Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast (Donald J. Robertson)

In this episode, I chat with Anya Leonard. Anya is the founder and director of Classical Wisdom, a website and online community dedicated to bringing ancient wisdom to modern minds. She also recently published a children’s book about the ancient Greek poetess, called Sappho: The Lost Poetess.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* How Anya got into the classics

* Why she chose to write a children’s book about Sappho

* Why are classics are important today

* Should only boffins talk and write about classics

* What obstacles do we face teaching people about classics?

* What is Classical Wisdom Kids?

Links

* Check out Anya’s Substack newsletterClassical Wisdom

* And her newClassical Wisdom Kidsnewsletter

* Get her book Sappho: The Lost Poetess

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This is the audio of an interview I gave recently for Book Club with Kaiden Kelly, talking about How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, Verissimus, and Stoicism, self-help and modern psychology.

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In this episode, I answer questions about Stoicism, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), and emotional-resilience from Valentin Lehodey, a digital journalism student at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* What is Stoicism?

* How Stoicism influenced cognitive therapy

* Stoicism as a preventative resilience-building approach

* How Stoicism goes beyond modern psychotherapy

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This is the famous speech, which we’re told inspired Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, to embark on a life of philosophy. He came across it in Book Two of Xenophon’s Memorabilia Socratis, where Socrates is portrayed reciting a version of it, which he learned from the celebrated Sophist and orator, Prodicus. It’s an exhortation to philosophy, which uses the legend of Hercules as an allegory to illustrate the choice between a life of virtue and one of vice. This story was illustrated in our graphic novel, Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* Introducing the speech

* Hercules confronted by the choice between two paths in life

* The temptations of Kakia or Vice, to a life of pleasure and idleness

* The exhortation of Arete or Virtue, to temperance and endurance

* The legacy of the speech and influence on Stoicism

In this episode, I chat with J.W. Bertolotti host of the In Search of Wisdom podcast, and founder of the Perennial Leader Project. Josh was one of the speakers at our Stoicon-x Military event a few years ago. We’re both very active on Substack now, Josh at Perennial Meditations so I thought it would be a great opportunity to reconnect and chat about philosophy as a guide to life.

Highlights

* How Joshua got into philosophy

* His journey as a podcaster speaking to people about the nature of wisdom

* Stoicism and other philosophies

* Desire and attachment in philosophy

* Conceit, and skepticism as a way of life

* How the Delphic maxims can teach us about philosophy

Links

* Perennial Meditations Newsletter on Substack

* In Search of Wisdom Podcast @in sear on Substack and on Spotify

* Perennial Meditations Podcast

* @JWBertolotti on Twitter

* Perennial Leader Project website

In this episode, Donald talks with Matthew Sharpe.  Matt is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Deakin University in Australia.  He’s spoken at Stoicon in Athens.  He is the co-author of Philosophy as a Way of Life, and one of the translators of The Selected Writings of Pierre Hadot: Philosophy as Practice. His most recent book is titled Stoicism, Bullying, and Beyond: How to Keep Your Head When Others Around You Have Lost Theirs and Blame You.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* Stoicism and Philosophy as a Way of Life

* Why isn’t Stoicism more popular in academia?

* Pierre Hadot and Stoicism

* Philosophy and Spiritual Exercises

* Philosophy and the History of Psychotherapy

* Anger, Self-Estrangement, and Politics

* The French Enlightenment and Philosophy as a Way of Life

Links

* Matthew Sharpe Profile at Deakin University

* Stoicism, Bullying, and Beyond

* The Other Enlightenment: Race, Sexuality and Self-Estrangement

* The Selected Writings of Pierre Hadot

* Philosophy as a Way of Life: History, Dimensions, Directions

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In this episode, Donald talks with Michael Tremblay. Michael is the co-founder of the Stoa Meditation app and co-host of the Stoa Conversations podcast.  He has a doctorate in philosophy from Queens University in Ontario.  His research has focused on moral education in the Stoics, and philosophy as a way of life.  He’s also a wrestler and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* How did you become interested in ancient philosophy and why Stoicism rather than Buddhism?

* What is the main thing that we can learn from Epictetus about moral education

* What we can learn from the use of athletic imagery as a metaphor for philosophy in Epictetus and other ancient sources

* Marcus says the “art of living” is more like wrestling than dancing – do you agree?

* The relationship between martial arts, like BJJ, and Stoic askesis

* Could athletic or martial arts training ever conflict with the goals of Stoicism? 

Resources

* Michael on Twitter

* Stoa Meditation on Twitter

* Michael’s Website

In this episode, I talk to Robin Waterfield about the life and philosophy of the Greek philosopher, Plato. Robin is a British classicist who has translated many works of Plato, Xenophon, and other Greek writers. He is also the author of several books, including the recently-published Plato of Athens: A Life in Philosophy, the first full-length modern biography of Plato in English. Robin is also a member of our board of advisors for the Plato’s Academy Centre.

Highlights

* Why is Plato “super-important” today?

* The Socratic Problem — to what extent can we separate Socrates from Plato?

* How eclectic was the early Academy?

* How did Plato differ from the image of Socrates in his dialogues?

