On the Manual of Epictetus, aka The Enchiridion, from around 135 CE. What's a wise strategy for life? What is freedom? Stoicism says that the secret is mastering yourself. If you let yourself be perturbed by things that happen to you, then you're a slave to those external things. Your good lies only in the things you can (with practice) control, i.e., your own attitudes, Continue Reading …
Episode 124: The Stoic Life with Epictetus (Citizen Edition)
On the Manual of Epictetus, aka The Enchiridion, from around 135 CE. What's a wise strategy for life? What is freedom? Stoicism says that the secret is mastering yourself. If you let yourself be perturbed by things that happen to you, then you're a slave to those external things. Your good lies only in the things you can (with practice) control, i.e., your own attitudes, Continue Reading …
Topic for #124: The Stoic Life with Epictetus
On 8/30/15, the full foursome plus Alex Fossella (Danny's researcher on the Modern Day Philosophers podcast) discussed the Manual of Epictetus, aka the Handbook or Enchiridion, written around 135 CE by Epictetus's pupil Arrian (but unlike Plato's accounts of Socrates, these seem more likely to be Epictetus's actual words noted down). Stoicism is one of the big ancient wisdom Continue Reading …
Episode 36: More Hegel on Self-Consciousness (Citizens Only)
Part 2 of our discussion of G.F.W. Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, covering sections 178-230 within section B, "Self-Consciousness." Part 1 is here. First, Hegel's famous "master and slave" parable, whereby we only become fully self-conscious by meeting up with another person, who (at least in primordial times, or maybe this happens to everyone as they grow up, or maybe Continue Reading …
PREVIEW-Episode 36: More Hegel on Self-Consciousness
This is a 32-minute preview of a 1 hr, 32-minute episode.Buy Now Purchase this episode for $2.99. Or become a PEL Citizen for $5 a month, and get access to this and all other paywalled episodes, including 68 back catalogue episodes; exclusive Part 2's for episodes published after September, 2020; and our after-show Nightcap, where the guys respond to listener email and chat Continue Reading …
Episode 33: Montaigne: What Is the Purpose of Philosophy? (Citizens Only)
Discussing Michel de Montaigne's Essays: "That to Philosophize is to Learn to Die," "Of Experience," "Of Cannibals," "Of the Education of Children," and "Of Solitude" (all from around 1580) with some discussion of "Apology for Raymond Sebond." Renaissance man Montaigne tells us all how to live, how to die, how to raise our kids, that we don't know anything, and a million Continue Reading …
PREVIEW-Episode 33: Montaigne: What Is the Purpose of Philosophy?
This is a 32-minute preview of a 1 hr, 41-minute episode.Buy Now Purchase this episode for $2.99. Or become a PEL Citizen for $5 a month, and get access to this and all other paywalled episodes, including 68 back catalogue episodes; exclusive Part 2's for episodes published after September, 2020; and our after-show Nightcap, where the guys respond to listener email and chat Continue Reading …
Philosophical Exercises to Steel Against Criticism
We have had a great jump in viewers of late, not least because my bro-in-law Dan Colman finally let us put a self-glorifying post on his fantastic and widely read Open Culture blog, and also because I've started bombarding entire philosophy grad school departments with invitations to check us out. So welcome, all you new readers/listeners. However, with our increasing Continue Reading …