Would you like to hear three authors who have written books about Marcus Aurelius discussing his life and philosophy? Join us on 26th April at 3pm EDT for the Marcus Aurelius Anniversary Event hosted by Plato’s Academy Centre. Tickets are free; everyone is welcome. Don’t worry if you’re in a different time zone as recordings will be available to everyone who registers in advance.
Dr. John Sellars is the author of several books on Stoicism, including Marcus Aurelius in Routledge’s Philosophy in the Ancient World series.
Donald Robertson is the author of three books on Marcus Aurelius, including How to Think Like a Roman Emperor.
Prof. William O. Stephens is the author of Marcus Aurelius: A Guide for the Perplexed.
I want to begin by thanking you! In January, my newsletter became one of Substack’s official bestsellers, as a direct result of your support.
When I was thinking about starting it, I wondered whether it was really needed and what it could accomplish. Way back in Oct 2012, I was invited to a multi-disciplinary workshop, organized by Chris Gill, professor emeritus of Ancient Thought, at Exeter University. We went on to found the Modern Stoicism organization, the Stoic Week online course, and Stoicon conferences. We contributed, I hope, in our small way, to the renaissance in popularity that Stoicism has gone through since then. However, in some regards the philosophy we love has now become a victim of its own success.
Over the years, I noticed more and more articles, videos, podcasts, and books, which seemed to present Stoicism in a very superficial way, or even to badly misrepresent its central ideas. I also watched as the Stoicism communities on social media grew to hundreds of thousands of members but increasingly became dominated by joke memes, and articles about things like how to get rich quick, etc. This seemed very far removed from the Stoic philosophy of Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. Controversial influencers, such as Andrew Tate and others like him, have jumped on the bandwagon, claiming to be inspired by Stoicism. I noticed that high-quality content from leading experts on the philosophy — like Chris Gill, Massimo Pigliucci, and Chris Gill — was often being drowned out by all the noise on social media.
I learned, though, that Substack was building a space designed to be different. I began to wonder if starting a newsletter might offer a way to create a community where I could help others to put Stoicism and other branches of Greek philosophy into practice, in ways that might help them in daily life.
Why we changed the name of our forthcoming virtual event about Stoicism and politics
The Plato’s Academy Centre’s March 11th virtual conference on how to save rational discourse is completely free of charge. Not available? Don’t worry because if you register now you’ll be able to watch videos of all the presentations later, at your leisure. So don’t miss out!
Extreme partisanship dominates. You must choose a team according to news networks, social media and even our own friends and family. This is not only a most unhealthy lens, but has led to the whole of society being uninformed and misinformed. It has even led to acts of violence as extreme as domestic terrorism.
The topic of politics is such a hot-button that it’s avoided at all costs for fear of the fall out. Being our authentic selves promotes our flourishing, happiness, and freedom, though!If we lose that freedom, we’ve lost who we are and have chosen to let those who anger us become our master, as Epictetus puts it.
After a meeting with our PAC Team, we decided that the title of our March 11th event, Stoicism and Politics: How Can We Save Civility, be changed to How Can We Save Rational Discourse: Philosophy & Politics.We felt this better encapsulated the essence of our message: that regardless of philosophical lens, society is in dire need of restoring civility when discussing politics.
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Civic Friendship & Politics as an Act of Love, Spencer Klavan, author of How to Save the West: Ancient Wisdom for Five Modern Crises, associate editor at the Claremont Institute, host of Western Civilization podcast with the Daily Wire.
Stoicism and the Friend-Enemy Distinction, Pat McGeehan, member of the West Virginia House of Delegates (US), author of Stoicism and the Statehouse
Stoicism, the Enlightenment, Self-Othering, and Civility, Prof. Matthew Sharpe, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Deakin University, author of Stoicism, Bullying, and Beyond, The Other Enlightenment: Self-estrangement, Race, and Gender; series coeditor, Thinkers and Politics.
What does Stoicism bring to the ‘diversity’ table?, Dr. Kai Whiting, Postdoctoral Researcher, Université catholique de Louvain, author of Being Better: Stoicism for a World Worth Living In
Save Yourself, Save Your City, Diane Kalen-Sukra, founder of the Kalen Academy civic leadership academy, author of Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What to Do About Ithttps://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/RhKg3ZmgmHk?rel=0&autoplay=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=0
Aristotle and the Stoics Meet Rock and Roll: A Return to Rational Discourse in Politics, Dr. Tom Morris, author of The Stoic Art of Living and The Everyday Patriot , Chairman, Morris Institute for Human Values
Solon of Athens on the Art of Positive-Sum Negotiation, Josiah Ober, American historian of ancient Greece and classical political theorist, Tsakopoulos-Kounalakis Professor in honor of Constantine Mitsotakis, and professor of classics and political science, at Stanford University.
Panel: Stoicism, Civility, and Politics, hosted by Anya Leonard.Panel includes: Justin Stead, Entrepreneur & Investor, CEO Radley London, Founder of Aurelius Foundation; Mick Mulroy, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for the Middle East. Senior Fellow for National Security and Defense Policy with the Middle East Institute, an Analyst for ABC News, and co-founder of the Lobo Institute; Alexandra O. Hudson, author of The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, founder of Civic Renaissance
Keynote: Hubris Syndrome, Rt Hon. Lord David Owen, co-founder of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), member of the House of Lords, author of The Hubris Syndrome: Bush, Blair and The Intoxication of Power and Riddle, Mystery and Enigma. Two Hundred Years of British-Russian Relations
Our hosts will be Donald Robertson, the president of the Plato’s Academy Centre, and Anya Leonard, the founder and director of the Classical Wisdom website.
