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Stoicism

How Socratic were the Stoics?

And should we all be studying the Socratic dialogues as well, if we’re really into Stoicism?

We can’t say for sure, IMHO, how “Socratic” ancient Stoicism was. Only roughly 1% of the ancient Stoic literature that once existed survives today and most of it comes from the late, Imperial period, i.e., Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. Moreover, there appear to have been distinct sects of Stoicism, which probably looked up to different figures. (Clearly, e.g., Seneca and Epictetus approach Stoicism in different ways, but we’re also told the Stoics divided into different branches.)

See the Reddit post below for the full conversion, and post your comments there!

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Stoicism

Rewards for Preordering How to Think Like Socrates

Complete the form below to claim your bonuses

Preorder my latest book How to Think Like Socrates today and you’ll be eligible to claim exclusive bonus content. (If you’re interested in getting a signed copy, you can preorder one from Porchlight — they will ship internationally.)

  • Join me for an exclusive live Q&A on Zoom where we’ll dive deeper into the book. Tues 19th Nov at 6-7pm Eastern Time. NB: A recording will be available for playback if you’re not able to attend.
  • Download a free, actionable cheat sheet to help you apply Socratic wisdom from the book to your daily life.
  • Enjoy 6 months of full access to my Substack newsletter, packed with insights and exclusive content.
  • Gain access to bonus audio and video interviews, offering unique perspectives on the book.

Follow these steps

  1. Preorder the book.
  2. Log into the claim form using a Google account, and complete it.
  3. Wait to receive an email after 20th Nov, with links for your rewards.

NB: You will need a Google account to access the claim form. Dates are based on the US release; you may find the book is published on another date in different countries. If you’ve already preordered your copy, before reading this, feel free to go ahead and submit your claim form now.

Terms and conditions. All orders placed before Nov 19th are eligible. You must submit your details using the online claim form on this page. The bonus content will be sent to you using the email you provide. If you are already a paying subscriber to my Substack newsletter, you will receive a complimentary six month extension. Details of this offer may be subject to change without prior notification.

Categories
Stoicism

Testing Stoic Anger Management Technique #1

We’re already receiving some very useful data from the form below, which will help us design more refined protocols for testing. If you’re interested in learning to cope with anger, please take a moment to complete the exercise below. Thanks!

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Stoicism

Talking about “How to Think Like Socrates”

My latest book, How to Think Like Socrates (St Martin’s Press), which will be released on 19th November, follows on from the success of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, by weaving together ancient philosophy and history, with modern psychology to provide a unique guide to self-improvement.  The book will be available in hardback and ebook, and an audiobook, which I will be narrating.  It has been selected by Barnes & Noble as a “Bookseller Favorite” and listed as one of their most anticipated philosophy books of the year.  

If you’re a blogger or podcaster, and you’re interested in interviewing me about this book, or my other work, please feel free to get in touch, by commenting below or emailing me via the contact form on this website.    

What other authors are saying…

  • “One of the best books ever written on the power and practicality of philosophy for a good and successful life! Highly recommended!” —Tom Morris, author of If Aristotle Ran General Motors
  • “Wonderful . . . In our modern world that swirls with half-truths and disinformation, we need nothing less to awaken us from our illusions.” —Nancy Sherman, author of Stoic Wisdom
  • “An intriguing and original book, engagingly written and highly accessible.” —Chris Gill, Professor Emeritus of Ancient Thought, Exeter University, and author of Learning to Live Naturally
  • “A fresh and original introduction to the figure of Socrates, blending philosophy, history, and psychotherapy.” —John Sellars, reader in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London and author of The Pocket Stoic
  • “Don Robertson is your trusty and insightful guide to the life, times, and thought of the most important philosopher in the western tradition.” —Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic
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Interviews Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor Stoicism Videos

Video of my Conversation with Ryan Holiday

Here is the full video of my in-depth conversation with Ryan Holiday about Stoicism and Marcus Aurelius.

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Books Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor

Get 40% off my new biography of Marcus Aurelius

For a limited time, Amazon US are offering 40% off the hardback edition of Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor, my new biography from Yale University Press’ Ancient Lives series.

