Rob and Massimo talk to returning guest Robin Waterfield, who has recently released a new translation of Epictetus, The Complete Works: Handbook, Discourses, and Fragments. Learn about what made Epictetus a distinctive, yet traditional Stoic, as well as about the joys and perils of translating the ancient Greeks.…

Rob and Massimo talk to Donald Robertson, the author of the graphic novel Verissimus: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. What were the challenges of presenting history and philosophy in pictorial form? Was the emperor Hadrian really such a bad character? Why did Marcus appoint his son Commodus to succeed him? Join us for these and many other …

Join Massimo and Rob for another episode of the "Philosophy as a Way of Life" podcast as they talk with returning guest Matt Sharpe on his new book: Stoicism, Bullying, and Beyond--How to Keep Your Head When Others Around You Have Lost Theirs and Blame You.

Join Massimo and Rob for another episode of the "Philosophy as a Way of Life" podcast as they talk about Massimo's new book, The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us about Our Search for Good Leaders.

Ron and Massimo talk to Tim LeBon and John Sellars, two of the leading scholars behind the Modern Stoicism group, about the tenth anniversary of the organization that brings you Stoicon, Stoic Week, and much more. Modern Stoicism is a non-profit limited company, registered in the UK and run by a multidisciplinary team of volunteers. Its aims are to…

Rob and Massimo chat with Skye Cleary, author of How to Be Authentic: Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Fulfillment. We talk about existentialism, authenticity, bad faith, and all sorts of other ideas relevant for an existential way of life. How to Be Authentic is a lively introduction to Simone de Beauvoir's philosophy of existentialism, as wel…

In this episode of the Philosophy as a Way of Life podcast Rob and Massimo talk to Caleb Cohoe, a Professor of Philosophy at Metropolitan State University of Denver who has recently co-authored two papers exploring what, exactly, it means to live philosophically. Is it all and only a matter of reason? Or do we need to train ourselves by way of spir…

Rob and Massimo discuss the misconception that Stoicism is a philosophy helpful only during bad times. On the contrary, just like any philosophy of life, Stoicism is useful every day, no matter what the circumstances. Indeed, strictly speaking, from a Stoic perspective there are neither "good" nor "bad" times, but only times that can be handled wel…

Rob and Massimo talk to Stephen Angle, author of Growing Moral: A Confucian Guide to Life. At its core, Confucianism describes a way for humans to live and grow together in our world--a way characterized at its best by joy, beauty, and harmony. Stephen's book builds a case for modern Confucianism as a way of life well worth the attention of reflect…

Rob and Massimo talk to John Sellars, author of The Pocket Epicurean, about what modern audiences may find appealing about the Epicurean approach to life, and how it differs from other Greco-Roman philosophies, particularly Stoicism.

Join Rob and Massimo for a celebration of Marcus Aurelius' 1900th birthday. We talk about the passages in the Meditations that have most influenced our lives, ask whether Marcus persecuted Christians, why he didn't abolish slavery, and why on earth he picked Commodus to succeed him! [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Con…

Rob and Massimo have a chat with Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko, authors of The Good Life Method: Reasoning through the big questions of happiness, faith, and meaning. We even get to talk about philosophers on Tik Tok...

Rob and Massimo talk to Georges Dreyfus on the differences and surprising similarities between Buddhism and Stoicism. Learn about mindfulness, meditation, and why anger is a really bad idea.

Rob and Massimo use the occasion of Valentine Day to chat about what the Stoics have to say about love, from eros to romantic love, from infatuation to mature relationships. Plus, a very practical guide for your Valentine date! [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]…

Rob and Massimo talk about Cicero's On Duties, one of the most influential books on ethics and political philosophy of the entire western tradition. What is the relationship between what is virtuous and what is beneficial?

Rob and Massimo talk to Northwestern University professor (and Rob's PhD advisor!) Richard Kraut about why one might want to consider adopting Aristotelianism as a philosophy of life.

