25 Finding your Stoic Purpose with The Bluestockings | Philosophy and Literature - Female Empowerment - Bluestocking Society -Women's intellectual history.                  The Female Stoic Podcast.

Welcome to the Female Stoic podcast.My name is Stephanie Poppins and I am an advocate for literary empowerment.That means I believe the example set by the literary masters can broaden life perspective, create increased self-awareness, and empower us to overcome the obstacles we encounter here in the 21st century.

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By listening and referring what we hear to Stoic philosophy, we can foster a strong sense of self and navigate the world more effectively.This podcast takes the form of both discussions and meditations, and if you like what you hear, you might consider looking me up on my socials where I post empowering videos every day.

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Or you may like my classic audiobooks and original stories available on my website, newworldbooks.uk.Happy listening.

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Welcome to the 1st edition of the Female Stoic Podcast 2026.It's lovely to see you all and today I am going to be, and thank you for listening in.

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Today I'm going to be talking about Stoic Purpose, which I felt was quite an apartment topic to begin the new year with.I will be referring to the achievements of Elizabeth Montague and the Blue Stocking Group, and I am seeking to address a couple of questions that I think are quite poignant at this time of the year.

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Question number one, why do I get up?Why do I get up and question #2 what is my purpose?They seem to be very simple questions, especially question number one.

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Why do I get up?But actually, if we think about that in depth, that's quite a deep dive of a question.Yes, we have commitments.Yes, we have things that we are called upon to do, but why do I get up?

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What is my purpose?And as Stoics, we believe it's essential to have a well defined purpose in order for good well-being.So this is the perfect time for us to set good intentions, to reaffirm our Stoic resolve, the beginning of a new year.

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And as Stoics, we believe an essential part of living a virtuous life lies in the contribution we can make to the common welfare of humanity.However, that should look for us.So essentially just by being, that is a purpose in itself.

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And it's up to us to hone that in, to look at our skills, what we can offer ourselves and the world, and reaffirm, reset and reconnect with at the beginning of 2026, our purpose.

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And of course, later on we shall have our weekly journal task which can support us in that endeavour.It will help us determine our strengths and ways we can serve A cause greater than ourselves.There are many ways we can fulfil our purpose and we as individuals have many purposes, so we're going to look at the significance of these.

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As Stoics, we believe an essential part of living a virtuous life lies in the contribution we make to the common welfare of humanity.However, that should look for us.Each of ours is made for the benefit of our species, and we acknowledge the importance of the role we have to play in something bigger than ourselves.

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So yes, we exist as individuals, but also part of a bigger moving, breathing entity.Finding our Stoic purpose involves dedicating ourselves to something that cannot be found in selfish pursuits or material comfort.

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And being aware of our Stoic purpose helps us focus on what is within our control rather than remaining distracted by things that are outside of it.So let's take a look at Elizabeth Montague and her development of the Blue Stocking Group.

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As we know, the Blue Stocking Group in the 18th century was established to promote intellectual equality.It aimed to provide a setting where women could expand their knowledge and engage in rational conversation as intellectual equals with prominent male thinkers, artists and writers of the day.

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And Elizabeth Montague set up a salon in her house.And this was a significant precursor to later feminist movements.It helped to redefine women's social roles in the 18th century.Elizabeth Montague, British social reformer, patron of the arts, saloniere, literary critic and writer.

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She also occasionally provided financial backing for women to publish their work.And that helped bring these female authors that I read in my audio books into public notice.

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And the Blue Stockings were encouraged to become a specialist in varying fields, so that when they attended the salon, there was some commitment to eloquent and informed exchanges that would further the knowledge and the harmony of the group as a whole.

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So each individual is contributing.Essentially, Montague's purpose was to facilitate the platform upon which her and the others could contribute ideas, and the members purpose was to contribute intellectually.

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Each of the purposes contributed to the whole by default.Each and every person would become more knowledgeable.Every person would benefit individually and benefit the whole through the identification of their purpose.

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And that's what we're talking about today, how we can benefit through our actions individually and benefit the whole through the identification of our purpose.So Elizabeth Montague championing female literacy and education funding publications so that by the 1770's the term blue stocking was synonymous with intellectual women.

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She successfully managed her husband's Northumberland coal mines and this increased wealth as a result of her actions meant that when she became widowed in 1775, she used the money to build Montague House, a mansion in Portman Square, where her assemblies for the Blue Stockings continued on a grander scale than before.

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So she was growing, she was continually evolving, she was continually developing for the benefit of herself and the Blue Stocking Group as a whole.And then her sister went on to write and other Blue Stockings went on to write significant literary works of the time and contribute to the publishing of literary works from a female perspective, which is amazing.

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A description of Millennium Hall and the Country Adjacent was published in 1762 by her sister Sarah Scott, and this imagined A feminist utopia where women lived in a harmonious community secluded from domestic responsibility, and could instead dedicate their lives to the arts and acts of charity.

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If you can imagine such a work being published at that time, it was unheard of before.Sarah Fielding, another prominent member of the Blue Stocking Group, published The Little Female Academy or The Governess in 1749 and this was largely recognised as the first full length novel for children.

