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 ph...
In this episode, I examine Meditation 16 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the ways in which a person’s soul—or daemon, in Stoic terminology—can harm itself. Marcus lists five key actions that damage the soul, emphasizing that such harm occurs when we act contrary to Nature and our rational purpose.
The first way we harm ourselves is by separating from Nature, acting as though we are independent of the Universe’s interconnected system. The second is by turning against others with the intent to harm, which undermines our duty to cooperate within the Cosmopolis. Third, we damage ourselves when we allow pleasure or pain to control our actions, forsaking rational decision-making for hedonism or avoidance. Fourth, we harm our character by engaging in lies or fostering illusions, as these actions habituate vice. Finally, we cause harm when we act without purpose, neglecting our roles and responsibilities within society.
Marcus reminds us that living in alignment with Nature requires continuous effort and self-reflection. This meditation highlights the Stoic commitment to personal accountability and the importance of cultivating a virtuous character.
"The soul of a man does violence to itself, first and foremost when it becomes so far as in it lies, a separate growth, a blain as it were upon the Universe. For to turn against anything that comes to pass is a separation from Nature, by which the natures of each of the rest are severally comprehended. Secondly, when it turns away from any human being or is swept counter to him, meaning to injure him, as is the case with the natures of those who are enraged. It violates itself, thirdly, when it is the victim of pleasure or pain; fourthly, when it acts apart, and says or does anything both feignedly and falsely. Fifthly, when, failing to direct any act or impulse of its own upon a mark, it behaves in any matter without a plan or conscious purpose, whereas even the smallest act ought to have a reference to the end. Now the end of reasonable creatures is this: to obey the rule and ordinance of the most venerable of all cities and governments." - Meditations 2.16
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26:09
How Perception Shapes Reality: Stoic Insights on Framing Indifferents (Meditations 2.15)
In this episode, I reflect on Meditation 15 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius emphasizes that “all is opinion.” This principle, shared by the Cynic philosopher Monimus, suggests that our perception defines our reality. While this concept is intuitive, its true power lies in recognizing the control we have over how we frame our experiences. By adjusting our perceptions, we can transform how we respond to life’s challenges, even in situations of profound loss or injustice.
I explore how framing can help us endure grief, such as the death of a loved one, whether it occurs naturally or through tragic circumstances like a murder. While emotional responses are natural, Marcus reminds us that we always have the power to choose how we think about such events. Viewing loss as part of Nature’s causal chain rather than as an unfair tragedy helps us avoid bitterness and remain aligned with virtue. This ability to reframe events extends beyond personal loss, shaping how we navigate disagreements, relationships, and our roles within the Cosmopolis.
"Remember that all is opinion. For what was said by the Cynic Monimus is manifest: and manifest too is the use of what was said, if a man receives what may be got out of it as far as it is true." - Meditations 2.15
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15:27
How Stoicism Frames Life, Death, and the Importance of Living Well (Meditations 2.14)
In this episode, I examine Meditation 14 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the nature of time and the present moment. Marcus emphasizes that we cannot lose the past, as it no longer exists, nor the future, as it has yet to arrive. The only thing we can truly lose is the present moment, which is fleeting and finite. He reminds us that regardless of the length of one’s life, everyone loses the same thing in death: the ability to exist in the present.
This meditation encourages us to focus on the now without disregarding our responsibilities to others and the Cosmopolis. While the present moment is the only time we can act, we must also consider the impact of our actions on the future. A Stoic life involves planning and considering our role in society, rather than becoming isolated or overly focused on personal resilience. Marcus’ reflections also critique the tendency to reduce Stoicism to simplistic, individualistic ideas that ignore its foundational emphasis on service and community.