* The relationship between Plato and Pythagoreanism

* What advice would Plato give us about dealing with social media?

* Final question: “Why are we born to suffer and die?”

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Links

* Plato of Athens, Oxford University Press

* Robin Waterfield’s website

* Plato’s Academy Centre

* Plato's Academy Centre Newsletter

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In this episode, I talk with Marc J. Victor, about Stoicism and politics. Marc is an attorney in the US, where he is a certified Criminal Law Specialist, and president of the Attorneys for Freedom law firm. He is also an activist and founder of the Live and Let Live global peace movement.

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Highlights

* Why Stoicism is attracting more interest today

* Misconceptions

* What is the Live and Let Live Movement?

* What does “live and let live” mean in terms of your philosophy?

* The relationship between Stoicism and the Live and Let Live principle

* How does the movement define aggression?

* Our competence to avoid being victims of exploitation

* Rhetoric, lawyers, and philosophy

* Final question: “How could we better incorporate Stoicism into a political philosophy that could help us achieve global peace?”

Links

* Live and Let Live

* Marc J. Victor

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How to drink like a Roman emperor, if that emperor is Marcus Aurelius. In this episode I explore the relationship between Stoic philosophy and the Twelve Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous, discussing how Stoicism can help those suffering from alcoholism, as well as their friends and families. I spot parallels between the Twelve Step advice and Stoic teachings, and give examples from the life of Marcus Aurelius. I talk about how his wayward brother, and co-emperor, Lucius Verus, was almost certainly an alcoholic. Also, Frank, retired NYPD police officer, shares his experience of combining Stoicism the Twelve Step Program.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The original article is available on Substack, titled How to Drink Like a Roman Emperor.

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Elliot Chung, a student at Phillips Academy Andover, interviewed me recently for his new Philosophy for the Modern Mind podcast, and we decided to share our conversation on this podcast as well. We talk in particular about how Stoicism could be of practical benefit to young people, and the challenges they face today.

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Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it.

In this episode, I talk to Ryan A. Bush, author of Designing the Mind: The Principles of Psychitecture and the forthcoming Become Who You Are: A New Theory of Self-Esteem, Human Greatness, and the Opposite of Depression. Bonus: Ryan is generously offering listeners two free ebooks from his website, called the Psychitect’s Toolkit and The Book of Self Mastery.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* What is Designing the Mind and Psychitecture?

* How Ryan’s background in design influenced his approach to self-improvement

* The main thing Ryan thinks people should learn to stop doing

* The philosophical influences on Ryan’s work

* How Ryan became interested in Stoicism

* How Ryan’s work draws on cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)

* The role of metacognition and meditation

* Ryan’s views about anger

* How his new book, Become Who You Are, differs from his previous book

Links

* Instagram

* Facebook  

* Twitter

* Website

* Design the Mind: The Principles of Psychitecture

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In this episode, I speak about Stoicism and Buddhism with Matthew Gindin. Matthew is a former Forest Monk in the Thai Buddhist tradition.  He taught meditation practices for 15 years, and has written extensively for Tricycle: The Buddhist Review.  He is now the author of the Philosophy As Therapy newsletter on Substack.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* How Matthew became interested in Stoicism and his other philosophical influences, such as Spinoza

* The rise in popularity of Stoicism, e.g., how it appeals to people interested in Buddhism, etc.

* What do you think Stoicism and Buddhism have in common?

* The historical relationship between Stoicism and Buddhism, e.g., communication between ancient eastern and western philosophers

* How Stoics could benefit from learning more about Buddhism 

Links

* Philosophy As TherapySubstack Newsletter

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In this episode, I speak about Clarity and Wisdom with executive coach, Jim Vaselopulos. Jim is co-host of The Leadership Podcast. We discuss his new book, Clarity: Business Wisdom to Work Less and Achieve More.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* What is clarity?

* What's the relationship between wisdom and clarity?

* What are the benefits of having more clarity?

* What gets in the way of clarity?

* How do we get clarity?

* How do we help other people to get more clarity?

Links

* The Leadership Podcast website

* The Leadership Podcast on Apple

* Jim Vaselopulos on LinkedIn

* Clarity: Business Wisdom to Work Less and Achieve More

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In this episode, I speak about Socrates with Armand D'Angour, professor of classics at Oxford University. He is the translator of How to Innovate: An Ancient Guide to Creative Thinking (2021) and the author of Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher (2020), among other works.

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Highlights

* Why should we care about Socrates today?

* How reliable are our sources regarding Socrates?

* What was Socrates like as a young man?

* How do you imagine his relationship with Pericles and Aspasia?

* Why did Socrates love Alcibiades so much? 

* Did Socrates have a mental illness?

* Why was Socrates executed?

Links

* Armand D’Angour’s website

* Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher

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In this episode, I read an exclusive excerpt from my latest book, Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor, published by Yale University Press, as part of the Ancient Lives Series. The book is a philosophical biography of the Roman emperor, which contains many references to the Meditations and how his philosophy shaped his life. You can help it reach a wider audience by pre-ordering now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any other bookseller.

