Ethics: Co-Existing With The Unjust

I am a public philosopher, it is my only job. I am enabled to do this job, in large part, thanks to support from my listeners and readers. You can support my work, keep it independent and online, at https://practicingstoicism.com/pledge. This episode is prompted by a thoughtful listener question: if we judge a political leader to be unjust, would it be unjust to distance ourselves from that leader’s supporters—especially when those supporters are family? For example, would it be just to skip a wedding because a family member supports a political figure we find morally repugnant? I use my own relationship with my father to explore this question through the Stoic framework of role ethics. As Stoics, we occupy many roles—son or daughter, parent, citizen—and each role carries duties that must be reasoned through rather than emotionally rejected. Disagreeing with a parent’s political views does not erase the duties that come with being their child. I explain why Stoicism does not judge people by outcomes or affiliations, but by the reasoning behind their choices. From a Stoic perspective, all unjust actions stem from the same root cause: moral ignorance. There are no degrees of vice at the level of judgment—only differences in consequences. This means that condemning others as uniquely evil while excusing our own lapses misunderstands how Stoic ethics works. Applying this to family relationships, I argue that it is unjust to hold loved ones morally responsible for the actions of political leaders they support, since they do not control those actions. Boycotting a family event as an expression of anger or protest is not a Stoic act unless it can be justified as genuinely just, rather than emotionally satisfying. I also clarify that this does not mean we must tolerate abuse or injustice directed at us personally. Distance can be justified when it prevents harm. But distancing ourselves simply to punish, signal virtue, or indulge resentment is a failure of our rational faculty, not an exercise of it. The Stoic task, difficult as it is, is to argue, to remain engaged, and to resist the temptation to reduce others to their worst judgments. Writing people off may feel righteous, but it fractures our shared world and leads to further injustice. Justice, for the Stoic, requires patience, restraint, and a continued commitment to trying. Looking for a Stoic habit tracker? I've created a free one. You can find it at https://stoictracker.com. Listening on Spotify? Leave a comment! Share your thoughts.