logo
episode-header-image
May 28
22m 30s

#417 — Philosophy for Life

SAM HARRIS
About this episode

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, the difficulty of self-criticism, techniques for reframing upsetting experiences, the lives of Marcus Aurelius and Socrates, the psychological pitfalls of using social media, and other topics.

If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.


Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

 

Up next
Yesterday
#423 — “More From Sam”: Democracy, Populism, Wealth Inequality, News-Induced Anxiety, & Rapid Fire Questions
In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Epstein’s “client list,” how to safeguard democracy, populism, wealth inequality, the allure of socialism, ho ... Show More
19m 28s
Jun 19
#422 — Zionism & Jihadism
Sam Harris speaks with Haviv Rettig Gur about Israel and her enemies. They discuss Israel’s war with Iran and America’s role in the conflict, Israel’s military capabilities, Iran’s nuclear program, what a ground invasion of Iran could look like, how Iranians view the regime, anti ... Show More
2h 4m
Jun 17
#421 — “More From Sam”: Political Violence, Iran, Deportations, Protests, & Rapid Fire Questions
In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss the assassination of Minnesota state represe ... Show More
17m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
Donald Robertson on Socrates, Philosophy, and Modern Self-Help
Send us a textIn this episode, I sit down with Donald Robertson, renowned author, psychotherapist, and expert in ancient philosophy, to dive deep into the life, methods, and lessons of Socrates. Donald brings his unique perspective, blending cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and ... Show More
2h 57m
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
Ancient solutions for modern problems | Stoicism Series PART 2 | Massimo Pigliucci
How to be a StoicWhat can Zeno of Citium teach you about going to the movie theatre?Join philosopher and author Massimo Pigliucci for part two of a series on the ancient practice of Stoicism, exploring and analysing ideas from Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Zeno of Citiu ... Show More
20m 44s
Sep 2024
10 Philosophy-Inspired Challenges for Becoming a Better and Happier Man
Although they may call it different things and approach its attainment in different ways, many of the world’s religions and philosophies have a similar goal: achieving a life of virtue, peace, and flourishing.In his new book, Seriously Happy, Ben Aldrige explains how anyone can u ... Show More
49m 43s
Jan 2025
Untimely Reflections #32: Dr. Gregory Sadler - On Stoicism & Philosophy as a Guide to Life
Very pleased to finally be joined by Gregory Sadler on the podcast! Greg is one of the more popular teachers of philosophy in the modern age, and given his recent courses on Stoicism, we decided to make that the focus. I hope you all enjoy our conversation: about philosophy as a ... Show More
1h 34m
Jan 2025
A Practical Guide to Clear Thinking: Socrates' Lessons on Beating Self-Deception
What if the path to true growth begins with admitting how little you actually know? The teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates tells us to use questions to expose holes in conventional thinking. If you enjoy learning about psychology, self-development, and the inner ... Show More
23m 43s
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
Dec 2024
Philosophical Tools for Living the Good Life
Note: This is a rebroadcast.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 offere ... Show More
1h 2m
Jun 2021
Peter Adamson on How to Form Opinions When It’s Impossible to Know Everything
Peter Adamson, host of the History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps podcast and professor of late ancient philosophy and Arabic philosophy at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, discusses stoicism, the dangers of rationalism, and the importance of understanding when to thin ... Show More
52m 57s