Marcus Aurelius did not have a heart of stone. When the news was brought to him that one of his most beloved tutors had died, the young Caesar was distraught, and tears poured down his cheeks—he may perhaps have started to beat his chest and tear his clothes in grief. Palace servants, afraid his reputation would be harmed by such a public display of raw emotion, rushed to his side, trying to restrain him. His adoptive father, the emperor Antoninus Pius, a thoughtful and gentle man, gestured for them to step aside. He whispered, “Let him be only a man for once; for neither philosophy nor empire takes away natural feeling.”

Praise from other Authors

“Few historical figures are as fascinating as Marcus Aurelius, the emperor-philosopher. And few writers have been so effective at bringing his complex life and character to the attention of modern readers as Donald Robertson.”—Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life“Robertson has written a very thorough and very readable account of Marcus’s life and the events and people that shaped him. Anyone who wants to understand the author of Meditations should read this book.”—Robin Waterfield, author of Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: The Annotated Edition“Donald Robertson guides us into the world of a philosopher-emperor whose humility and Stoic teachings fill the pages. We are indebted to Robertson for this wonderful account of the emperor who penned notes to himself while in battle that would be later known as the Meditations and read by millions for philosophical inspiration. Simply spellbinding.”—Nancy Sherman, author of Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience“This highly readable biography is the perfect place to begin for anyone who wants to learn more about the man behind the Meditations.”—John Sellars, author of The Pocket Stoic“Robertson’s biography provides a compelling narrative of Marcus’ life, carefully based on the primary sources. He brings out very clearly the life-long significance of Stoicism for Marcus and the interplay between philosophy, politics, and warfare.”—Christopher Gill, author of Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and Its Modern Significance

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it.

In this episode, I speak with Brian Johnson, the Founder & CEO of Heroic Public Benefit Corporation. Brian is the author of a new book called Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.

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Highlights

* What Brian’s new book Arete is about

* How Brian has been influenced by Stoicism

* What is “Targeted Thinking” – can you explain to listeners what you mean by that and why it’s so important?

* You talk quite a bit about wisdom.  I like to ask different people how they would define what they mean by the word wisdom.

* You talk in the book about being a parent – what do you think the main things to bear in mind are when trying to be a role model or offer guidance to our children?

* How can we avoid becoming victims of our own anger?   

* How people can find out more about what Brian is doing through Heroic 

Links

* Arete: Activate your Heroic Potential

* Order the Book on Amazon

* YouTube Channel

* Linkedin

* Instagram

* Facebook

* Twitter/X

* Podcast

Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it.

In this episode, I read an exclusive excerpt from my latest book, Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor, published by Yale University Press, as part of the Ancient Lives Series. The book is a philosophical biography of the Roman emperor, which contains many references to the Meditations and how his philosophy shaped his life. You can help it reach a wider audience by pre-ordering now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any other bookseller.

While the First Marcomannic War was raging, Marcus Aurelius, surrounded by death and betrayal, found consolation in writing his famous notes “to himself” on Stoic philosophy. He also made a solemn vow. If he survived long enough, he would go on pilgrimage to Athens and join the supplicants being initiated in the Temple of Demeter at nearby Eleusis. Hadrian had tried to bring the Eleusinian Mysteries to Rome, but their mystique was rooted in the Greek temple’s ancient site.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

NEW: My publisher, Yale University Press, has generously agreed to offer a whopping 30% discount to you, my Substack Subscribers, when you pre-order my new book Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor. Simply click the pre-order button and at the checkout enter the coupon code Y24AURELIUS to claim 30% off. This offer is valid now, and until February 5th, 2024. (NB: Offer only available to orders placed on the Yale website for delivery to the US or Canada.)

Praise from other Authors

“Few historical figures are as fascinating as Marcus Aurelius, the emperor-philosopher. And few writers have been so effective at bringing his complex life and character to the attention of modern readers as Donald Robertson.”—Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life“Robertson has written a very thorough and very readable account of Marcus’s life and the events and people that shaped him. Anyone who wants to understand the author of Meditations should read this book.”—Robin Waterfield, author of Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: The Annotated Edition“Donald Robertson guides us into the world of a philosopher-emperor whose humility and Stoic teachings fill the pages. We are indebted to Robertson for this wonderful account of the emperor who penned notes to himself while in battle that would be later known as the Meditations and read by millions for philosophical inspiration. Simply spellbinding.”—Nancy Sherman, author of Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience“This highly readable biography is the perfect place to begin for anyone who wants to learn more about the man behind the Meditations.”—John Sellars, author of The Pocket Stoic“Robertson’s biography provides a compelling narrative of Marcus’ life, carefully based on the primary sources. He brings out very clearly the life-long significance of Stoicism for Marcus and the interplay between philosophy, politics, and warfare.”—Christopher Gill, author of Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and Its Modern Significance

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In this episode, I briefly discuss what Marcus Aurelius said about masculinity, and how it might differ from what some modern self-improvement influencers say, despite their claims to be influenced by Stoicism.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* The resurgence of Stoicism and the manosphere

* Stoic philosophy versus being “stoic”

* Marcus Aurelius’ enemies accused him of being unmanly

* Marcus’ mother and father’s influence

* The influence of Emperor Antoninus Pius

* What Marcus says about manliness and anger

* Marcus sums up manliness in one of his favourite slogans: “Upright, not set upright.”

