The author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor
(NB: This review was first published in 2020. I m reposting it now on Substack for new readers.) The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User s Manual is a new book by Ward Farnsworth. Farnsworth is Dean of the University of Texas School of Law. He has previously written books on rhetoric, one specifically about the use of [ ]
I became interested in Stoicism over a quarter of a century ago, after completing my philosophy degree at Aberdeen University in Scotland. One of the very first things I learned from the Stoics was that our beliefs shape our emotions to a much greater extent than we normally assume. I also learned that the beliefs [ ]
Just as you are careful, in walking about, not to step on a nail or to sprain your ankle, so be careful also not to hurt your governing principle. And if we observe this rule in every action, we shall be more secure in setting about it. Commentary Epictetus is talking about prosoche or attention [ ]
If you ve been reading my newsletter for a while, you know that most of what I write links ancient Stoic philosophy to self-improvement and the challenges of modern living. What I haven t done before is focus on five practical techniques and teach them to you directly, one at a time. That s what we ll be doing [ ]
I ll be giving a talk on Marcus Aurelius and the practical application of Stoic philosophy at Indigo Pointe-Claire, followed by a Q A and book signing. The event takes place on Sunday, October 11, and only 20 places are available. Reserve your ticket through TicketScene. Reserve your Place How to Think Like a Roman Emperor In [ ]
I recently travelled to Topanga in California to have a conversation about philosophy with Andre Duqum for his Know Thyself YouTube channel. Andre has a beautiful studio and he s a wonderful interviewer. We spoke for four and a half hours. On the trip from Laguna Beach, my Uber driver was a great guy, who was [ ]
The misconception that Stoics are unemotional like a robot or, as they put it, a statue is so widespread that I ve decided to put together some brief notes to summarise the opposing view, taken with modifications from my book Stoicism and the Art of Happiness (2013). The modern word stoicism (lowercase) means someone who has [ ]
People often view Marcus Aurelius as the voice of calm, detached, serenity, but make the mistake of assuming that he was completely emotionless. The real Marcus was more interesting than that. He experienced grief, wept, and worried. He struggled with anger, fear, illness, bereavement, war, plague, political intrigue, and the moral burden of ruling the [ ]
In this episode, I talk to award-winning historian, and novelist, Dr. Adrian Goldsworthy. He is the author of numerous books on ancient history, especially the Romans, and we ll be discussing his latest one, which came out in May, Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry that Shaped Ancient Greece. Highlights Do you think readers will perceive any [ ]
I talk with Prof. Massimo Pigliucci about Stoicism, Cicero, and his forthcoming book How to be a (Happy) Skeptic. 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 , , , , , and many others [ ]