Most everyone wants to live a good, meaningful life, though we don't always know what that means and how to do it. Plenty of modern self-improvement programs claim to point people in the right direction, but many of the best answers were already offered more than two thousand years ago.
My guests have gleaned the cream of this orienting, ancient-yet-evergre ... Show More
May 12
How Constraints Help You Focus, Create, and Finish
Back in 2019, David Epstein joined me to talk about his book Range and why generalists often thrive in a specialized world. Now he’s back with a new book that explores a seemingly opposite idea: the power of constraints. In Inside the Box, David argues that limits — deadlines, bo ... Show More
45m 2s
May 5
Why Screen Time Leaves You Exhausted — And How to Reverse Its Effects
You hear a lot today about how our ample screentime is affecting our mental health. But how is it affecting our bodies, and how is that impact on our bodies affecting, well, our mental health?My guest today will unpack the ways that digital technology is sapping our vitality, and ... Show More
50m 56s
Apr 28
A Map for Finding Direction and Purpose in Life (Again and Again)
While we often think of life as linear, my guest’s own life, along with a decade of research, has taught him that it’s anything but. In his latest book, What to Make of a Life, Jim Collins unpacks the cyclical pattern life actually unfolds in, and how to navigate it. He explains ... Show More
58m 15s
May 2025
#417 — Philosophy for Life
<p dir="ltr">Sam Harris speaks with Donald Robertson about Stoicism and the good life. They discuss the relationship between wisdom and virtue, ancient versions of psychotherapy, parallels between Stoicism and Buddhism, practical vs. analytical styles of philosophy, CBT's origins ... Show More
22m 30s
Feb 2025
Nietzsche on overcoming nihilism | Philosopher Babette Babich
<p><strong>Nietzsche, the birth of tragedy, and the technology trap with Babette Babich</strong></p><p>Do life's struggles make the search for meaning a hopeless endeavour?</p><p>Join renowned, continental philosopher Babette Babich as she explains the Nietzschean path to finding ... Show More
18m 3s
Sep 2025
The struggle for the good life | Massimo Pigliucci on ancient philosophy for the modern era
<p>We all want to live the good life. But how many of us can claim to be truly content? Join philosopher and evolutionary biologist Massimo Pigliucci as he argues that pleasure, character, and a healthy dose of doubt, form the basis of the good life, and that purpose in life is c ... Show More
29m 29s
Jun 2025
116 TEASER | Are We Losing our Morality? Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue and the Nihilism of Modern Society
<p>In this episode, we discuss Alasdair MacIntyre’s landmark book <em>After Virtue</em>. MacIntyre, an ex-Marxist and committed anti-liberal, offers a defense of the Aristotelian tradition and its search for the truly common good against the dominant tendency of liberal societies ... Show More
10m 7s
Jan 2025
Ancient solutions for modern problems | Stoicism Series PART 1 | Massimo Pigliucci
<p><strong>How to be a Stoic</strong></p><p>What can Marcus Aurelius teach you about the iPhone?</p><p>Join philosopher and author Massimo Pigliucci for part one of a series on the ancient practice of Stoicism, exploring and analysing ideas from Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus ... Show More
19m 10s
Jun 2025
Searching for the purpose of life |Babette Babich, Frank Tallis, Jonathan Webber, Sandra Laugier
<p><strong>The journey in search of the destination</strong></p><p>Does life have a purpose? Is that what gives life meaning? Or is it the journey that matters the most?</p><p>Join our four speakers - Nietzschean philosopher Babette Babich, clinical psychologist Frank Tallis, exi ... Show More
45m 53s