Rob and Massimo talk to married Stoic couple Andi Sciacca and Greg Sadler on what Stoicism teaches us about navigating marriage and other types of partnership.

Rob and Massimo talk to one of the foremost scholars of Stoicism, Anthony A. Long, about Epictetus, Socrates, and the Stoic concepts of freedom, god, and free will. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Rob and Massimo talk with Matthew Sharpe, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Deakin University (Australia), about Stoic virtue ethics and how it differs from other philosophies of life. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Rob and Massimo discuss the concept of a philosophy of life. What sort of activities count? Do we include religions? If one can engage in philosophy as a way of life, are there other ways of life that are non-philosophical?

Donald Robertson and Massimo Pigliucci talk about the Stoic approach to death; Marcus Aurelius, the emperor-philosopher; and the relationship between therapy and philosophy conceived as the art of life. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Rob and Massimo interview Liz Gloyn, author of The Ethics of the Family in Seneca. We talk about the radical approach of the Stoics to human relationships, the concepts of oikeiosis (appropriation of other people's concerns) and cosmopolitanism, and why Seneca was a far more innovative thinker than he is often given credit for. [Episode extracted f…

Chris Gill and Massimo Pigliucci talk about the basics of Stoic ethics and wonder how it may hold up to modern challenges, such as the one posed by a deteriorating environment (short answer: pretty well!). [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Hosts Massimo Pigliucci and Rob Colter chat with cognitive and compassion focused therapist Tim LeBon about his research on the effectiveness of Stoicism as a path to a serene and happy life. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Rob and Massimo have a conversation on the use of Stoic philosophy in prisons. Rob talks about his firsthand experiences with inmates and how they react to, and learn from, philosophy.

Bill Irvine, author of "The Stoic Challenge" joins Massimo for a conversation on how to turn adversity and setbacks into exercises in resilience. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Rob Colter and Massimo Pigliucci talk to Eric Weiner, the author of The Socrates Express. In the book, Eric examines various philosophers and philosophies, but our conversation focuses on Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and a number of philosophical traditions close to Stoicism. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversatio…

Greg Sadler, editor of the Modern Stoicism blog, joins Massimo Pigliucci for a conversation on a number of common misconceptions of Stoic philosophy. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Rob and Massimo talk to translator Robin Waterfield, author of Meditations: The Annotated Edition. We explore how a translator works, what challenges he encounters, and how the book affects him.

Rob and Massimo discuss the relationship between Stoicism and politics. The ancient Stoics were definitely involved in politics, and so should the modern ones. But how? [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Rob and Massimo talk to Gretchen Reydams-Schils, a Classics scholar and the author of the introduction to "That One Should Disdain Hardships," a collection of the writings of the Roman Stoic Musonius Rufus.

Jon Sellars, author of "Stoicism" and "The Art of Living," joins Massimo for a conversation on Stoicism as practical philosophy. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Rob and Massimo interview William Stephens, the author of Marcus Aurelius - A Guide for the Perplexed. We talk about Marcus' metaphysics, his often underappreciated abilities as a philosopher, and whether the character of Maximus in Gladiator was a Stoic-in-training. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]…

Massimo talks to Australian comedian Michael Connell about his unique brand of comedy, based on presenting Stoic ideas to a general public in a funny yet rigorous fashion. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Rob chats with Massimo about his latest book: A Field Guide to a Happy Life (Basic Books), which attempts to articulate a 21st century version of the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Gregory Lopez talks to Massimo about the Stoic treatment of emotions. Where the Stoics advocating the suppression of emotions and going through life with a stiff upper lip? No, not really. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]

Rob and Massimo talk to Nancy Sherman, author of Stoic Wisdom: Ancient Lessons for Modern Resilience. We touch on the good and the bad of modern Stoicism, what the ancients got right (or not), and the complex relationship between Stoicism and the military. [Episode extracted from a show formerly known as the Stoa Nova Conversations.]…