Donald J. Robertson's Blog, page 41

Revised Second Edition: The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy

I’m pleased to announce that in December 2019, Routledge will be publishing the revised second edition of my 2010 book The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Stoic Philosophy as Rational and Cognitive Psychotherapy. It will be available in both hardback (ISBN 9780367219871) and paperback (ISBN 9780367219147) formats. The content has been thoroughly revised, with hundreds […]

Stoicism Talk in Toronto

I’ll be doing my third free talk on Marcus Aurelius and Stoicism tomorrow, Wednesday 11th September, 6.30-8pm, at the Lillian H. Smith public library, 239 College Street, Toronto, M5T 1R5 (Google maps). It’s a free drop-in presentation. You don’t need to register but it helps us to track the numbers if you do so via […]

Book Summary: How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius (2019) is published by St. Martin’s Press in hardback, ebook, and audiobook formats. This is a brief summary of the contents. The introduction explains how I came to write the book, drawing on my background in academic philosophy and training as a cognitive-behavioural […]

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor on Amazon

When my latest book How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius reaches 100 reviews on Amazon, I’m going to release a special infographic depicting the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

Coming Soon: New Edition of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

I’m delighted to announce that a new edition of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, with which I was involved, is due for publication in December 2019 by Capstone, an imprint of John Wiley & Sons. Capstone Classics is a series of deluxe hardback editions of classic texts. This special edition of The Meditations is beautifully […]

Podcast: Stoicism and the Art of Manliness

It was my pleasure to be interviewed recently by Brett McKay for the hugely popular Art of Manliness podcast. Brett asked me some very insightful questions about my latest book How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. The Art of Manliness has covered Stoicism in the past, including interviews with Ryan Holiday […]

Herodes Atticus on Stoic Apatheia

In his Attic Nights, the grammarian Aulus Gellius relates the following anecdote in which Herodes Atticus, a famous Sophist, criticizes the Stoic concept of apatheia, or freedom from irrational passions. However, Herodes was a notoriously quick tempered and violent individual, who stood trial (and was acquitted) of kicking his pregnant wife to death. So his […]

Herodes Atticus on Fake Stoicism

In this excerpt from Attic Nights, the grammarian Aulus Gellius, a contemporary of Marcus Aurelius, relates an amusing anecdote. Herodes Atticus was a wealthy Sophist, known for his eloquence but also his violent temper. He was family friend of Marcus Aurelius, but also a critic of Stoicism. The apt use made by Herodes Atticus, the […]

Stoicism and Virtue: The Stoic Code of Honor

Something about the chivalric codes of the Middle Ages seems curiously akin to the ethical ideals of Stoicism. Ancient Stoic philosophy didn’t have an explicit code of honor, as far as we know. However, a basic code of ethical conduct is clearly implicit in the surviving writings of Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and our other sources for […]

How to Drink Like a Roman Emperor: Stoicism as The Serenity Prayer on Steroids

Every so often I receive emails from people who have struggled to cope with their own alcoholism or that of their loved ones. They tell me how they’ve found great support and consolation in the writings of ancient Stoic philosophers, such as The Meditations of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. The ones who have experience of the Twelve […]