What other authors are saying…

  • “[Robertson] thoughtfully and readably capture[s] the essence of this great man and his great life. It’s a must read for any aspiring Stoic.”—Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Daily Stoic
  • “Eminently readable. . . . A leading light in the modern revival of Stoic philosophy, Robertson directly and elegantly draws out the connections between Marcus’ experiences in the unforgiving crucible of Roman imperial politics and the philosophical ideas he expresses in the Meditations. . . . An invaluable companion to the Meditations itself.”—Peter Juul, Liberal Patriot
  • “Robertson has written a very thorough and very readable account of Marcus’s life and the events and people that shaped him. Anyone who wants to understand the author of Meditations should read this book.”—Robin Waterfield, author of Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: The Annotated Edition
  • “Donald Robertson guides us into the world of a philosopher-emperor whose humility and Stoic teachings fill the pages. We are indebted to Robertson for this wonderful account of the emperor who penned notes to himself while in battle that would be later known as the Meditations and read by millions for philosophical inspiration. Simply spellbinding.”—Nancy Sherman, author of Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience
  • “Robertson’s biography provides a compelling narrative of Marcus’ life, carefully based on the primary sources. He brings out very clearly the life-long significance of Stoicism for Marcus and the interplay between philosophy, politics, and warfare.”—Christopher Gill, author of Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and Its Modern Significance
  • “This highly readable biography is the perfect place to begin for anyone who wants to learn more about the man behind the Meditations.”—John Sellars, author of The Pocket Stoic

Categories
Stoicism

Video Short: Marcus Aurelius The Stoic Emperor

Categories
Stoicism

Reviews of the Audiobook – Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor

The audiobook of my new biography Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor is now available from Yale University Press. I recorded the narration myself, last year, in a studio in Montreal. It currently has five stars on Amazon US, UK, Australia and Canada, and is #1 in Philosopher Biographies. Please take a moment to listen to the audio sample on Amazon – I think you’ll enjoy it!

Early Reviews

Here are some early reviews from Audible listeners…

Whispersync for Voice

The Audible audiobook is compatible with Amazon Whispersync for Voice, which means that if you buy the Kindle ebook at the same time you can read it in both and it will keep them in sync.

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Books Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor

Win a Free Audiobook of Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor

We are very pleased to announce that the audiobook of Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor is now available from AmazonAudibleBarnes and Noble and other retailers. It was originally due for release on Feb 6th in the US and Canada but my publisher says a technical glitch with the file format, unfortunately, delayed the upload. It’s finally here, though! 

Simply retweet the post below on Twitter for a chance to win a download of the audiobook. (See the thread on Twitter for Terms and Conditions.)

I hope you enjoy the book. Please consider leaving a review on Goodreads or Amazon. It really helps us and we’re always grateful to hear your feedback.

Categories
Books Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor

Thank you for supporting “Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor”

Early reviews have started appearing on Amazon

I wanted to thank all of you for helping to support my work. My latest book, Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor, was published in 6th Feb by Yale University Press, as part of their Ancient Lives series. (It comes out on March 16th in the UK.) It’s been at the top of the Amazon charts in several categories for weeks and has been chosen as a staff pick on the Barnes and Noble website. NB: The hardback is currently 10% off and the Kindle is, I think, half-price on Amazon US! (The audiobook is available on Barnes and Noble already and will be on Audible very soon.)

Your feedback gives us an invaluable sense of what readers enjoy…

Early reviews have already started to appear on Amazon and Goodreads. If you’ve posted a review or are planning to do so, we thank you, as your feedback really helps us, and it gives us an invaluable sense of what readers enjoy. So please do let me know what you think of the book once you’ve had a chance to read it.

Praise from other authors

  • “Few historical figures are as fascinating as Marcus Aurelius, the emperor-philosopher. And few writers have been so effective at bringing his complex life and character to the attention of modern readers as Donald Robertson.”—Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life
  • “Robertson has written a very thorough and very readable account of Marcus’s life and the events and people that shaped him. Anyone who wants to understand the author of Meditations should read this book.”—Robin Waterfield, author of Marcus Aurelius, Meditations: The Annotated Edition
  • “Donald Robertson guides us into the world of a philosopher-emperor whose humility and Stoic teachings fill the pages. We are indebted to Robertson for this wonderful account of the emperor who penned notes to himself while in battle that would be later known as the Meditations and read by millions for philosophical inspiration. Simply spellbinding.”—Nancy Sherman, author of Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience
  • “This highly readable biography is the perfect place to begin for anyone who wants to learn more about the man behind the Meditations.”—John Sellars, author of The Pocket Stoic
  • “Robertson’s biography provides a compelling narrative of Marcus’ life, carefully based on the primary sources. He brings out very clearly the life-long significance of Stoicism for Marcus and the interplay between philosophy, politics, and warfare.”—Christopher Gill, author of Learning to Live Naturally: Stoic Ethics and Its Modern Significance