Episodios

  • What Stoicism Teaches About Courage Under Fire

    What Stoicism Teaches About Courage Under Fire
    Oct 15 2025
    In this episode I reflect on the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado — a living case study in courage, justice, and Stoic composure under pressure. I unpack what Stoic philosophy can teach us about moral action when outcomes are uncertain, why courage must always serve justice, and how to handle praise, power, and fear without losing our moral footing. Key takeaways from this episode include: — Courage, in Stoic terms, isn’t fearlessness but reasoned endurance in service of justice and the common good. — Justice is the crown of the virtues: it directs courage and forbids cruelty, even toward those we oppose. — Only what’s up to us — our choices, not outcomes — carries moral weight. — Honors like the Nobel are “preferred indifferents”: they can amplify virtue but never create it. — Cosmopolitan duty calls for wise solidarity — helping without controlling, respecting agency while serving truth. — The Stoic way to meet such stories is not partisanship, but character: to act bravely, justly, and humbly in our own spheres. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have question, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 m
  • How Much News Should a Stoic Consume?

    How Much News Should a Stoic Consume?
    Oct 8 2025
    In this episode I wrestle with how much news a practicing Stoic should actually consume. I define a “news media diet,” weigh different source types (fellow citizens, establishment outlets, and subject-matter experts), and argue for a role-driven, locality-first approach that respects our limits of time, competence, and control. I also share my own daily routine and a practical way to stay informed without burning out or being dragged into performative outrage. Key takeaways from this episode include: — Total awareness is impossible and counter-productive; Stoic attention should be selective, role-guided, and locally anchored. — Evaluate sources by access and incentives: citizens (high emotion, low access), establishment media (access but market pressures), experts (highest fidelity, hardest to parse). — Prioritize local → national → global, expanding outward where issues bilaterally affect your locality and where you can meaningfully act. — Caring doesn’t require omniscience: when you lack competence or control, prefer modest, concrete goods (e.g., legitimate humanitarian donations) over performative debate. — Build a bounded routine (e.g., brief market/finance scan, a neutral daily digest, one or two focused newsletters, 30 minutes on local coverage) and avoid doom-scrolling. — Stoic aim: enough awareness to fulfill your roles justly—no more, no less. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have question, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 m
  • Can We Stoics Take A Day Off?

    Can We Stoics Take A Day Off?
    Sep 28 2025
    In this episode I tackle a question that every practicing Stoic has probably wrestled with: can we ever take a day off from Stoicism? If the pursuit of virtue is supposed to shape every moment of our lives, does that mean we must always be vigilant, never resting? I explore what the ancient texts say, how the ancients themselves surely stumbled, and why purposeful rest isn’t a betrayal of Stoic practice but part of sustaining it. Key takeaways from this episode include: — While Epictetus and Marcus urge vigilance, they also admit we’ll falter — and the key is always to return to the path. — Rest is not an escape from virtue but a way of preserving our rational faculty so we can act justly, wisely, and with courage. — Burnout undermines Stoic practice; deliberate rest strengthens it. — The ancients weren’t sages, and neither are we — taking breaks is part of the human condition and consistent with Stoic growth. — If you nap beside the Stoic path, the path will still be there in the morning. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have question, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 m
  • The Stoic Perspective on Abortion

    The Stoic Perspective on Abortion
    Sep 21 2025
    In this episode I take on one of the hardest and most emotionally charged topics of our time: abortion. Not to argue politics or to inflame division, but to examine how Stoicism frames the issue. We look at both pro-life and pro-choice arguments through Stoic logic, explore why rational agency is the core of the debate, and consider what it means to respect the choices of others when those choices belong to them and not to us. Key takeaways from this episode include: — For Stoics, moral weight belongs to rational agents — the pregnant person, not the fetus, since reason is what grounds justice and responsibility. — A Stoic pro-life case emphasizes Nature’s purpose, duties of care, and respect for a future rational being; a Stoic pro-choice case emphasizes rational deliberation, virtue, and justice in context. — Abortion is not, at its core, a political issue but a moral one — politicizing it strips the pregnant person of their proper role as the rational agent in the decision. — The Stoic response to abortion is twofold: deliberate with integrity if you face the choice yourself, and respect the rational deliberation of others if they face it instead. — Justice means giving to each what is due — and in the case of abortion, what is due is the dignity of rational agency. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have question, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    16 m
  • From Defense to War: A Stoic Response to America’s Rebrand

