“The Nature of Things” by Lucretius is an epic masterpiece of philosophical poetry, exploring the vast expanse of Epicurean philosophy against the backdrop of a universe in constant motion. It unfolds the principles of atomism, the infinity of the universe, the nature of the mind and soul, and human perception, as well as the role … Read more
“Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our actions.” Epictetus These words by the Stoic philosopher Epictetus closely resemble the Serenity Prayer from … Read more
It is difficult to understand the human mind without understanding its pathology. One of the ideas that struck me as odd and pathological is masochism – when people derive pleasure from the experience of pain. Freud defined masochism as any action that brings harm to oneself. At work, the masochist repeats his mistakes or gets … Read more
The Philosophical Trend The Ancient Greeks had much to teach us. They set the foundations that would later transform our moral philosophy, science and politics. But Ancient Greek philosophy was far from homogeneous. There were many competing schools of thought, and they all saw the world in fundamentally different ways. The Stoics were influenced mostly … Read more
Impressions are your preconscious reactions to the world. Some things are appealing to you, others are appalling. Your reactions to these things are normally outside your conscious awareness. They are defined by factors that are usually outside your control like your genetics and environment, and they will define everything about your life, from how you … Read more
The Discourses of Epictetus is a conversation that takes place between Epictetus and his student. There is a lot of information about proper conduct, but most interesting to me were the psychological insights and the critique of Epicurus near the end of the book. Psychology of Action 1) Impression: You have good and bad impressions about … Read more
The Enchridon by Epictetus is a short book about Stoicism. We are warned of the excesses of wealth and of succumbing to pleasure. Epictetus prized reason above all else, since it is a gift from the Gods, and it is what separates us from animals, but the use of reason does not come without a … Read more
A Guide to The Good Life is about the practice of Stoicism from a more academic lens. The author, Irvine, is a philosophy professor who was not exposed to Stoicism until much later in his academic career. That it is because academic philosophy at this university had many sub-specializations including the philosophy of mind, political … Read more
Seneca failed to live up to the principles outlined in Letters from a Stoic. But he was still an outstanding figure in history. He is credited with inventing the essay format, and the content of his letters have been useful to many people after his time. In his eight letter to Lucilius, he said that … Read more
‘If you shape your life according to nature, you will never be poor; if according to people’s opinions, you will never be rich.’ Epicurus The desires of nature are small, but those of people are limitless. You can amass enormous wealth; you can buy a luxurious house with marble floors and expensive paintings. And the … Read more