Links

* Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor

* Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

* How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

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In this episode, I speak with Colin Elliott, Associate Chair in the Department of History at Indiana University.  He describes himself as an economic and social historian with an interest in money, disease and ecology in the ancient Roman world. His latest book, Pox Romana: The Plague that Shook the Roman World was released on 6th Feb, the same day as my Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor. It is currently Amazon’s #1 New Release in Communicable Diseases.  Colin is also the host of the Pax Romana Podcast.

Highlights

* What was the Antonine Plague?

* What are our main sources of information on the plague?

* What does Galen have to tell us?

* Can we tell anything at all about the plague or its impact from Marcus’ comments in the Meditations?

* How do you think the plague may have been viewed from a religious perspective?  To what extent would it have been interpreted as a punishment from the gods?

* What do you think the social consequences were?

* What do you think the effect of the plague may have been on Rome’s military capability at the time?

* Are there any parallels that can be drawn between Marcus’ pandemic and our own?

* How might Marcus’ reign have gone differently, or how might Rome have fared better, if the plague had never happened?

Links

* Indiana University Staff Profile

* Pox Romana on Amazon

* Pox Romana at Princeton University Press

* The Pax Romana podcast  

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Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it.

In this episode, I speak with Anthony Magnabosco a founder and the current Executive Director of the nonprofit Street Epistemology International, an educational organization that is committed to addressing dysfunction in public and private discourse by encouraging rationality through civil conversation. Anthony has been involved with Street Epistemology since 2013, and has given dozens of talks and workshops at conferences and events domestically and internationally. Many of his conversations have been uploaded to YouTube and demonstrate how Street Epistemology can be applied to a variety of claims including ones that are spiritual, political, or societal.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* What is Street Epistemology?

* What have you learned from your experience of using Street Epistemology?

* How do you think it relates to the original Socratic Method? 

* How might it relate to psychotherapy? 

* Do you think Street Epistemology has any therapeutic potential?

* What do you think of variations of Street Epistemology like Hidden Claim or the Spectrum SE we see Peter Boghossian doing?

* What do you think the future holds for the method? 

Links

* Street Epistemology website

* Anthony Magnabosco YouTube

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In this episode, I speak with Mark Tuitert. Mark is an Olympic gold medallist in speed skating. He is the author of a new book called The Stoic Mindset: Living the Ten Principles of Stoicism.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* How Mark’s accomplishments in speed skating shaped his life

* How he first become interested in Stoicism and Marcus Aurelius inspire you

* How do you Stoicism helped Mark as an athlete

* What do you think were the key things that helped you deal with your own anger?

* What do you think the relationship is between the sporting or Olympic mindset and the Stoic mindset?

* What’s your favorite exercise from the book and why?

* How do you feel about the experience of being in Athens and visiting the home of philosophy?

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This special episode contains a live recording of my recent talk for Conversations with Modern Stoicism, hosted by Phil Yanov. We were celebrating Marcus Aurelius’ birthday, and I spoke at length about what I think we can learn from ancient Greece about the dangers faced by democracy, and how Socrates and the Stoics could help us. I was speaking live from Athens, the birthplace of democracy. Thanks to Phil Yanov, for providing the audio recording for this podcast episode.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it.

In this episode, I’ll be reading a brief excerpt from my new biography, Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor, which is available as an audiobook as well as in hardback and ebook formats. The book was chosen as an editor’s pick by Barnes and Noble and currently has 4.7 stars on Amazon. You can hear a sample from the studio-recorded audiobook, and read reviews, on Audible. Also see Goodreads for reviews.

* “Given the erratic, not to say murderous, behavior of many of [Marcus’s] predecessors, . . . how did so sterling a character as Marcus come about? That is the subject of Donald J. Robertson’s excellent biographical study.”—Joseph Epstein, National Review

* “Addictively written, this riveting visitation of the fascinating figure of Marcus Aurelius is as comprehensive as it gets, covering everything from his reign to his philosophy.”—“Notes from Your Bookseller,” barnesandnoble.com

* “Eminently readable. . . . A leading light in the modern revival of Stoic philosophy, Robertson directly and elegantly draws out the connections between Marcus’ experiences in the unforgiving crucible of Roman imperial politics and the philosophical ideas he expresses in the Meditations. . . . An invaluable companion to the Meditations itself.”—Peter Juul, Liberal Patriot

* “Few historical figures are as fascinating as Marcus Aurelius, the emperor-philosopher. And few writers have been so effective at bringing his complex life and character to the attention of modern readers as Donald Robertson.”—Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life

* “[Robertson] thoughtfully and readably capture[s] the essence of this great man and his great life. It’s a must read for any aspiring Stoic.”—Ryan Holiday, coauthor of #1 New York Times bestseller The Daily Stoic

* “Robertson has written a very thorough and very readable account of Marcus’s life and the events and people that shaped him. Anyone who wants to understand the author of Meditations should read this book.”—Robin Waterfield, author of Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: The Annotated Edition

* “Donald Robertson guides us into the world of a philosopher-emperor whose humility and Stoic teachings fill the pages. We are indebted to Robertson for this wonderful account of the emperor who penned notes to himself while in battle that would be later known as the Meditations and read by millions for philosophical inspiration. Simply spellbinding.”—Nancy Sherman, author of Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience

