539: Marcus Aurelius

Philosophy Talk Starters

More at https://www.philosophytalk.org/shows/marcus-aurelius. Marcus Aurelius was a 2nd century Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher. He is most famous for his Meditations, which was written as a private guide to himself on how to live a life where virtue is the only good and vice the only evil. So how do we figure out how to live a truly Stoic life? What’s the relationship between the wellbeing of an individual and the interest of the larger community? And what can we learn from Marcus about developing mental resilience when confronted with fear, suffering, or pain? Josh and Ray stay calm with Rachana Kamtekar from Cornell University, author of "Plato's Moral Psychology: Intellectualism, the Divided Soul, and the Desire for Good."