    From Defense to War: A Stoic Response to America’s Rebrand
    Sep 12 2025
    In this episode I unpack the recent announcement that the U.S. Department of Defense is being renamed the Department of War — and why, from a Stoic perspective, that shift in language and intent is antithetical to virtue. I explore what a true warrior ethos looks like according to Stoic philosophy, why intentions matter more than branding or rhetoric, and how populist theatrics around power can easily drift away from justice and wisdom. Key takeaways from this episode include: — The Stoic warrior ethos is not about “maximum lethality” or offense, but about justice, self-control, wisdom, and courage in the face of conflict. — Words and names may be performative, but they reflect values — and the move from “defense” to “war” signals an embrace of ambition, anger, and cruelty rather than virtue. — Stoics judge the morality of military action by its intent: is it for justice and the common good, or for dominance and destruction? — Populist leaders often confuse performative strength with true moral strength; Stoics would remind us that virtue, not spectacle, is the real measure of power. — As Seneca reminds us, our task while we live is to practice humanity, not to be a terror to others. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have question, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    24 m
  • Can Stoics Eat Meat?

    Can Stoics Eat Meat?
    Sep 3 2025
    In this episode I dig into the Stoic approach to diet and the perennial “should Stoics eat meat?” question. I lay out what “living in accordance with Nature” really means (Logos, not tree-hugging shorthand), why eating animals isn’t inherently un-Stoic, and where our reasoning can go vicious—especially with industrialized, commodified animal agriculture. I also talk through practical ways contemporary Stoics can eat more justly without pretending to be sages or purists. Key takeaways from this episode include: — “According to Nature” = aligning choices with the Logos (the rational order of the cosmos), not suppressing feelings or chasing outcomes. — Eating meat is a Stoic indifferent; what matters is the reasoning and method behind it. Killing as part of a balanced, natural cycle can be compatible with virtue; factory-style exploitation is not. — Outcome-chasing (“ends justify the means”) isn’t Stoic. We judge the justice of our choices, not their hoped-for results. — A sage-like pattern would be seasonal, mostly plant-forward eating, with animal products used thoughtfully and sparingly, sourced in ways that allow other beings to flourish. — Practical steps: favor small/ethical producers, reduce single-use indulgence, buy what you need, recycle/compost, and treat dining-out choices with awareness (while accepting we won’t be perfect). — The real Stoic question isn’t “meat or no meat?” but “Is how this food was produced—and why I’m choosing it—truly in accordance with Nature?” To learn more about Tanner, please visit https://tannerocampbell.com For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have question, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    24 m
  • Should Stoics Care About The Environment?

    Should Stoics Care About The Environment?
    Aug 30 2025
    In this episode I explore the Stoic perspective on the environment — how we should think about our roles and responsibilities toward nature, and whether caring for the natural world is a Stoic duty or an indulgence in trying to control what we cannot. Along the way, I share examples of real-world environmental issues, discuss the balance between regulation and freedom, and outline some practical ways we can each live “according to Nature” in our daily lives. Key takeaways from this episode include: — Asking “What would the Sage do?” helps us check our impulses and aim for wiser decisions about environmental responsibility. — For Stoics, the environment is not just scenery — it is literally part of Nature (capital N), the divine order of the cosmos, and therefore worthy of our care. — Global warming and climate breakdown are indifferents, but how we choose to respond to them can be virtuous or vicious. — Individual action matters, even if small, but systemic issues like over-commercialization and corporate pollution require collective attention and regulation. — Living according to Nature means balancing gratitude for what we already have with responsible choices that support sustainability and justice. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have question, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    23 m
  • What If It Actually Is My Job?

    What If It Actually Is My Job?
    Aug 22 2025
    In this episode I reflect on the idea of responsibility through the lens of Spider-Man’s famous question, “What if it is my job?” I talk about how we can discern whether something really falls to us or not, how our roles and duties guide those decisions, and why happiness isn’t the point of life for a Stoic — virtue is. Along the way, I share thoughts on gut reactions, role-based reasoning, and how we can both accept where we are and still strive for better. Key takeaways from this episode include: — Stoics should be cautious of following gut or heart impulses, since these are often driven by immediate emotions rather than reason. — Our roles in life (parent, spouse, citizen, friend, etc.) help determine whether something “is our job” or not, and when no role obligates us, we can weigh whether new responsibilities can be taken on justly. — Happiness is not about external circumstances but about who we are; contentment and striving can coexist when both are approached with justice and gratitude. For an ad-free version of this podcast please visit https://stoicismpod.com/members For links to other valuable Stoic things, please visit https://links.stoicismpod.com If you'd like to provide feedback on this episode, or have question, you may do so as a member. Email sent by non-members will not be answered (though they may be read). This isn't punitive, I just cannot keep up. Limiting access to members reduces my workload. You're always invited to leave a comment on Spotify, member or not. Thanks for listening and have a great day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    18 m