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The Stoics made claims that sounded completely crazy to regular people. Only virtue is good. All crimes are equally bad. Everyone who isn't perfectly wise is literally insane.
These weren't just philosophical word games. They were deliberate provocations designed to force people to think differently about what really matters in life.
Caleb and Michael break down Cicero's six famous Stoic paradoxes and explain why each one makes more sense than it first appears. You'll discover how these seemingly absurd claims reveal the radical core of Stoic thinking.
(01:41) Virtue is the only good
(10:06) Virtue is sufficient for happiness
(13:53) All good deeds are equally virtuous and all bad deeds are equally vicious
(27:16) All fools are mad
(33:32) Only the wise are free
(38:16) Only the wise are rich
(43:47) Summary
***
Download the Stoa app (it's a free download): https://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/
By Caleb5
4343 ratings
The Stoics made claims that sounded completely crazy to regular people. Only virtue is good. All crimes are equally bad. Everyone who isn't perfectly wise is literally insane.
These weren't just philosophical word games. They were deliberate provocations designed to force people to think differently about what really matters in life.
Caleb and Michael break down Cicero's six famous Stoic paradoxes and explain why each one makes more sense than it first appears. You'll discover how these seemingly absurd claims reveal the radical core of Stoic thinking.
(01:41) Virtue is the only good
(10:06) Virtue is sufficient for happiness
(13:53) All good deeds are equally virtuous and all bad deeds are equally vicious
(27:16) All fools are mad
(33:32) Only the wise are free
(38:16) Only the wise are rich
(43:47) Summary
***
Download the Stoa app (it's a free download): https://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/

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