DR. KAI WHITING

PHILOSOPHER | PROFESSOR | AUTHOR

“Life is simply the canvas upon which we paint. As with art, the way we apply the brushstrokes, the colours we use, and the scene we draw are what give our work value and meaning.”

 I am a Stoicism and sustainability researcher and university lecturer based at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. I am the co-author of Being Better: Stoicism for a World Worth Living in, where Leonidas Konstantakos and I discuss how people influenced by Stoic philosophy might approach many contemporary issues, including education, socioeconomic inequality, and climate breakdown.

I have written academic papers on Stoic theology, Stoicism and sustainability (food, clothing, material consumption) and Stoicism and education. I have been interviewed by ABC Australia, Vice, and the UK Daily Mail. I have written various articles that discuss matters linked to free speech and identity politics from a Stoic perspective.

Other random facts? I speak three languages. My favourite programme is Lego Ninjago. My favourite book series is Robert Muchamore’s CHERUB series. My favourite bands at the moment are Lacuna Coil and Karnivool. I wish I was less fond of cake.

My ultimate aim is to make Stoicism accessible to everyone interested in living a life worthy of being lived regardless of socioeconomic background, nationality, political or religious belief.

PHILOSOPHICAL MENTORING

Shared contemplation on the highest good.

LATEST WORKS

UPCOMING EVENTS

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BEING BETTER: STOICISM FOR A WORLD WORTH LIVING IN

Twenty-three centuries ago, in a marketplace in Athens, Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism, built his philosophy on powerful ideas that still resonate today: all human beings can become citizens of the world, regardless of their nationality, gender, or social class; happiness comes from living in harmony with nature; and, most important, humans always have the freedom to choose their attitude, even when they cannot control external circumstances. In our age of political polarization and environmental destruction, Stoicism’s empowering message has taken on new relevance. In Being Better, Kai Whiting and Leonidas Konstantakos apply Stoic principles to contemporary issues such as social justice, climate breakdown, and the excesses of global capitalism. They show that Stoicism is not an ivory-tower philosophy or a collection of Silicon Valley life hacks but a vital way of life that helps us live simply, improve our communities, and find peace in a turbulent world.