Stoa Conversations: Stoicism Applied

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

In this conversation, Caleb speaks with Spencer Klavan. Spencer is a classicist, author of How to Save the West, and host of the Young Heretics podcast.

Spencer argues that we face five crises and how we respond to them determines who we are as individuals and society. These crises pertain to reality, body, meaning, religion, and regime.

We discuss these challenges, Classical accounts of virtue, and whether Stoicism has what it takes to answer the predicament we're in.

Gateway to the Stoics

How to Save the West

(00:32) Spencer's Story

(06:59) Career and The Hero's Journey

(11:12) Recovering The Good

(16:55) The Unitary Nature of Virtue

(30:30) How to Save The West

(35:00) When was the West at its Best?

(39:11) Crises

(44:11) Is Stoicism Enough?

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

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If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

We discuss one of the most important Stoic ideas: Role ethics.

This is a decision making framework from the Stoic philosopher, Epictetus. It’s a challenge to live a meaningful life by performing the roles you’ve been assigned and the roles you’ve chosen with excellence. We talk about the different kinds of roles we should occupy according the Stoics and how these roles provide a direction for life.

(01:54) Why Role Ethics Matters

(09:11) What Role Ethics Is

(11:36) What Are My Roles?

(13:18) The Role of Human Being

(18:00) Specific Roles

(23:54) Relationships

(35:29) Chosen Roles

(42:23) Role Ethics and Career Choice

(48:49) Outstanding Questions

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

In this conversation Caleb speaks with Greg Lopez. Greg is a practicing secular Buddhist and Stoic. He’s also the co-author, with Massimo Pigliucci, of A Handbook for New Stoics.

They discuss Greg’s struggle to combine the two philosophies, and different accounts of mindfulness.

Greg's Stoicon 2020 talk

(02:12) Buddhism and Stoicism

(12:25) Daily Practice

(16:05) Varieties of Mindfulness

(21:20) Stoic Mindfulness

(33:13) The Notion of Self 

(38:21) Karma

(42:45) Eclecticism

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

In this episode, Caleb and Michael discuss mindfulness and Stoicism.

They start by covering two central definitions of modern mindfulness, move to comparing those accounts with Stoic mindfulness, and end by talking about different ways to become more mindful.

(05:47) What is Mindfulness?

(15:52) Stoic Mindfulness

(26:12) Comparing Mondern Mindfulness & Stoic Mindfulness

(33:27) What's The Purpose of Mindfulness?

(37:10) How to Build Mindfulness

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: https://www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

Remember – if you try it and find it useful, but truly cannot afford Stoa, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

In this conversation Caleb speaks with Will Johncock, the philosopher, sociologist and author of Beyond the Individual: Stoic Philosophy on Community and Connection.

Will’s work highlights the deeply social aspect of Stoicism and offers an essential frame for thinking about our own lives, the lives of the people around us, and our world.

Will reminds us that we share our nature with the world and people around us. This provides a source of meaning and guidance.

https://willjohncock.com/

(03:28) The Individual and Social Aspects of Stoicism

(07:54) Being Social

(13:38) Rationality in the Universe

(18:59) Egoism

(29:52) Autonomy Culture

(36:17) Virtue

(38:58) The Problem of Evil

(42:56) Moral Luck

(46:58) History or Life Philosophy?

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

If you try the Stoa app and find it useful, but truly cannot afford it, email us and we'll set you up with a free account.

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

They say that if you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention.

The Stoics don’t agree with that. In their view, anger is always bad. If you’re angry, you’re not seeing things as they are.

Caleb and Michael discuss why you’d think that in this conversation. It’s grounded in Seneca’s On Anger. Enjoy.

(02:09) Introduction

(06:57) What Is Emotion

(12:55) What Is Anger

(24:13) Why Defenses For Anger Do Not Work

(24:47) But Vengeance Is Justified

(34:16) But Anger Is Useful

(43:20) My Anger Is Controllable

(46:31) If You're Not Angry, Something Is Wrong With You

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

In this conversation, Caleb speaks with Chris Gill. It is one of the best explanations from a scholar who regularly interacts with practitioners.

This episode was released previously on the Stoa App. We’re currently running an annual special for our membership in the month of June: https://stoameditation.com/

We discuss the Stoic virtue, the idea of indifference, the Stoic view of emotions, and how to be happy.

(01:32) Defining Stoicism

(06:34) Indifferents

(09:06) Social and Ethical Development

(11:48) Emotional Development

(21:20) Practice vs Theory

(25:23) Epictetus's Advice

(28:25) 3 Disciplines

(37:02) Grounding Virtues

(42:02) Stoic Exercises

(44:34) Open Questions

Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

Today, we talk about the View from above. It’s the one of the most popular Stoic practices for generating a sense of calm, perspective, and purpose.

What it is, how to practice it, and the risks associated with the practice. We also touch on the importance of consuming art and how you can use art to get into a Stoic mental state.

Arvo Pärt

6 Ways to Practice the View from Above

(03:23) The View From Above

(16:48) How to Practice

(24:39) Philosophically Grounding the Exercise

(30:31) View From Above In Art

(34:53) Risks

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

This is our 50th episode! Thank you for listening and supporting Stoa Conversations. If you’d like to support the show, please subscribe, leave a review, and share an episode with a friend. Also, send a note to [email protected]. We read and respond to every single one.

This episode is with Dr. Marcus Hedahl. Marcus turns the tables and asks Caleb Ontiveros about his article, Stoicism For Me But Not For Thee. They each discuss how to talk to irrational and non-Stoic people.

Stoicism For Me But Not For Thee

Marcus Hedahl on Stoic Happiness

(03:01) Stoicism for Me

(16:28) Blaming Others

(19:18) Pluralism?

(20:55) Inviting Others to Stoicism

(31:57) Why Do We Want Others to be Stoic

(33:52) Groaning With Others

(40:43) Pity and Empathy

Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven

Michael and Caleb discuss…Jordan Peterson. In a previous episode, we covered 12 Rules for Life. Jordan Peterson is a controversial political and cultural figure – but in that discussion, we put all that aside.

In this discussion, we bring it all back.

We cover what we see as Peterson’s virtues and vices in this conversation and how they impact his work. We discuss soldier mindset, audience capture, beauty, and neuroticism. Peterson is a role model for us, but also, an anti-model. This was a useful discussion for clarifying what we find valuable from the man, what we don’t, and how that shapes what we want to do with Stoa.

(01:49) Introduction

(03:44) The Good

(12:29) Don't Apologize to the Mob

(18:39) The Bad

(27:58) Soldier Mindset

(45:31) Outstanding Questions

(49:07) Conclusion

https://stoameditation.com/blog/12-rules-for-life/

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Subscribe to The Stoa Letter for weekly meditations, actions, and links to the best Stoic resources: www.stoaletter.com/subscribe

Download the Stoa app (it’s a free download): stoameditation.com/pod

Listen to more episodes and learn more here: https://stoameditation.com/blog/stoa-conversations/

Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations: https://ancientlyre.com/