If you’re feeling stifled by extreme politics, know that you’re not alone. Please share this post and the message of rational, peaceful, and meaningful discourse with loved ones, friends, and colleagues by sharing the link below.
Seneca: On the Creation of Earthquakes, starring John Malkovich, will be released in Germany on 23rd March 2023.
Donald Robertson is the author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: the Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius; Verissimus, a graphic novel about Marcus Aurelius; and a forthcoming prose biography of Marcus Aurelius for Yale University Press.
Donald also wrote a biography of Seneca for the Capstone Classics edition of his Moral Letters.
Audio of Interview with Markus Wachter, CEO, of the Carnuntum Archeological Park
This podcast episode contains the audio recording from a conversation about Marcus Aurelius, which I had with Markus Wachter, the CEO of the Carnuntum Archeological Park, at the Museum Carnuntinum, in 2019. I was visiting Austria for around a week, doing research for my books on Marcus Aurelius. The audio was recorded live in the main hall of the reconstructed Roman villa in the archeological park, hence the acoustics.
Marcus stationed himself at the Roman legionary fortress of Carnuntum, for part of the Marcomannic Wars. He included the note “At Carnuntum” near the start of the Meditations, proving that he must have written at least part of the manuscript there.
In this episode, Donald talks with Michael Tremblay. Michael is the co-founder of the Stoa Meditation app and co-host of the Stoa Conversations podcast. He has a doctorate in philosophy from Queens University in Ontario. His research has focused on moral education in the Stoics, and philosophy as a way of life. He’s also a wrestler and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.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.Highlights* How did you become interested in ancient philosophy and why Stoicism rather than Buddhism?* What is the main thing that we can learn from Epictetus about moral education* What we can learn from the use of athletic imagery as a metaphor for philosophy in Epictetus and other ancient sources* Marcus says the “art of living” is more like wrestling than dancing – do you agree?* The relationship between martial arts, like BJJ, and Stoic askesis* Could athletic or martial arts training ever conflict with the goals of Stoicism? Resources* Michael on Twitter* Stoa Meditation on Twitter* Michael’s Website Get full access to Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life at donaldrobertson.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode, Donald talks with Michael Tremblay. Michael is the co-founder of the Stoa Meditation app and co-host of the Stoa Conversations podcast. He has a doctorate in philosophy from Queens University in Ontario. His research has focused on moral education in the Stoics, and philosophy as a way of life. He’s also a wrestler and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.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.Highlights* How did you become interested in ancient philosophy and why Stoicism rather than Buddhism?* What is the main thing that we can learn from Epictetus about moral education* What we can learn from the use of athletic imagery as a metaphor for philosophy in Epictetus and other ancient sources* Marcus says the “art of living” is more like wrestling than dancing – do you agree?* The relationship between martial arts, like BJJ, and Stoic askesis* Could athletic or martial arts training ever conflict with the goals of Stoicism? Resources* Michael on Twitter* Stoa Meditation on Twitter* Michael’s Website Get full access to Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life at donaldrobertson.substack.com/subscribe
The latest podcast episode of my podcast, brand new today, is a conversation with Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to be a Stoic and The Quest for Character. I’ve known Massimo for years and wanted to talk to him about how he first became interested in Stoicism, whether his views had changed, his interest in Skepticism and anti-pseudoscience, as well as what his new book says about Socrates, Alcibiades, good leadership, and the development of character.
In this episode, I chat with Massimo Pigliucci, Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, part of the team responsible for the Modern Stoicism organization, and author of several books on philosophy, including How to be a Stoic and, more recently, The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches us about Our Search for Good Leaders. 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.Topics covered include…* How Massimo first got into philosophy, and into Stoicism * What he learned from writing How to be a Stoic* How he has changed his mind about aspects of Stoicism* The Modern Stoicism org and the modern resurgence of interest in Stoicism? * Why doesn’t there seem to be as much interest in Epicureanism or other ancient schools of philosophy among the general public? * What's The Quest for Character about? * Why write about Socrates and Alcibiades? * What potential do you think Socrates saw in Alcibiades? * What do you think Alcibiades’ biggest flaws were and what was his biggest mistake in life? * Would it have turned out differently if a Stoic like Epictetus had been Alcibiades’ tutor? * To what extent good character, or virtue, can be taught* How we could be doing a better job of teaching virtue today Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life at donaldrobertson.substack.com/subscribe
What’s in the book and how to decide if it’s appropriate reading
Our graphic novel, Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, was written for adults but an increasing number of people have told me their children have been reading it. They told me that their kids saw the cover, were intrigued by the artwork, and “stole” their copy. Some teachers have also approached me, interested in purchasing copies for their classes. They think it would make a useful teaching aid.
With Christmas approaching, I’ve been asked about its suitability as a gift for young people. In this post, I’ll try to give a comprehensive answer, inspired by the review site Common Sense Media, which I think does a great job of helping adults decide for themselves what’s appropriate for their children. The short answer is that I would rate this book PG-13 but I’ll explain below the aspects of which parents and teachers should be aware, in order to decide for themselves.
Happiness, serenity, and fulfillment, according to Stoicism, are all within your control.
We’re delighted to announce the new book written by Tim LeBon, with editor Kasey Pierce, 365 WAYS TO BE MORE STOIC, published by John Murray Press, is now available for preorder from all good bookstores! Check out the listing on Amazon or visit the publisher’s website for other online retailers.