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It follows 9 pupils that Mrs. Teaching's boarding school over 10 days of learning and storytelling.So the first full length novel by a woman written for children.There were many firsts in this group and these came about because of the identification of purpose.

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I always find it helpful when I'm walking around to think every single part of the experience I have today has occurred as a result of somebody's dream, somebody's intention, somebody's commitment to their purpose.

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Every building, every shop, every technological achievement, we we take advantage of all of the healthcare that we have Privy to and the developments within healthcare.

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Every single element of our life that we experience in the material world exists as the result of somebody else's dream, somebody else's identification of their purpose.And with the Blue Stocking Group, their purpose was very clearly identified and they all committed to developing themselves, their higher self in order to realise their purpose and the purpose of the Blue Stocking Group.

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So many examples of the feminist legacy of the Blue Stockings.Many more publications came from it.Anna Barboard, Hannah Moore, and after the Blue Stockings celebrated their achievements, came along Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women.

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She came along slightly later in the Blue Stocking group, but she shared the Blue Stockings interest in female intellect and education.And then this began the development of more radical political views.The Blue Stockings were quite neutral in that way.

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They were quite happy to continue with the roles assigned to them.They were quite happy to still be and maintain domestication and be happy in their roles within the home.

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But they sought to develop their intellect and sought to be listened to and recognise as intellectual beings as well as that.Whereas when we've got feminist developments further on that have used the blue stockings as a starting point, they become a little bit more radical and there's quite a lot of rejection from of that domestication.

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But of course, this was the 18th century, and the focus was very much on adopting new ideas, but also not wishing to be rejected, not wishing to be so radical that they wouldn't be heard.

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And of course we have Elizabeth Carter, another key member with her translation of Epictetus Discourses.She was praised heavily by Samuel Johnson, and he was arguably the premier English literary figure of the mid and late 18th century.

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He called her the best Greek scholar on in in England and the view that she perfectly balanced intellectual pursuits with domestic duties upheld her cause and her purpose.

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My old friend Missus Carter, he said, could make a pudding as well as translate epictetuses discourses in recognition of her dual purpose.So her dual purpose being a scholar and a homemaker.And this is the point I'm making here.

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It doesn't have to be that we sacrifice everything for one purpose, but we understand any purpose we have, any roles we undertake, we are committed to undertaking and performing them to honour our higher self, to honour our virtuous self.

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And of course, Missus Elizabeth Carter.She didn't have children of her own, but she took on significant family responsibilities.She tutored her younger half siblings after her mother's death and her father's remarriage and she still was very much a part of that familial setting and held a significant role within it.

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And this is really the point I'm trying to make here.We can exist in more than one space, but it's our commitment to honouring the purpose, the role that we have undertaken and seeking some identification within that and honouring what that means for us and the wider community.

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Whether that be within our family, whether that be within a charitable setting, whether that be within our role that we undertake for work.Elizabeth Montague said It is more to my personal happiness and advantage to indulge the love and admiration of excellence than to cherish a secret envy of it.

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And what her purpose here is, is to achieve personal excellence as a means to maintain her inner peace.But she's acknowledging any emotion associated with envy is chaotic.It attacks her in its citadel.

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So she's not denying that she might feel envy.She's acknowledging the emotion of envy is enticing, hence the word cherish.And to cherish a secret envy of it and the need to keep it secret, she acknowledges, reflects vulnerability through exposure and in a weakness of character.

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So what she's saying is I am going to indulge the love and admiration of excellence for my own sake because that reaffirms my purpose.It's enticing to be envious of others and not wishing to channel my energy into my higher self.

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It's in fact the easy path.But it's enticing because it's easy.But I choose not to.I choose to acknowledge my purpose, indulge my love and admiration of excellence because I love myself.I'm committed to my higher self and this is what it takes in order to honour my higher self.

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Another of my favorite quotes.It's very unreasonable of people to expect one should be at home because 1 is in the house.Of all privileges, that of invisibility is the most valuable.

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What a wonderful quote.That's one of my favourite quotes of all time.So her purpose here is empowerment.She's saying just because I'm home, it doesn't mean I'm available.My purpose is to empower myself and others beyond societal expectation.

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You can imagine someone saying this in the 18th century, a woman saying this.Montague is saying my purpose is to seek fulfilment outside of the socially acceptable.This was ground breaking.I'll read that again.

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It is very unreasonable of people to expect one should be at home because 1 is in the house.Of all privileges, that of invisibility is the most valuable.What a quote, and I agree.

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As Stoics, we are committed to our core purpose, and the core purpose is to become the best, most rational and virtuous person we can be.Whichever roles we are assigned, we are trying to deliver them to the best of our ability.

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We're avoiding chasing fleeting pleasures or external validation, but we are seeking longevity in daily practice and alignment with our higher self.Now, our purpose might not be to lead, as was Elizabeth Montague's, but certainly to set an example.

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And as women, we have many roles assigned to us, but the ones we undertake and the ones we are committed to, we understand it's important for us to set an example for ourselves.Just as much as anybody else.

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We are committed to the protection of our inner peace.The Blue Stockings had a clear sense of purpose.They sought to fulfil that for the betterment of themselves and others.And This is why I am using them as an example today.

