Wisdom at Work

Lou Marinoff helped pioneer and popularize philosophical counseling and authored the international bestseller Plato not Prozac. His work has been featured in The Economist and the The New York Times, and beyond his work as a professor and counselor, he has consulted with many organizations all over the world, including the World Economic Forum.

In our latest dialogue, Lou spells out his diagnosis of the pathological extremes in American culture, and offers the Middle Way of the “ABCs”–Aristotle, Buddha, and Confucius–to help us make sense of and work through our troubled times.

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Jared Woodard is head of the Research Investment Committee and director for Global
Investment Strategy at Band of America Global Research. In this role, he offers insights on global asset allocation and key market trends to the firm’s institutional, government and retail clients.

Jared also holds a PhD in Philosophy from Fordham University, where he was a classmate of mine. How does someone shift from a PhD in philosophy to a successful career in finance? Tune in to find out. Beyond his own career transition story, Jared and I discuss metaphysical nihilism, the challenges of the 21st century economy, and the enduring value of the liberal arts.

Note: The views discussed in this episode are Jared’s own and do not reflect those of his employer.

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Jason Merchey embodies the Socratic ethos and the philosophical way of life: the humble search for wisdom. He has served in many roles—from clinical psychologist, to real estate investor, to therapy dog trainer—but his guiding passion is the love of wisdom. In his recent book, Wisdom: A Very Valuable Virtue that Cannot Be Taught, he explores this virtue that is so elusive yet so essential to a life well lived.

Jason has developed practical tools to help people develop wisdom in their own life, including the Top Values Tool and the Ethical Decision Making Guide. Self-knowledge is a key component of wisdom, and we don’t often have occasion to step back and reflect on why, exactly, we do what we do. Check them out!

In this conversation, we explore the nature of wisdom and many things more, from wisdom in investing to one of my favorite topics: the wisdom of dogs.

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Skye C. Cleary PhD MBA is a philosopher and author of How to Be Authentic: Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Fulfillment (St Martin’s Press / Ebury 2022), Existentialism and Romantic Love (Palgrave Macmillan 2015) and co-editor of How to Live a Good Life (Vintage 2020). Her work has been published with The Paris Review, Aeon, The Times Literary Supplement, TED-Ed, Los Angeles Review of Books,The Independent, The Conversation, Business Insider, New Republic, and others. In 2021, she was a MacDowell Fellow. In 2017, she won the New Philosopher Writers’ Award.  

She teaches at Columbia University and the City University of New York, and previously at ThinkOlio, the New York Public Library, and with incarcerated students. She is former Editor-in-Chief of the American Philosophical Association’s Blog and a certified fellow with the American Philosophical Practitioners Association. Before philosophy,  she was an international equity arbitrageur, management consultant, and Lieutenant in the Australian Army Reserves.

Beyond philosophy, we explore her experience practicing martial arts, her NYC cocktail bar expertise, and her experience interviewing Esther Perel.

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Skye C. Cleary PhD MBA is a philosopher and author of How to Be Authentic: Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Fulfillment (St Martin’s Press / Ebury 2022), Existentialism and Romantic Love (Palgrave Macmillan 2015) and co-editor of How to Live a Good Life (Vintage 2020). Her work has been published with The Paris Review, Aeon, The Times Literary Supplement, TED-Ed, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Independent, The Conversation, Business Insider, New Republic, and others. In 2021, she was a MacDowell Fellow. In 2017, she won the New Philosopher Writers’ Award.  

She teaches at Columbia University and the City University of New York, and previously at ThinkOlio, the New York Public Library, and with incarcerated students. She is former Editor-in-Chief of the American Philosophical Association’s Blog and a certified fellow with the American Philosophical Practitioners Association. Before philosophy,  she was an international equity arbitrageur, management consultant, and Lieutenant in the Australian Army Reserves.

Beyond philosophy, we explore her experience practicing martial arts, her NYC cocktail bar expertise, and her experience interviewing Esther Perel.

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• Skye’s Website
• Skye’s Books:

• TedEd Video: “Why Do We Love? A Philosophical Inquiry”:

• Love Shit Actually

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Massimo Pigliucci is professor of philosophy at City University of New York. He holds PhDs in both philosophy and biology. As an early adopter of blogging, he has effectively communicated philosophy to the broader public. A prominent philosopher of science, he has engaged popular scientists such as Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye, exposing the limits of science and the key role philosophy can play in figuring out the role of science in public life. More recently, he has played a leading role in the “Stoic Renaissance” and translated the teachings of this ancient philosophical school into practical terms for living a good life.

