An ancient debate on the nature of the world is still with us, and for good reasons — Last weekend I taught an intensive online seminar — eight hours total — on Socrates as seen by Xenophon. We read and discussed the Memorabilia, which presents a lively portrait of the sage from Athens, with Socrates freely giving advice to wannabe politicians as well as courtesans. It is also…

Pierre Hadot’s ideas on ancient practical philosophy are foundational to the modern conception of the art of living — Whether we realize it or not, we all have a philosophy of life. Often it consists in whatever religious creed and practices one has been raised with. At other times it is the result of a conscious choice. …

The last chapter of Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism raises a disturbing possibility — “Totalitarianism differs essentially from other forms of political oppression known to us such as despotism, tyranny, and dictatorship.” (H. Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, ch. 13) With a small group of friends I run an informal book club that uses the Signal chat platform. For the past several months we’ve…

An excerpt from my new book: The Quest for Character — What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders — [If you like this excerpt, please consider getting and reviewing The Quest for Character.] The year is 430 BCE. The place, Athens. The time, shortly after the beginning of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, which — twenty-six years later — will end in Athens’s defeat and a general…

If you have a chance, go to Carnuntum, near Vienna, and visit the site where the emperor-philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote some of his famous Meditations — Some people go to Mecca. Others to see the Pope in St. Peter’s Square. I go to sites that are connected to ancient Greco-Roman history, especially to philosophers, and more often than not in particular to Stoicism. I call these episodes my “secular pilgrimages,” as they serve a function similar…

Epictetus teaches us how to enjoy people and things while they are with us, rather than regret them when they are no longer — “So if you long for your son or your friend at a time when they aren’t given to you, you’re longing for a fig in winter, believe me.” (Epictetus, Discourses, III.24.87) Figs are one of my favorite fruits. The common edible fig’s scientific name is Ficus carica, a plant native…

Why so many things that people think are good are, in fact, no such thing — [previous entries in this series can be found here] I’m sure you noticed that we live in a capitalistic, and therefore hyper-consumerist society. The logic of capitalism implies that the economy has to keep growing, and in order for that to happen more and more people have to buy lots…

Is it morally wrong to believe something without, or even in spite, of the evidence? — A shipowner was about to send to sea a ship with immigrants on board. He knew that she was old, and not well built to begin with; that she had seen many seas and storms, and often had needed repairs. Doubts had been suggested to him that possibly she was…

Sometimes the ancient Stoic may seem hopelessly out of touch with modernity. And yet, it’s complicated… — Ever since I got interested in practicing Greco-Roman philosophy, and especially one form or another of Stoicism, I’ve had to face the inevitable fact that sometimes the ancients seem so hopelessly out of touch that one wonders whether the whole enterprise is actually worth it. Stoicism, of course, is not…