Socrates and the Stoics didn’t find their goal in toughness alone — that’s the opposite of what the article actually says. They thought…
Wait. None of this is in the article and I’d have to disagree with most of it. :/
Socrates and the Stoics didn’t find their goal in toughness alone — that’s the opposite of what the article actually says. They thought aspects of Spartan discipline were worth learning insofar as they could contribute to wisdom and virtue, the true goals of life.
Perhaps but, as I said, Socrates and the Stoics didn’t suggest emulating the Spartan political state as a whole.
See above.
Who ever said that the Spartans only ate “grains and a few nibbles of vegetables” and no protein? In the article, I mentioned that their main staple was the notorious black broth, made from meat and blood — loads of protein. They also appear to have eaten a variety of other foods, though, as you’d expect.
Did you not notice the passage in the article where it explicitly states the following caveat?
Now, ancient Sparta was, for the most part, a notoriously brutal regime. The severe training (agoge) they put their young sons through was intended to build courage and self-discipline in preparation for military service. However, I suspect what philosophers from at least the time of Socrates onward intended was to argue that certain aspects of the Spartan training could be adapted for use in a philosopher’s way of life, in the service of developing a character shaped by wisdom, justice, and virtue in general.