* “Robertson’s biography provides a compelling narrative of Marcus’ life, carefully based on the primary sources. He brings out very clearly the life-long significance of Stoicism for Marcus and the interplay between philosophy, politics, and warfare.”—Christopher Gill, author of Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and Its Modern Significance

* “This highly readable biography is the perfect place to begin for anyone who wants to learn more about the man behind the Meditations.”—John Sellars, author of The Pocket Stoic

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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In this episode, I speak with Dr. Gad Saad. (Apologies for the room reverb on my mic!) Dr. Saad is a well-known public intellectual, champion of free speech, and renowned evolutionary psychologist. He is Professor of Marketing at the John Molson School of Business, at Concordia University, in Montreal, and has recently also been appointed Visiting Professor and Global Ambassador at Northwood University. Gad has a popular YouTube channel, and a podcast called The Saad Truth, and he’s the author of several best-selling books; the latest one is titled The Saad Truth about Happiness: 8 Secrets for Leading the Good Life. Yesterday was the four-year anniversary of the release of his most widely-known book The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense. Gad is currently working on his next book Suicidal Empathy.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* What is happiness?  Are some people confused about what it means to be happy?

* What makes us so unhappy today?

* Do consumerism and celebrity culture make us unhappy?    .  

* The relationship between emotional resilience and happiness

* Secrets to living a happy life

* What problems are caused by woke culture and political correctness?  

* For and against anger 

Links

* Gad Saad’s Personal Website

* Gad Saad’s Twitter 

* Psychology Today Blog

* YouTube Channel 

* Facebook Public Page

* The Parasitic Mind

* The Saad Truth about Happiness

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In this episode, I speak with Dr. Walter Matweychuk. Dr. Matweychuk is a practicing psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and has an independent telehealth practice in Manhattan with clients worldwide. He is also an adjunct professor of Applied Psychology at New York University. He has personally worked with both of the two main pioneers of cognitive-behavioral therapy: Albert Ellis and Aaron T. Beck. He is the author of several books on Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), including Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy: A Newcomer's Guide and The REBT Pocket Companion for Clients.

Every Saturday at 9 AM in New York City on Zoom, he does a demonstration of REBT with a volunteer willing to discuss a real problem, which has now surpassed 218 consecutive weeks; go to his website REBTDoctor.com to register for the link.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* What is Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy?

* Why he chose to focus on REBT rather than Beck’s cognitive therapy

* Mindfulness and acceptance based approaches in relation to REBT

* What’s the future of REBT?

* The key similarities are between Stoicism and REBT

* The REBT model of anger

* What would a philosophy of life based on REBT look like? 

Links

* REBTdoctor.com

* The REBT Pocket Companion for Clients

* Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy: A Newcomer's Guide

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In this episode, I talk with Kane, who hosts a podcast for Australian first responders. Kane interviewed me for his podcast and kindly agreed to allow me to crosspost the interview to my audience. We talk about my forthcoming book How to Think Like Socrates, and how Socratic and Stoic philosophy can help us to improve our lives today, in the modern world.

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In this episode, I speak with Igor Grossmann, a professor of psychology, and renowned researcher in the field of wisdom. Prof. Grossmann directs the Wisdom and Culture Lab at the University of Waterloo, where he investigates the factors that contribute to wise reasoning. He is also the co-host of the On Wisdom podcast. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of how wisdom can be fostered and applied in everyday life.

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Highlights

* What is wisdom?

* Is wisdom more like a static trait or a dynamic process?

* How does wisdom make use of abstract versus concrete thinking?

* What’s the role of intellectual humility in wisdom?

* Can you explain what’s meant by open-mindedness, perspective-taking, and compromise-seeking?  

* How does distanced (third-person) reflection help us to exercise wisdom?

* What potential insights could psychotherapists glean from your work?  

* How does wisdom-based thinking about problems differ from unhealthy forms of thinking about problems such as depressive rumination or anxious worrying?

* Are there ways that research on wisdom can help us to cope with problems such as anxiety or depression?

* Are you aware of any links between your research on wisdom and what ancient philosophers have said about wisdom?

* What’s the relationship between wisdom and inter-group hostility or antisocial attitudes?  

* Does wisdom lead to co-operation and prosocial attitudes?

Links

* The Wise Mind Balances the Abstract and the Concrete

* Explaining contentious political issues promotes open-minded thinking - ScienceDirect

* Igor Grossmann

* On Wisdom Podcast

Listen to our live How to Think Like Socrates book launch from 19th Nov. Phil Yanov was kind enough to send me this recording of the event.

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In this episode, I chat with Benny Voncken, a life coach, and the co-founder of the Via Stoica website and Podcast. He reached out to me saying he’d love to share his experience putting Stoic philosophy into practice because it greatly reduced his anxiety, worries, and helped him deal with problems such as anger and frustration.

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Highlights

* How did you become interested in Stoicism?

* Tell us about your website and podcast.

* Why do you think Stoicism is important today?

* How do you see the value of Stoicism in relation to life coaching?

* What are some ways Stoic ideas or techniques can help people?