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Epicteter says your purpose is to be good, using every moment as training to strengthen your character and live freely by mastering your own mind independent of fate's twists.Live freely and master your own mind.

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If I am to be free from external forces, the power of external forces, I have to master my own mind, master my reactions to those, and master my commitment to whichever purpose I have, anything I undertake to doing that the best I can for myself as much As for anyone else.

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And that's the point here.So how can we adopt A sense of purpose in our life?First of all, let's remember we're focusing on the actions, not the outcomes.

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The outcomes, however, our commitment to our purpose, the work we do is perceived, is beyond our circle of control.Any effort we make for the betterment of the whole may succeed or fail, but this does not affect our commitment to making the effort.

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And that's the point here.We commit to whatever it is we feel is honouring our higher self.Regardless, our choice to be virtuous is what matters.Marcus Aurelius says let no act be done without a purpose, nor otherwise than according to the perfect principles of art.

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So he's highlighting here our duty to live rationally and serve the common good.And how do we do this?So if we are living rationally and serving the common good, it doesn't mean we have to make grand gestures.

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We could be picking up litter, helping a neighbor, simply performing our role as a mother, sister, wife, aunt to the best of our ability with excellence and integrity.We can apply our knowledge, expertise and resources in ways that benefit others as well as ourselves, whether in our personal life, professional life, perhaps volunteering with organisations or helping those who live locally.

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Whatever we choose as our purpose, it's important that we stay connected with that purpose and by living in this manner we become inseparable from the well-being of others.

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Our well-being is connected with the well-being of others, which is one of the Stoic ideas that we are all part of a larger living, breathing thing and we all have a significant part to play.

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So we have a meaningful existence and that is transcending personal concerns.That is a commitment to honouring our higher self and by default then honouring those around us.

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And this virtue, this connection with our virtuous self is entirely within our control.We're not attaching any well-being to the outcomes of our service.We do it anyway.And by living in this manner, our well-being and the well-being of others is, as I said, connected.

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So let's have a look at the journal task.As you know, each week on the Female Stoic podcast, I set a journal task.And it's important to acknowledge at this time, the beginning of the year, if we are thinking of undertaking a new journal, maybe we have been bought one for Christmas, maybe we've bought one in the sales.

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It's important to understand that we can use journalling to support us in different ways at different times of the day.So for example, in the morning we can use our journal to set intentions, to review the Stoic principles, to mentally prepare for challenges.

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This helps us align our day with our virtuous self.In the evening, we can examine our actions, we can reflect on where we fell short of our ideals, and we can reflect on what perhaps we could have done better.

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So when I said the journaling task, it's important to bear this in mind when contemplating when you will take the task.And the key steps here are to include asking what truly matters to you.

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So we are looking at self exploration here, identifying our interest and skills.In your journal today, I'd like you to list three things that you enjoy and you're good at.

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Your purpose often lies at the intersection of these two.Three things you enjoy and three things you're good at.They may be 3 things other people say you're good at.They, it's important to acknowledge other people's voices around you so that you have an objective view of who you are and what you represent.

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So that's three things you enjoy and you're good at, whether you have, whether that's coming from your place, your direction, or others around you.And then answer these questions.This is a new year.

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Which problems do I want to solve?What would I do if money wasn't an issue?So which problems do I want to solve?What purpose can I commit to that would solve one of these problems?

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What would I do if I didn't have to consider money?If I could just do anything?This gives you freedom to write down whatever it is that you would undertake, without having to consider any restrictions on that.

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And finally, what do others appreciate about you?Notice when you are writing down the things you enjoy and are good at.What activities make you feel energised and peaceful and which activities make you feel drained and exhausted?

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So it's good to compare the two because you might feel good at some, you might be very good at something, but it may make you feel drained and exhausted.So at this point, at the beginning of the year, we are trying to create a balance.We are trying to self explore and understand who we are so we can set intentions and come to understand our stomach purpose that we will work towards a commitment to throughout the year.

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If we surround ourselves with people who share our values and support our growth, we are going to have a better guide to our purpose.And as I said before, if you pay attention to what people praise you for, it can reveal your hidden strengths may be a purpose that you haven't previously considered.

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So to conclude, if we are establishing our Stoic purpose, we have to understand it's an ongoing process.We have to keep asking ourselves these questions.Re evaluating, we may have met more than one purpose, but all of them are significant.

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What are we going to work on this year?And of course we actively choose as Stoics to build and rebuild and reaffirm that purpose through our choices and actions throughout the year.

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And of course, self reflection when journalling next week, we will look at the literary legacy of the Blue Stockings and relate this to the Stoic labeling of emotions.

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Thank you for listening to the Female Stoic podcast and I'll see you again next time.Bye.Hey Stephanie here, thank you for listening to the Female Stoic Podcast.

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It is an honour and I just want to say I really appreciate you being here.It's amazing the power of women in literature and the stoic messages they have to share.Please, if you can, return the favour by spreading their words and sharing this podcast far and wide so more of us can benefit from their wisdom.

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And don't forget to leave a review if you like what you've heard, see you next time.