Practical Stoicism
Stoicism is the pursuit of Virtue (Aretê), which was defined by the Ancient Greeks as "the knowledge of how to live excellently," Stoicism is a holistic life philosophy meant to guide us towards the attainment of this knowledge through the development of our character. While many other Stoicism podcasts focus on explaining Ancient Stoicism in an academic or historical context, Practical Stoicism strives to port the ancient wisdom of this 2300-plus-year-old Greek Philosophy into contemporary times to provide practical advice for living today, not two millennia ago. Join American philosopher of Stoicism Tanner Campbell, every Monday and Friday, for new episodes.
Episodes
December 1, 2024 • 26 mins
In this episode, I examine Meditation 16 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the ways in which a person’s soul—or daemon, in Stoic terminology—can harm itself. Marcus lists five key actions that damage the soul, emphasizing that such harm occurs when we act contrary to Nature and our rational purpose.
The first way we harm ourselves is by separating from Nature, acting as though we are independent of the U...
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November 25, 2024 • 15 mins
In this episode, I reflect on Meditation 15 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius emphasizes that “all is opinion.” This principle, shared by the Cynic philosopher Monimus, suggests that our perception defines our reality. While this concept is intuitive, its true power lies in recognizing the control we have over how we frame our experiences. By adjusting our perceptions, we can transform how we respond to life’s chall...
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November 18, 2024 • 18 mins
In this episode, I examine Meditation 14 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the nature of time and the present moment. Marcus emphasizes that we cannot lose the past, as it no longer exists, nor the future, as it has yet to arrive. The only thing we can truly lose is the present moment, which is fleeting and finite. He reminds us that regardless of the length of one’s life, everyone loses the same thing i...
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November 13, 2024 • 21 mins
In this episode, I review Meditation 13 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the futility of constantly seeking to understand or judge others instead of focusing on our own alignment with Nature. Marcus references Pindar to illustrate how some people waste their lives in endless speculation, failing to see that true fulfillment comes from connecting with the divine reason, or “Daimon,” within each of us. Th...
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November 5, 2024 • 15 mins
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 12 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the transient nature of life, death, and the things we often fear or desire. Marcus emphasizes that everything in the Universe is impermanent, including our bodies, desires, and even the monuments we create. These fleeting aspects of life, he suggests, should be seen as trivial or “cheap” when compared to the pursuit of virtue.
Ma...
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October 28, 2024 • 25 mins
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 11 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reminds us to live each moment as if death could come at any time, encouraging a focus on living virtuously. Marcus addresses the nature of death and the existence of gods, framing them in a way that reduces fear. He explains that if gods exist, they are just, so there is no need to fear death. If gods do not exist, then life has no divine me...
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October 21, 2024 • 21 mins
In this episode, I cover Meditation 10 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the comparison between faults driven by anger and those driven by desire. He references Theophrastus, who argued that errors rooted in pleasure and appetite are graver than those caused by anger. I explore this idea, explaining how Stoics view actions driven by desire as more deliberate and habituated than those caused by reactive e...
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October 15, 2024 • 12 mins
In this episode, I reflect on Meditation 9 from Book 2 of Meditations. Marcus Aurelius reminds us to always remember the nature of the Cosmos and our place within it. He emphasizes that the Cosmos is a rational and self-sustaining system, and as part of it, we share in that logic and beneficence. Marcus urges us to act in accordance with Nature, meaning that we should strive to be rational and beneficent, just as the Cosmos is.
I e...
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October 7, 2024 • 9 mins
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 8 from Book 2 of Meditations. Marcus Aurelius reflects on how people rarely suffer from not understanding the thoughts of others but are bound to suffer if they don’t observe their own thoughts. I explain how spending too much time worrying about what others think leaves us no energy to examine our own thoughts and work toward virtue. This meditation is not about ignoring others, but rather abo...
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September 29, 2024 • 12 mins
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 7 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius advises us to give ourselves moments of quiet to focus on learning something good, while also warning against aimlessness. I explore how modern distractions—whether from media, politics, or content creators—are constantly vying for our attention. Marcus’ advice to focus on "something good" can be interpreted as learning about virtue, which hel...
