discourses of Epictetus

Their words

The very first book that I read after this renewed interest in Stoicism was The Discourses of Epictetus.

fivebooks.com
Recommendsrcmnd.app
A Guide to the Good Life

Their words

The second book that I recommend, William Irvine’s A Guide to the Good Life, deals with this in some detail.

fivebooks.com
Recommendsrcmnd.app
A New Stoicism

Their words

The first time I encountered A New Stoicism was in the context of a book group discussion in New York.

fivebooks.com

The whole feed →

Beliefs

Korrents What they believe 8 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
Recent
- Epictetus argued against the death penalty.
  
  In this essay, I want to argue that Epictetus also pretty explicitly argued against the death penalty — then very common practice in the Roman world — in a famous passage of the Discourses.
  
  Epictetus argues against the death penalty Said 27 Oct 2026
  
  Full record — everyone who holds this →
- Treating a wrongdoer as mistaken rather than evil is compatible with stopping them from doing further harm.
  
  There is no contradiction in saying that someone is sick rather than evil, and yet taking measures so that he is in no position to keep stealing.
  
  Epictetus argues against the death penalty Said 27 Oct 2026
  
  Full record — everyone who holds this →
- Recidivism is lower under reform-oriented incarceration than under harsh retributive systems like the American one.
  
  And just in case you are wondering, the incidence of recidivism is lower than that of harsh retributive approaches like the American “justice” (really, revenge) system.
  
  Epictetus argues against the death penalty Said 27 Oct 2026
  
  Full record — everyone who holds this →
  
  America
Show 5 more

When a label applies to everything it describes nothing, and we lose the ability to notice the real thing.

Because, arguably, when a word applies to everything it describes nothing, and the cost is not pedantic but epistemic: we lose the ability to notice when the real thing shows up.

Conceptual stretching: why everyone you dislike is a fascist, or a communist, or both – Part I Said 13 Oct 2026

Full record — everyone who holds this →

Communism is a subset of socialism, not a distinct political position.

Communism, according to Karl Marx, is stateless, classless, and post-scarcity, but it is a sub-set of socialism, not a distinct political position.

Conceptual stretching: why everyone you dislike is a fascist, or a communist, or both – Part I Said 13 Oct 2026

Full record — everyone who holds this →

Condemning people of the past by modern moral standards gets in the way of understanding them.

But the most important problem with presentism is that condemnation crowds out comprehension: you cannot learn from people you’re busy sentencing.

The past is not a defendant Said 24 Sept 2026

Full record — everyone who holds this →

People of the past should be judged by what a reasonable person in their context could be expected to see.

So the standard should not be “could a genius have known better?” but rather “what could a reasonable person embedded in that context be expected to see?”

The past is not a defendant Said 24 Sept 2026

Full record — everyone who holds this →

The moral truth that slavery is wrong was accessible in principle at all times.

The moral truth that slavery is wrong was accessible at all times, in principle, because (I think) it’s a truth about human nature, in line with my naturalistic realism.

The past is not a defendant Said 24 Sept 2026

Full record — everyone who holds this →
All 8 beliefs →

What is a korrent?

A korrent is a belief a person has stated in their own words: one sentence stating the claim, backed by a quote and a source, kept at korrents.com.

Under a name here, the quoted block is what they actually said. The korrent beneath it is the claim those words support, in korrents' wording — tap it to see the record, its source, and who else holds it.

Nobody here wrote their own korrents. They are compiled from public statements, and a person can change their mind, which is recorded too.

Recommends rcmnd

rcmnd What they recommend 6 things — each backed by an exact quote.
Compiled by rcmnd.app, not by them: the quotes are theirs, and each links to the post it was copied from.
Recent
- Recommends Pharsalia 2 Oct 2022
  
  In fact, quite apart from the topic that we’re talking about today, how to be a better person, Pharsalia is one of the best epic poems in the Western tradition.
  
  fivebooks.com 2 Oct 2022
  
  What others say about Pharsalia →
- Recommends Meditations 2 Oct 2022
  
  The full title is Meditations: The Annotated Edition and you could spend more time looking through the notes than in the actual text.
  
  fivebooks.com 2 Oct 2022
  
  What others say about Meditations →
- Recommends The Character Gap 2 Oct 2022
  
  The title, The Character Gap, refers to the notion that, typically, we’re not as good as we think we should be.
  
  fivebooks.com 2 Oct 2022
  
  What others say about The Character Gap →
Show 3 more

Recommends A New Stoicism 1 Sept 2020

The first time I encountered A New Stoicism was in the context of a book group discussion in New York.

fivebooks.com 1 Sept 2020

What others say about A New Stoicism →

Recommends A Guide to the Good Life 1 Sept 2020

The second book that I recommend, William Irvine’s A Guide to the Good Life, deals with this in some detail.

fivebooks.com 1 Sept 2020

What others say about A Guide to the Good Life →

Recommends The Discourses of Epictetus 1 Sept 2020

The very first book that I read after this renewed interest in Stoicism was The Discourses of Epictetus.

fivebooks.com 1 Sept 2020

What others say about The Discourses of Epictetus →
All 6 recommendations →

Where they publish

Newsletter Figs in Winter Essays on Stoicism and reason

Open figsinwintertime.substack.com

Link verified 1 Nov 2026.

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