* What do you think Stoicism tells us about coping with worry and anxiety?

* I’m very interested in anger, how do you think Stoicism might help people to avoid getting so angry?

* What’s a good way for people to begin learning about Stoicism and applying it in their life?

Links

* Via Stoica Website

* Via Stoica Podcast

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In this episode, I chat with Erick Cloward. Erick is an executive coach, based in Amsterdam, who helps leaders build more resilient teams and make better decisions. He is a former tech CTO and software developer. Erick started the Stoic Coffee Break podcast in 2018, to provide people with practical advice on applying Stoicism to their lives –- it now has more than 9 million downloads. He has his first book coming out on 4th February, from Adams Media, titled Stoicism 101: From Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus to the Role of Reason and Amor Fati, an Essential Primer on Stoic Philosophy.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* How did you first become interested in Stoicism?

* Misconceptions people have about Stoicism

* Why Stoicism is important today

* How did you get started doing your podcast and what have you learned from the experience?

* What’s your book, Stoicism 101, about?

* What aspects of Stoicism do you think are most relevant to executive coaching?

* What can Stoicism tell us about leadership?

* How Stoicism might help people to avoid getting so angry

Links

* Stoic Coffee Website

* Stoicism 101

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Thanks to Jon Brooks for remastering my audio recording of the View from Above, a guided Stoic meditation exercise.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Check out my article about the Acropolis and View from Above in the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

You’ll also find an version of the script in this article…

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In this episode, I chat with Chuck Garcia, the founder of Climb Leadership International. Chuck coaches executives of Fortune 500 companies on public speaking and emotional intelligence. He is an Adjunct Professor in Columbia University’s Graduate School of Engineering and teaches in their professional development and leadership program. Chuck is also a passionate mountaineer. He is the author of the book A Climb to the Top: Communication & Leadership Tactics to Take Your Career to New Heights, and more recently, his latest book, The Moment That Defines Your Life: Integrating Emotional Intelligence and Stoicism when your Life, Career, and Family are on the Line.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* How did you first become interested in Stoicism?

* What misconceptions do you think people might have about Stoicism?

* Why do you think Stoicism is important today?

* What’s your book The Moment that Defines your Life about?

* What is a moment that defines your life?

* Are there any connections, for you, between Stoicism and mountaineering?

* What aspects of Stoicism do you think are most relevant to executive coaching?

* How do you see the relationship between Stoicism and emotional intelligence

* How do you think Stoicism might help people to avoid getting so angry?

* What’s a good way for people to begin learning about Stoicism and applying it in their life?

Links

* Website: https://chuckgarcia.com/

* A Climb to the Top

* The Moment that Defines your Life

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In this episode, I chat with Windy Dryden. Windy is Emeritus Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies at Goldsmiths in the University of London. He has been working in the field of psychotherapy since 1975, and was one of the first people in Britain to be trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). He learned from pioneers such as Albert Ellis, Aaron T. Beck and Arnold Lazarus, among others. He is a very influential figure in the field himself, best-known as the UK’s leading expert on Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). In a career spanning almost half a century, he has worked with thousands of clients, trained countless students, and written or edited 285 books on psychotherapy.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* What was different when you first began studying psychotherapy in the 1970s?

* Do you think anything was done better in the past?)

* In a nutshell, what is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy?

* What the relationship is between REBT and CBT.

* What is single-session therapy?

* What information do you need to get from the client to make this approach work?

* Do you ask clients to do preparatory work before the session or homework afterwards?

* How can REBT help with anger?

* How do we distinguish healthy from unhealthy anger?

* What’s the simplest bit of good advice, in your view, that could be given to people struggling with anger?

Links

* Website: windydryden.com

* Amazon Author Profile

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Thank you The Plato's Academy Centre, Adam PT, Diane Kalen-Sukra, EHL, VeneerOfCivility, and many others for tuning into my live video with Anya Leonard of Classical Wisdom, discussing anger! Join me for my next live video in the Substack app.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

You can register free of charge for the Philosophy and Psychology of Anger event on Saturday via the link below.

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In this episode, I chat with Charif Ahmed of Study the Greats and Become Greater, about the Stoic approach to anger management found in Seneca’s On Anger.

Links

* Study the Greats and Become Greater

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People keep asking me for advice about simple ways they can begin practicing Stoicism in daily life. This audio recording is based on my recent Medium article of the same name. It contains three basic Stoic strategies, which provide a good foundation for following Stoic philosophy in the modern world.

This is a new audio recording of an article I published on Medium about the Stoic contemplation of death. The photo shows me outside the ruined Temple of Hades at the ancient site of Eleusis near Athens.

My wife, Kasey Robertson, writes under the pen name Kasey Pierce. I thought it would be pretty interesting to interview her about her writing. You can follow herKasey Piercenewsletter on Substack.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Links mentioned

* Kasey’s Amazon author page

* 365 Ways to be More Stoic (Harbinger)

* Kasey on Medium

* Kasey’s Twitter and Instagram

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This is an audio recording of me explaining, and demonstrating, how to use a very simple but powerful psychological technique, which I call imaginal aphasia.

