Practical Stoicism

Nov 19 2024 249 ep. 16 mins 459
Practical Stoicism Podcast artwork

Stoicism is the pursuit of Virtue (Aretê), which was defined by the Ancient Greeks as "the knowledge of how to live excellently," Stoicism is a holistic life philosophy meant to guide us towards the attainment of this knowledge through the development of our character. While many other Stoicism podcasts focus on explaining Ancient Stoicism in an academic or historical context, Practical Stoicism strives to port the ancient wisdom of this 2300-plus-year-old Greek Philosophy into contemporary times to provide practical advice for living today, not two millennia ago. Join American philosopher of Stoicism Tanner Campbell, every Monday and Friday, for new episodes.

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Announcement things!

Nov 19 2024 2 mins  
The day is here, the book is now available and I hope you'll get a copy. Also, go ad-free for life for just $100. Get the book here: https://stoicismpod.com/book Go ad-free for life here: https://stoicismpod.com/lifer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Stoicism Frames Life, Death, and the Importance of Living Well (Meditations 2.14)

Nov 17 2024 18 mins  
In this episode, I examine Meditation 14 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the nature of time and the present moment. Marcus emphasizes that we cannot lose the past, as it no longer exists, nor the future, as it has yet to arrive. The only thing we can truly lose is the present moment, which is fleeting and finite. He reminds us that regardless of the le

Why Ignorance of Nature’s Law Is Life’s Greatest Tragedy (Meditations 2.13)

Nov 13 2024 21 mins  
In this episode, I review Meditation 13 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the futility of constantly seeking to understand or judge others instead of focusing on our own alignment with Nature. Marcus references Pindar to illustrate how some people waste their lives in endless speculation, failing to see that true fulfillment comes from connecting with th

Accepting Mortality: Marcus Aurelius on the Purpose of Death (Meditations 2.12)

Nov 05 2024 15 mins  
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 12 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the transient nature of life, death, and the things we often fear or desire. Marcus emphasizes that everything in the Universe is impermanent, including our bodies, desires, and even the monuments we create. These fleeting aspects of life, he suggests, should be seen as trivial or

Living Without Fear: Lessons on Death & Purpose (Meditations 2.11)

Oct 28 2024 25 mins  
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 11 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reminds us to live each moment as if death could come at any time, encouraging a focus on living virtuously. Marcus addresses the nature of death and the existence of gods, framing them in a way that reduces fear. He explains that if gods exist, they are just, so there is no need to fear deat

Habituation and the Practice of Stoic Virtue (Meditations 2.10)

Oct 21 2024 21 mins  
In this episode, I cover Meditation 10 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the comparison between faults driven by anger and those driven by desire. He references Theophrastus, who argued that errors rooted in pleasure and appetite are graver than those caused by anger. I explore this idea, explaining how Stoics view actions driven by desire as more delibe

Embracing The Logic Of The Cosmos (Meditations 2.9)

Oct 15 2024 12 mins  
In this episode, I reflect on Meditation 9 from Book 2 of Meditations. Marcus Aurelius reminds us to always remember the nature of the Cosmos and our place within it. He emphasizes that the Cosmos is a rational and self-sustaining system, and as part of it, we share in that logic and beneficence. Marcus urges us to act in accordance with Nature, meaning that we should strive to be

Mind the business of your own mind (Meditations 2.8)

Oct 07 2024 9 mins  
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 8 from Book 2 of Meditations. Marcus Aurelius reflects on how people rarely suffer from not understanding the thoughts of others but are bound to suffer if they don’t observe their own thoughts. I explain how spending too much time worrying about what others think leaves us no energy to examine our own thoughts and work toward virtue. This me

Are you focused on something useful? (Meditations 2.7)

Sep 29 2024 12 mins  
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 7 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius advises us to give ourselves moments of quiet to focus on learning something good, while also warning against aimlessness. I explore how modern distractions—whether from media, politics, or content creators—are constantly vying for our attention. Marcus’ advice to focus on "something goo

Making morally just decisions (Meditations 2.6)

Sep 23 2024 27 mins  
In this episode, I explore Meditation 6 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on how we often fail to honor our own well-being, instead placing it in the hands of others. I dive into the Stoic concept of violence, explaining that true violence, in Stoic terms, is the damage we do to our own moral character through vice, not the physical acts we traditionally as