Stoicism is not only a rational, but also a social philosophy. Marcus Aurelius often viewed the whole of human mankind as a single organism. Not only as a large human family, in which we’re all brothers and sister, uncles and aunts, but as a single living being, in which we all play an important role. Such […]
Continue readingStoic teacher Musonius Rufus thought practice to be more effective than theory. In support of his own opinion, he asked the following:“Suppose there are two men, one of whom has sailed many times and has already piloted many boats, and the other of who has sailed few times and has never been a pilot. Suppose […]
Continue readingHow to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson is an engaging introduction to one of history’s greatest figures: Marcus Aurelius. Thus the subtitle, “The Stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius.” “This entire book is designed to help you follow Marcus in acquiring strength of mind and eventually a more profound sense of fulfillment,” Robertson writes. […]
Continue readingThe Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday is a book that offers 366 Stoic meditations, one for every day of the year. Whatever your going through, there’s advice from the Stoics that can help. Despite the philosophy’s age, “the works of the Stoics have always been fresh and current,” as Stoicism is still highly relevant today. Holiday […]
Continue readingMan’s Search for Meaning is a book by psychotherapist Viktor Frankl, who was a long-time prisoner in bestial concentration camps during the Second World War. The book details some of his personal experiences and how they led to his discovery of logotherapy. “A psychiatrist who personally has faced such extremity is a psychiatrist worth listening to,” […]
Continue readingEgo is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday is a book about your worst enemy that already lives inside you: your ego. Not me, you think. No one would ever call me an egomaniac. “Perhaps you’ve always thought of yourself as a pretty balanced person,” Ryan Holiday explains, “But for people with ambitions, talents, drives, and potential […]
Continue readingThe Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday is a book that reframes a forgotten formula for success: “What stands in the way becomes the way.” He shares countless stories of great men and women who succeeded in their lives because they lived by this formula. Holiday says, “Whatever we face, we have a choice: Will […]
Continue readingHow to Be a Stoic: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living is a book about the application of Stoic philosophy to the daily life by Massimo Pigliucci. “In every culture we know of”, the author begins the book, “the question of how to live is central.” How should we handle life’s challenges and how should we treat […]
Continue readingA Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William Irvine tries to answer the question, “How to have a good life?” and it’s written for those seeking a philosophy of life. “The Stoic philosophy of life may be old,” Irvine explains, “but it merits the attention of any modern individual who […]
Continue readingStoicism and the Art of Happiness by Donald Robertson is a book about Stoicism and how to apply it in the modern world. The book shows you ways in which Stoicism can contribute towards a philosophy of life – an art of living with Happiness that aspires to be both rational and social. “In a nutshell, […]
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