It derives from an old hypnotic technique called hypnotic aphasia, and involves speaking (e.g., counting) aloud while gradually fading your voice to silence, and imagining that it’s becoming more and more of an effort to pronounce the syllables. You’re doing this both externally and internally, i.e., in your outward behaviour but also in your imagination, in order to relax and silence your mind.

This technique is pretty easy for most people to learn and because it’s a physical behaviour, it seems to exhibit a standard practice curve effect, i.e., it becomes quicker and easier to do with practice. However, I would advise against individuals with diagnosable psychiatric conditions using it, except perhaps under the supervision of a qualified mental health clinician. For ordinary (subclinical) anxiety and insomnia, though, I think this may be helpful as a coping strategy.

Let me know your feedback in the comments, and if you think of any other ways in which it could be useful.

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In this episode, I chat with Tim LeBon, cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist, research director for the Modern Stoicism organization, and author of Wise Therapy: Philosophy for Counsellors, Teach Yourself Positive Psychology, and more recently, 365 Ways to be More Stoic, edited by my wife Kasey Pierce.  

Topics covered include…

* How Tim first got into philosophical practice and Stoicism  

* The relationship between Stoicism and CBT in general

* Stoicism and third-wave CBT — recent advances

* What Tim has learned about Stoicism from his experience as research director with Modern Stoicism

* What's 365 Ways like?  How it differs from other Stoicism books  

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Tim’s new book, edited by my wife, Kasey Pierce, is now available from all good bookstores.

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In this episode, I chat with Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, part of the team responsible for the Modern Stoicism organization, and author of several books on philosophy, including How to be a Stoic and, more recently, The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches us about Our Search for Good Leaders.  

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Topics covered include…

* How Massimo first got into philosophy, and into Stoicism

* What he learned from writing How to be a Stoic

* How he has changed his mind about aspects of Stoicism

* The Modern Stoicism org and the modern resurgence of interest in Stoicism?

* Why doesn’t there seem to be as much interest in Epicureanism or other ancient schools of philosophy among the general public?

* What's The Quest for Character about?

* Why write about Socrates and Alcibiades?

* What potential do you think Socrates saw in Alcibiades?

* What do you think Alcibiades’ biggest flaws were and what was his biggest mistake in life?

* Would it have turned out differently if a Stoic like Epictetus had been Alcibiades’ tutor?

* To what extent good character, or virtue, can be taught

* How we could be doing a better job of teaching virtue today

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This is my attempt to provide a short and simple introduction to Stoic practices, which anyone can begin using right away. It includes:

* Brief introduction to Stoicism and dispelling the most common misconceptions

* Two basic concepts:

* The dichotomy of control

* That it’s not things that upset us but rather our judgments about them

* Three basic practices:

* Objective description

* Contemplating virtue and the double-standards strategy

* The view from above

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The original article on which this audio recording is based can be found on Substack, Stoicism as a Philosophy of Life. Check out my books Stoicism and the Art of Happiness and How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, for more advice on applying Stoicism in daily life.

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Donald discusses what Stoicism teaches us about anger and how it can actually help us in practice today.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* Why anger is a problem

* What the Stoics say about anger

* Ways in which Stoicism can help us manage anger

* The benefits of learning to cope with anger

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You can read the text of How Stoicism Cures anger on my Substack newsletter.

This podcast episode contains the audio recording from a conversation about Marcus Aurelius, which I had with Markus Wachter, the CEO of the Carnuntum Archeological Park, at the Museum Carnuntinum, in 2019. I was visiting Austria for around a week, doing research for my books on Marcus Aurelius. The audio was recorded live in the main hall of the reconstructed Roman villa in the archeological park, hence the acoustics.

Marcus stationed himself at the Roman legionary fortress of Carnuntum, for part of the Marcomannic Wars. He included the note “At Carnuntum” near the start of the Meditations, proving that he must have written at least part of the manuscript there.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks to Landessammlungen Niederösterreich, Archäologischer Park Carnuntum for permission to film, and to Adam Piercey for filming and editing.

You can also watch the video hosted on Substack.

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This podcast episode contains the audio recording from a conversation about Marcus Aurelius, and the history of Roman Carnuntum. I spoke with Eduard Pollhammer, the scientific director of the Carnuntum Archeological Park, at the Museum Carnuntinum in Austria.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks to Landessammlungen Niederösterreich, Archäologischer Park Carnuntum for permission to film.

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Re-reading a newspaper article that I wrote at the start of the pandemic about how Marcus Aurelius used Stoicism, in the Meditations, to cope with the Antonine Plague. It struck me that, in part at least, the Meditations can be seen as Marcus’ notes to himself on coping with the psychological and moral challenges of the plague — or, if you like, as a manual for coping Stoically during a pandemic.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* How Marcus used Stoicism to cope with his own pandemic

* The Dichotomy of Control

* Modelling virtue

* Contemplating our own mortality

Original article titled Stoicism in a Time of Pandemic, from The Guardian newspaper, April 2020.

