Practical Stoicism

By: Evergreen Podcasts
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • Stoicism is the pursuit of Virtue (Aretê), which was defined by the Ancient Greeks as "the knowledge of how to live excellently," Stoicism is a holistic life philosophy meant to guide us towards the attainment of this knowledge through the development of our character. While many other Stoicism podcasts focus on explaining Ancient Stoicism in an academic or historical context, Practical Stoicism strives to port the ancient wisdom of this 2300-plus-year-old Greek Philosophy into contemporary times to provide practical advice for living today, not two millennia ago. Join American philosopher of Stoicism Tanner Campbell, every Monday and Friday, for new episodes.
    Evergreen Podcasts 2025
    Show More Show Less
Philosophy Social Sciences
Show More Show Less
Episodes
  • Why Stoicism Teaches Us to Be Prepared for Death (Meditations 3.8)

    Why Stoicism Teaches Us to Be Prepared for Death (Meditations 3.8)
    Feb 18 2025
    In this episode, I explore Meditations 3.8 and the idea of preparing for death—not as a morbid fascination, but as a necessary step toward living justly and without fear. Marcus Aurelius describes the Stoic sage as someone unshaken by fate, someone who meets the end of life without hesitation or regret. But how does this apply to the rest of us, who are still progressing in our practice? “In the understanding of a man of chastened and purified spirit you will find, no trace of festering wound, no ulceration, no abscess beneath the skin. The hour of fate does not surprise his life before its fulfilment, so that one would say that the actor is leaving the stage before he has fulfilled his role, before the play is over. You will find nothing servile or artificial, no dependence on others nor severance from them; nothing to account for, nothing that needs a hole to hide in.” -- Meditations 3.8 A core theme in this meditation is the relationship between fear and duty. If we allow fear—whether of death, judgment, or hardship—to dictate our choices, we risk abandoning our roles and responsibilities. Through a firefighter analogy, I break down how Stoicism teaches us to act justly by focusing on our roles rather than potential consequences. The takeaway? True Stoic practice isn’t about becoming fearless but about ensuring that fear never prevents us from acting in alignment with Virtue. Key Takeaways: • Marcus Aurelius is speaking about the Stoic sage, not the Prokoptôn. • Fear of death impairs our ability to act justly and fulfill our roles. • Stoicism does not glorify suffering—it values resilience and moral clarity. • Stoics are not indifferent to life, but they recognize it as an indifferent in the pursuit of Virtue. • The ancient Stoics believed sagehood was theoretically possible, but practically, it remains an unreachable ideal. Ultimately, this meditation reminds us that shedding fear—especially fear of death—frees us to serve others and pursue Virtue without hesitation. Join The Society of Stoics Want to deepen your understanding of Stoicism in a private community? Join The Society of Stoics for $10/month: https://community.stoicismpod.com Resources & Links • Purchase a copy of my book: https://stoicismpod.com/book • Read the source text used: https://stoicismpod.com/far • Follow me on Bluesky: https://stoicismpod.com/bluesky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • The Commitment To A Moral Life (Meditations 3.7)

    The Commitment To A Moral Life (Meditations 3.7)
    Feb 11 2025
    In this episode, I explore Meditations 3.7, where Marcus Aurelius reminds us that nothing should take priority over Virtue. Many misunderstand Stoicism as a philosophy of detachment, resilience, and isolation, but in truth, it is profoundly prosocial. Being a Stoic means fulfilling our roles within the broader human community, not retreating from it. I challenge the popular but misguided idea of Stoicism as a philosophy for lone survivalists, demonstrating how its core teachings—from Zeno to Epictetus to Seneca—emphasize duty, justice, and engagement with the world. True Stoicism isn’t about turning inward; it’s about striving for moral excellence in every interaction. “Never value as an advantage to yourself what will force you one day to break your word, to abandon self-respect, to hate, suspect, execrate another, to act a part, to covet anything that calls for walls or coverings to conceal it. A man who puts first his own mind and divinity, and the holy rites of its excellence, makes no scene, utters no groans, will need neither the refuge of solitude nor the crowded streets. What is most worthwhile, he will pass his days neither in pursuit nor in avoidance, and it is no concern at all of his whether the time be longer or shorter for which he shall have the use of the soul in its bodily envelope; for even if he must be released at once, he will depart as easily as he would perform any other act that can be done with reverence and sobriety, being careful all his life of this one thing alone: that his understanding be not found in any state which is foreign to a reasonable social being.” --(Meditations 3.7) TAKEAWAYS — The highest priority in Stoicism is the pursuit of Virtue—nothing should stand in its way. — Stoicism is not a philosophy of detachment or isolation but of prosocial engagement and duty. — A Stoic does not seek solitude or approval; they act justly regardless of external validation. LINKS — Get on the list: https://stoicismpod.com/list — Go ad-free: https://stoicismpod.com/members — Order my book: https://stoicismpod.com/book — Source Text: https://stoicismpod.com/far — Follow me on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/tannerocampbell.bsky.social — Follow me on YouTube: https://stoicismpod.com/youtube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
  • Stoicism Isn’t Toxic, But Misunderstanding It Can Be (Meditations 3.6)

    Stoicism Isn’t Toxic, But Misunderstanding It Can Be (Meditations 3.6)
    Feb 4 2025
    In this episode, I explore Meditations 3.6 and the challenge Marcus Aurelius presents to those seeking the Good life: is there anything higher than justice, truth, temperance, and fortitude? If we find something greater, we should pursue it wholeheartedly. But if not, then we must commit ourselves fully to Virtue. I also address the common misconception that Stoicism promotes emotional repression or toxic perfectionism. True Stoicism is about disciplined reasoning, self-improvement, and moral alignment—not detachment or indifference. If the pursuit of Virtue is the highest aim, then what could be better than dedicating our lives to it? “If you discover in the life of man something higher than justice, truth, temperance, fortitude, and generally speaking than your understanding contented with itself, where it presents you behaving by the rule of right, and satisfied with destiny, in what is assigned to you and is not yours to choose; if, I say, you see something higher than this, turn to it with all your heart and enjoy the supreme good now that it is found…” - Meditations 3.6 TAKEAWAYS + The highest good in Stoicism is the pursuit of Virtue—nothing else surpasses it. + True Stoicism is not about emotional repression but about disciplined reasoning and moral alignment. + The pursuit of an ideal, even if unattainable, is valuable in itself and fuels lifelong self-improvement. LINKS — Go ad-free: https://stoicismpod.com/members — Follow the print publication: https://stoicismpod.com/print — Take my free courses: https://stoicismpod.com/courses — Order my book: https://stoicismpod.com/book — Source Text: https://stoicismpod.com/far — Follow me on BlueSky: https://stoicismpod.com/bluesky — Follow me on YouTube: https://stoicismpod.com/youtube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins

What listeners say about Practical Stoicism

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.co.uk reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Amazon Customer

Great and thought provoking!

This is a great podcast! I have learnt a lot and I may dare say grown so much just listening to this podcast and trying to think like a Stoic.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!