"Even were you about to live three thousand years or thrice ten thousand, nevertheless remember this, that no one loses any other life than this which he is living, nor lives any other than this which he is losing. Thus the longest and the shortest come to the same thing. For the present is equal for all, and what is passing is therefore equal: thus what is being lost is proved to be barely a moment. For a man could lose neither past nor future; how can one rob him of what he has not got? Always remember, then, these two things: one, that all things from everlasting are of the same kind, and are in rotation; and it matters nothing whether it be for a hundred years or for two hundred or for an infinite time that a man shall behold the same spectacle; the other, that the longest-lived and the soonest to die have an equal loss; for it is the present alone of which either will be deprived, since (as we saw) this is all he has and a man does not lose what he has not got." - Meditations 2.14
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18:12
Why Ignorance of Nature’s Law Is Life’s Greatest Tragedy (Meditations 2.13)
In this episode, I review Meditation 13 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the futility of constantly seeking to understand or judge others instead of focusing on our own alignment with Nature. Marcus references Pindar to illustrate how some people waste their lives in endless speculation, failing to see that true fulfillment comes from connecting with the divine reason, or “Daimon,” within each of us. This Daimon represents our inner sense of virtue and alignment with Nature, not an external god. Marcus reminds us that serving this inner divinity means keeping it unsullied by petty concerns, resentment, or trivial worries.
The meditation also addresses the judgment of others, encouraging us to consider the quality of those whose approval we seek. Are they motivated by virtue, or are they driven by shallow pursuits? Marcus believes that when people misunderstand or act against Nature, it is not due to inherent evil but rather ignorance of what is truly good. This ignorance is like a blindness, a disability more severe than the inability to distinguish light from dark. To the Stoics, all vice stems from a lack of understanding, and nothing is worse than living in ignorance of Nature’s moral law.
"Nothing is more wretched than the man who goes round and round everything, and, as Pindar says, 'searches the bowels of the earth,' and seeks by conjecture to sound the minds of his neighbours, but fails to perceive that it is enough to abide with the Divinity that is within himself and to do Him genuine service. Now that service is to keep Him unsullied by passion, trifling, and discontent with what comes from God or men. What comes from the Gods is to be revered because of excellence; what comes from men is dear because they are of one kindred with himself; pitiful too sometimes, humanly speaking, by reason of their ignorance of good and ill. This disablement is more grievous than that which robs the eyes of the power to distinguish light from darkness." - Meditations 2.13
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21:37
Accepting Mortality: Marcus Aurelius on the Purpose of Death (Meditations 2.12)
In this episode, I discuss Meditation 12 from Book 2 of Meditations, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the transient nature of life, death, and the things we often fear or desire. Marcus emphasizes that everything in the Universe is impermanent, including our bodies, desires, and even the monuments we create. These fleeting aspects of life, he suggests, should be seen as trivial or “cheap” when compared to the pursuit of virtue.
Marcus also contemplates death, framing it not as something to be feared but as a natural and necessary part of the Universe’s self-sustaining design. Death is not just Nature’s handiwork; it is her well-being—a crucial component in maintaining balance. By accepting death as a fundamental part of the Cosmos, we can shift our focus from fearing mortality to embracing a life aligned with our values. Marcus further encourages us to consider who we look to for praise and honor, questioning whether their judgments align with virtue or merely societal vanity.
In Stoic philosophy, the true aim of life is not to evade death but to live justly and virtuously. By understanding death as a natural phenomenon, we can resist the urge to abandon our values out of fear. Instead, we stand firm in the pursuit of a life that honors virtue, regardless of life’s brevity.
"How all things are vanishing swiftly, bodies themselves in the Universe and the memorials of them in Time; what is the character of all the things of sense, and most of all those which attract by the bait of pleasure or terrify by the threat of pain or are shouted abroad by vanity, how cheap, contemptible, soiled, corruptible, and mortal:—these are for the faculty of mind to consider. To consider too what kind of men those are whose judgements and voices confer honour and dishonour; what it is to die, and that if a man looks at it by itself and by the separating activity of thought strips off all the images associated with death, he will come to judge it to be nothing else but Nature's handiwork. But if a man fears Nature's handiwork he is a mere child; and yet death is not merely Nature's handiwork, but also her well-being. To consider also how mortal man touches God and through what organ of himself, and when that part of him is in what sort of condition." - Meditations 2.12
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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.
Brasil