In this episode of Practical Stoicism, I unpack Meditations 4.4, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the shared nature of human reason and its connection to a universal law. While Marcus builds a case for a kind of Stoic cosmopolitanism—where all rational beings are part of one commonwealth—I explore how this can inform our understanding of decentralized moral ... Show More
Jun 19
Fear of Death? Listen to This (Meditations 4.5)
In this episode, I reflect on Meditations 4.5 and Marcus Aurelius’ effort to habituate acceptance of death as a natural and necessary part of life. Drawing from Marcus' experiences leading Rome through war and plague, I explore how his preoccupation with death wasn’t morbid, but ... Show More
27m 5s
May 28
#417 — Philosophy for Life
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 in Stoicism, ... Show More
22m 30s
Sep 2017
Kant's Categorical Imperative
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how, in the Enlightenment, Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) sought to define the difference between right and wrong by applying reason, looking at the intention behind actions rather than at consequences. He was inspired to find moral laws by natural phil ... Show More
49m 29s
Feb 2025
Philosophy Series: Stoicism for Revolutionaries
Breht listens to, reflects on, and critically engages with a public lecture by the late philosopher Michael Sugrue titled Marcus Aurelius' Meditations: The Stoic Ideal. He discusses the philosophy of Stoicism, its insights as well as its limitations, its commodification and basta ... Show More
2h 2m
Jan 2022
Philosophical Tools for Living the Good Life
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 yea ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 2023
The new 10 commandments | Massimo Pigliucci, Simon Baron-Cohen, Sophie Grace Chapel
Are we bound by traditional rules for life or is it time for a new playbook? Tune in to find out!Seeking the link mentioned in this episode? It's right here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesIn this thought-provoking discussion, our distinguished panelists delve into the fo ... Show More
43m 43s
Jan 2025
Ancient solutions for modern problems | Stoicism Series PART 1 | Massimo Pigliucci
How to be a StoicWhat can Marcus Aurelius teach you about the iPhone?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, and Zeno of Citium.Massimo Pigli ... Show More
19m 10s
Jan 2025
Philosophy Series: Nietzsche and the Death of God
Breht listens to, reflects on, and critically engages with a public lecture by the late philosopher Michael Sugrue entitled "Nietzsche and the Death of God". He discusses the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, the politics of modern day Nietzscheans, the death of god and consumer ... Show More
2h 32m