SHOW NOTES:

• Massimo’s Blog
• Massimo’s TED Talk:

• “The Philosophy of Stoicism,” Ted-Ed:

• Massimo’s Books:

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Podcasting is a time-intensive labor of love. Your support is most appreciated!

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Massimo Pigliucci is professor of philosophy at City University of New York. He holds PhDs in both philosophy and biology. As an early adopter of blogging, he has effectively communicated philosophy to the broader public. A prominent philosopher of science, he has engaged popular scientists such as Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye, exposing the limits of science and the key role philosophy can play in figuring out the role of science in public life. More recently, he has played a leading role in the “Stoic Renaissance” and translated the teachings of this ancient philosophical school into practical terms for living a good life.

SHOW NOTES:

• Massimo’s Blog
• Massimo’s TED Talk:

• “The Philosophy of Stoicism,” Ted-Ed:

• Massimo’s Books:

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Podcasting is a time-intensive labor of love. Your support is most appreciated!

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Lou Marinoff was doing practical philosophy before it was cool. In the 1990s, he helped pioneer and popularize philosophical counseling and authored the international bestseller Plato not Prozac. His work has been featured in The Economist and the The New York Times, and beyond his work as a professor and counselor, he has consulted with many organizations all over the world, including the World Economic Forum.

In Part 2, Lou dives deeper into the skills exercised in philosophical counseling, tells us how he expanded his practice into consulting with businesses and organizations all over the world, and explains how his recent book on the roots of human conflict can help us make sense of increasingly chaotic culture.

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SHOW NOTES:

• Lou’s Website
• 1999 Interview on Plato Not Prozac:

• “Socrates, For Pleasure and Profit,” The Economist, June 22nd, 2000
• “The Socratic Shrink,” New York Times, March 21st, 2004
• Lou’s Books:

TIP JAR

Podcasting is a time-intensive labor of love. Your support is most appreciated!

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Lou Marinoff was doing practical philosophy before it was cool. In the 1990s, he helped pioneer and popularize philosophical counseling and authored the international bestseller Plato not Prozac. His work has been featured in The Economist and the The New York Times, and beyond his work as a professor and counselor, he has consulted with many organizations all over the world, including the World Economic Forum.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE:

SUPPORT:

SPONSORED BY:

SHOW NOTES:

• Lou’s Website
• 1999 Interview on Plato Not Prozac:

• “Socrates, For Pleasure and Profit,” The Economist, June 22nd, 2000
• “The Socratic Shrink,” New York Times, March 21st, 2004
• Lou’s Books:

TIP JAR

Podcasting is a time-intensive labor of love. Your support is most appreciated!

$1.00

Tom Morris was doing public philosophy before it was a thing.

At the peak of academic success–a full professor at Notre Dame for 15 years, an accomplished scholar and acclaimed teacher–Morris found another calling: bringing philosophy into the business world. After discovering he had a knack for making philosophy practical for audiences outside the academy, he started appearing on TV and eventually found himself on the Today Show and Live! With Regis and Kathy Lee. From his website:

Imagine the wisdom of Yoda, Gandalf, and Dumbledore, rolled together and linked to the spirit and energy of the world’s most winning athletic coaches. Stir in the unexpected humor of a Seinfeld or Fallon, and you have an idea of what Tom’s audiences experience.

After this conversation, I definitely felt like I had had “the Tom Morris experience.” Listening to it, I think you will, too.

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SHOW NOTES:

• Tom’s Website
• Tom’s most recent book:

• Tom on Live! With Regis and Kathy Lee:

• Tom on the Today Show:

Tom Morris was doing public philosophy before it was a thing.

At the peak of academic success–a full professor at Notre Dame for 15 years, an accomplished scholar and acclaimed teacher–Morris found another calling: bringing philosophy into the business world. After discovering he had a knack for making philosophy practical for audiences outside the academy, he started appearing on TV and eventually found himself on the Today Show and Live! With Regis and Kathy Lee. From his website:

Imagine the wisdom of Yoda, Gandalf, and Dumbledore, rolled together and linked to the spirit and energy of the world’s most winning athletic coaches. Stir in the unexpected humor of a Seinfeld or Fallon, and you have an idea of what Tom’s audiences experience.

After this conversation, I definitely felt like I had had “the Tom Morris experience.” Listening to it, I think you will, too.

LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE:

SUPPORT:

SPONSORED BY:

SHOW NOTES:

• Tom’s Website
• Tom’s most recent book:

• Tom on Live! With Regis and Kathy Lee:

• Tom on the Today Show:

TIP JAR

Podcasting is a time-intensive labor of love. Your support is most appreciated!

$1.00