Category: Philosophy

I recently had this conversation with Chris Williamson about Socrates, for his Modern Wisdom podcast. Hope you enjoy listening. Please share the link with your friends!

Highlights

• 00:00 Why Should We Care About Socrates?
• 07:50 Philosophy Before Socrates
• 14:42 Why Socrates Became a Philosopher
• 21:04 Main Principles of Socrates’ Philosophy
• 35:42 Why Some Find Socrates Annoying
• 45:35 Did Socrates Get Involved in Politics?
• 49:50 Socrates’ View of a Good Life
• 57:57 Why Socrates Was Executed
• 1:08:48 Links Between Socrates & Seneca
• 1:19:40 The Meaning Behind ‘Know Thyself’
• 1:26:11 Biggest Weaknesses of Socrates’ Philosophy
• 1:35:55 Why This Book Was Almost Impossible to Write
• 1:45:35 The Obstacle to Playing With Ideas in Today’s Society
• 1:54:14 What’s Next for Donald?

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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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.
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• Gain access to bonus audio and video interviews, offering unique perspectives on the book.

Follow these steps

1. Preorder the book.
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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.

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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

Please join us on Tuesday 6th Feb at 7pm EST for our virtual book launch event. Marcus Aurelius: The Stoic Emperor will be published on that day by Yale University Press, as part of their Ancient Lives series, although you can pre-order the hardback, ebook, and audiobook now. I will be reading an excerpt from the book, discussing Marcus Aurelius, and answering your questions. We will also be giving away a signed copy to the winner of our contest (US/Canada only).