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September 23, 2024 • 27 mins
In this episode, I explore Meditation 6 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on how we often fail to honor our own well-being, instead placing it in the hands of others. I dive into the Stoic concept of violence, explaining that true violence, in Stoic terms, is the damage we do to our own moral character through vice, not the physical acts we traditionally associate with violence. Using examples like murder, ...
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September 16, 2024 • 20 mins
In this episode, I begin by correcting a mistake I made about the word "Prokoptôn," clarifying that it is the singular form, not the plural. We then dive into Meditation 5 of Book 2, which focuses on acting with precision, dignity, love, freedom, and justice in every moment, as if it were your last. I break down the importance of being aligned with nature and explain how Marcus Aurelius emphasizes the need to be in awe of the Cosmo...
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September 9, 2024 • 27 mins
In this week's meditation, we explore Meditation 2.4 from Book 2 of the Meditations. The conversation centers around the inevitability of death, the urgency of utilizing the present moment, and the Stoic approach to perceiving and appreciating life on Nature’s terms.
Meditation Quoted: "Remember how long you have been putting off these things, and how many times the gods have given you days of grace, and yet you do not use them. No...
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September 2, 2024 • 26 mins
In this episode, we delve into Meditation 2.3 of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations. We explore the concepts of Providence and the interconnectedness of the universe as understood by the Stoics. We discuss how everything in the cosmos, including human life, is part of a logical and stable system governed by natural laws. Additionally, we touch upon the Stoic view of change and how it contributes to the stability of the universe. The pra...
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August 26, 2024 • 31 mins
In today’s episode, we explore Meditations 2.2 by Marcus Aurelius, diving into the Stoic understanding of our bodies, the concept of the “god” in Stoicism, and the relationship between our physical body, life-sustaining breath, and rational mind. Marcus identifies these three parts of the human being and challenges us to take control of the only one we can—the governing self, or rational mind.
We also touch on the Stoic concept of ...
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August 20, 2024 • 29 mins
In this first episode of Season 2, we dive into one of my favorite meditations from Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 2.1. I’ll be using the Farquharson translation throughout this season, and today, I’m excited to get started.
Meditation Quoted:
"Say to yourself in the early morning: I shall meet today inquisitive, ungrateful, violent, treacherous, envious, uncharitable men. All these things have come upon them through ignorance of rea...
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August 13, 2024 • 24 mins
In this primer episode for Season 2, I introduce the reboot of the podcast. If you're new here, welcome—I'm excited to have you join this journey. This season is not a reimagining but a refresh, building on the knowledge I've accumulated since I first started this podcast in 2022. While Season One was an exploratory beginning, Season Two aims to dive deeper into the Stoic canon with greater insight and understanding.
In this episod...
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August 13, 2024 • 5 mins
Welcome to Season 2 of Practical Stoicism! When I started this podcast in January 2022, I knew very little about Stoicism. Fast forward to today, and the podcast now averages around 4 million plays a year. Along the way, I've written over half a million words on Stoicism, co-authored a book, and gained recognition as a Stoic philosopher within the academic community.
With all this growth and learning, I realized that some of the ea...
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July 30, 2024 • 16 mins
In this episode, I delve into the concept of identity from a Stoic perspective, prompted by recent thoughts and experiences. I discuss how we often identify with various subordinate identities, such as our gender, profession, nationality, or personal preferences, and how these can sometimes overshadow our true identity.
I propose that, according to Stoic philosophy, we all share a single Cardinal Identity: Human Citizen of the Cosm...
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July 9, 2024 • 12 mins
In this episode, I open up about my own health challenges, sharing that while I am "blood healthy", I am also carrying around some excess weight. This personal context sets the stage for a broader discussion on health and Stoicism.
I emphasize that taking care of our bodies is generally morally appropriate, but our approach to health must be contextually related to our abilities and circumstances. Stoicism teaches that the moral ju...
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