Stoic Meditations

Massimo Pigliucci

Occasional reflections on the wisdom of Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers with Prof. Massimo Pigliucci. Complete index by author and source at https://massimopigliucci.org/stoic-podcast/. (cover art by Marek Škrabák; original music by Ian Jolin-Rasmussen).

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1,094 episodes
Updated Aug 23, 2022

Episodes1094

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Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
34. Follow the counsel of reason
Epictetus reminds us that sometimes the reasonable thing to do is to suspend judgment. And always to face reality rather than engage in wishful thinking.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
33. What counts as a good life?
Seneca says that the important thing is not how long a life you live, but what you do with it.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
32. What matters is the here & now
Marcus Aurelius thinks that it’s good to keep things in perspective, and that we only control the here and now.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
31. Doing beats complaining
Epictetus reminds his student that certain things are an inevitable feature of the universe, and that it is better to work on them than just wish them away.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
30. On death & the value of life
Seneca uses Epicurus’ argument for why we should not be afraid of death, focusing instead on how to best live our life.
Mar 1, 2018 · 2 min
29. What makes your life worth it?
Marcus Aurelius introduces us to the apparently paradoxical notion that life, death, honor, dishonor, pleasure and pain are neither good nor bad.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
28. Caring about your soul
Epictetus makes an interesting contrast between taking too much care of our bodies and too little care of our minds.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
27. True friendship is rare
Seneca advises us on how to behave with true friends, and reminds us of how important they are in our life.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
26. We are all brothers & sisters
Hierocles reminds us that we are fundamentally social animals, and that we are here to help each other.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
25. Practice, practice, practice!
Musonius Rufus says that nobody is born a writer, musician, or athlete. People get there by studying and practicing. The same goes for virtue.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
24. Clean up your own thinking
Marcus tells us that it’s too easy and unnecessary to worry about other people’s thoughts. It is far more difficult, but useful, to worry about our own.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
23. Don’t argue with stones
Epictetus says that some people hardens their opinions into stones. It’s their problem, don’t waste your time arguing with them.
Mar 1, 2018 · 2 min
22. On wealth and virtue
Seneca tells Lucilius that wealth should be limited, something that exposed him to charges of hypocrisy. Regardless, what is the relationship between wealth and virtue?
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
21. Use your time well...
Marcus reminds us that our life is short, and that we don’t really know what day will be our last. So why not use our time in the best possible way?
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
20. Virtue is a matter of practice
Epictetus says that we become virtuous in the same way as athletes and musicians become more proficient at what they do: by constant practice.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
19. Find wisdom wherever it is
Seneca wanders into Epicurean territory, as a scout, not a traitor.
Mar 1, 2018 · 2 min
18. Opinions cannot hurt you
Marcus is summarizing here some of the most important concepts of Stoicism, especially why we should pity, and not get upset with, people when they make mistakes.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
17. On dealing with nasty people
Hierocles reminds us how to best respond to another human being who has ill feelings toward us.
Mar 1, 2018 · 1 min
16. Philosophy is about doing
Musonius Rufus says that philosophers should speak clearly, and most of all should live the way they talk.
Mar 1, 2018 · 2 min
15. Don’t sell your soul cheap!
Epictetus asks us at what price we are willing to sell our soul, and advises us to aim for the highest one possible.