Episode 17 – Justice: Hierocles’ Circles of Concern

This episode introduces Hierocles' powerful Stoic concept of the "Circles of Concern," a visual metaphor for understanding and expanding our natural sense of care and empathy. The practice begins by imagining ourselves at the center of a series of concentric circles. The innermost circle contains our own mind and body. Subsequent circles, moving outward, encompass our immediate family, then extended relatives, neighbors, fellow citizens, and finally, the outermost circle, which includes the entirety of humanity.

The episode explains that our natural inclination is to care most deeply for those in the inner circles. The Stoic ethical task, however, is to consciously and deliberately work to draw the outer circles inward, to treat those who are more distant with the same level of care and concern we naturally feel for those closest to us. This is an active, imaginative exercise in expanding our sense of "what is mine," blurring the lines between self and other.

This practice radically redefines empathy and justice, transforming them from abstract principles into a tangible, daily discipline. It's a powerful tool for cultivating a true sense of cosmopolitanism—of being a citizen of the world. By consistently working to contract these circles, we can move beyond the narrow confines of self-interest and develop a profound, rational, and all-encompassing sense of connection and responsibility for the entire human family.