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NB: This episode contains a recording of a guided relaxation technique, which you should not listen to while driving. I created this recording for my psychotherapy clients, many years ago, but wanted to make it more widely available. It’s a short and simple exercise, about thirteen minutes in duration. This is the approach that I found to work best for the majority of people.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Instructions

* Lie down or sit in a comfortable chair, where you are free from distractions

* Close your eyes, while you listen to the recording

* If you want to fall asleep, it’s okay to listen in bed at night

* Try to use this recording at least once per day for at least two weeks

* Relax your body and your mind together

Through regular use, you’ll develop an association between the recording and the feelings of relaxation, which will make it much easier to relax more quickly, and more deeply.

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In this episode, I chat with Alexandra Hudson, writer, popular speaker, founder of Civic Renaissance, a publication and intellectual community dedicated to beauty, goodness and truth, and author of The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, a forthcoming book from St. Martin’s Press.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

* What Lexi’s newsletter, Civic Renaissance, is about

* The central message of her new book, The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves

* What is the difference between civility and politeness? 

* Why classics are still important today

* Whether you need a philosophy or classics degree to benefit from classical wisdom

* What's happened to civility today?  How can we restore civil discourse?

* About Lexi’s Storytelling and the Human Condition elearning course

* What can great stories across different cultures tell us about our lives?

Links

* Civic Renaissance with Alexandra Hudson

* Alexandra Hudson

* The Soul of Civility on Macmillan’s website

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In this episode, I discuss and recite one of the most important philosophical speeches in history — the Great Discourse or Great Speech of the Sophist Protagoras, from Plato’s dialogue Protagoras. This speech contains some remarkable imagery and ideas, which clearly foreshadow many later ideas about social virtue and politics in Greek and Roman philosophy, from Socrates to the Stoics, and beyond.

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Highlights

* Introducing the Great Speech, and why it is so important

* Reading an excerpt from Plato’s Protagoras, containing the speech

* Summary of the key points, in plain English

* The speech can be seen as containing a kind of proto-evolutionary theory of social virtue

* Can the capacity for virtue be seen as universal?

* Can virtue can be taught?

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My Synopsis of The Great Discourse

At first there were gods but no mortal creatures.  When the time came, the gods fashioned countless animals by mixing together the elements of fire and earth.  Zeus then commanded Prometheus, the Titan, to assign different abilities to each living thing.  

Some creatures were naturally slow and so he gave them great strength.  Others were weak and so to these Prometheus granted speed.  Some he armed while others were given various forms of protection.  Small creatures were granted the capability for winged flight or for concealing their dwellings underground.  Large beasts had their size for protection.  And he took care to grant all creatures some means for their own preservation so that no species should be in danger of elimination by others.  

Having equipped them to survive among each other in this way he proceeded to grant them protection against their environment and the harshness of the seasons.  He clothed some creatures with dense hair or thick skin, sufficient to endure the heat of summer and ward off the cold through winter months.  To some he gave strong hooves, to others claws and hides that did not shed much blood.  And every creature was assigned its own source of food. Some pastured on the earth, others ate fruits hanging from trees or roots from beneath the ground.  Yet others were predators who fed upon other animals for their meat.  To these he assigned limited offspring whereas their prey were more abundant so that there would always be enough to serve as food.  

However, having assigned to each species its own special capabilities, Prometheus realized that he had nothing left to give the race of man.  Humans are born naked, unshod, unarmed, and with no bed in which to lay their head and rest safely.  Not knowing what else to do, Prometheus stole the technical wisdom of the gods Hephaestus and Athena and gave it to mankind, along with the gift of fire.

Once men were granted these divine gifts, they sensed their kinship to the gods and began to pray and build altars to them.  They invented clothing, bedding, dwellings, agriculture, and even the use of language to express their thoughts and acquire learning.  Men lived apart at first but finding themselves beset continually and harassed by wild beasts they sought to build cities for their own mutual protection.

However, the wisdom that concerns our relations with others belonged to Zeus alone, king of the gods and patron of friendship and families.  No sooner than men gathered together trying to save themselves, being lawless, they began instead to wrong one another and fight among themselves.  And so scattering once again from their failed cities, they continued to perish in the wild.

Looking down upon this chaotic scene with dismay, Zeus feared for the destruction of the entire human race.  He therefore sent Hermes, the messenger of the gods, to teach mortals about justice and to imbue them with a sense of shame concerning wrongdoing. By this means Zeus now granted mankind the capacity to unite themselves in cities, maintaining order through the bonds of friendship and a sense of community.  

Hermes asked Zeus whether he should distribute justice, and other social and political arts, among men in the same way as technical knowledge concerning other crafts.  One man who possesses the knowledge of medicine, he said, was enough to benefit many men, and so on.  However, Zeus decreed that every human being must be granted some knowledge of justice and the arts needed to unite society.  He even laid down the law that anyone who was found unable to respect justice and the rule of law should be put to death, being a plague on the city.  

For this reason, said Protagoras, we seek the advice only of those few who are experts with regard to crafts such as medicine or carpentry but concerning justice we allow every citizen to have his say.  Further, if someone boasts of being an expert in playing the flute or some such art but is nothing of the sort then he is ridiculed for his folly.  However, anyone who claims not to participate in justice risks being expelled from society because each and every citizen is expected to share at least somewhat in this capacity, which allows him to live harmoniously in the company of others.