Donald J. Robertson's Blog, page 52
November 5, 2018
Video: The Choice of Hercules
Releasing a video today of me reciting The Choice of Hercules the famous speech of Prodicus, retold by Socrates, which inspired Zeno to embrace the life of a philosopher and then to go on and found the Stoic school.
November 3, 2018
Book Review: Unshakeable Freedom by Chuck Chakrapani
Unshakeable Freedom:Ancient Stoic Secrets Applied to Modern Life (2016) by Chakrapani is a recent book on Stoicism, written as in introduction to applying the philosophy as a form of self-help or self-improvement. Chuck’s also published his own editions of several Stoic classics and a book about the origins of the philosophy called A Fortunate Storm (2016). …
November 1, 2018
Stoicism Program on The Forum (BBC World Service)
I recently took part in a radio program titled Calm in the Chaos: The Story of the Stoics. It’s an episode of a show called The Forum on the BBC World Service. Profs. Nancy Sherman and Massimo Pigliucci were fellow guests on the panel, hosted by Bridget Kendall. I’m currently living in Athens, so I …
October 31, 2018
Script: Stoicism for Pain Control
This is a draft version of a script that I’m writing for an audio exercise. It’s based on existing scripts and exercises that I’ve worked with over the past 20 years on training courses for psychotherapists and in my own clinical practice. Out of all the different types of psychological skills I’ve taught over the …
October 29, 2018
Roundup: Women in Ancient Stoicism
Were any ancient Stoics women? That’s a question that comes up periodically. I’ll keep updating this article because there are lots of bits of information worth adding. It’s a complex question so there’s a lot more to say. I’m just going to say a few words by way of an introduction, though. Then I’ll link to …
October 26, 2018
Video: Stoicism Interview for Greek City Times
This is a Facebook Live interview about Stoicism and cognitive therapy that I did today in a park in Athens for the Greek City Times.
October 24, 2018
Athens: The Delphic Oracle
Today, I visited the Delphic Oracle. I asked her if there was anyone wiser than Socrates. I just wanted to double check, to make sure. Well, that’s what I’m going to tell my seven year old anyway.
October 17, 2018
Lady Stoics #4: Chrysippus’ Mysterious Old Woman
Diogenes Laertius several times mentions a mysterious unnamed old woman who seems to have been associated with Chrysippus, the third head of the Stoic school. Of Chrysippus the old woman who sat beside him used to say, according to Diocles, that he wrote 500 lines a day. The Greek could also mean that the old …
October 13, 2018
Athens: Visiting Plato’s Academy
Today I visited the archeological site of Plato’s Academy. Around twelve years after the execution of Socrates, Plato founded a philosophical school in the suburb of Athens known as the Academy, after which it took its name. His school must have consisted of one or more lecture halls. It was located in public grounds, basically a …
Enrollment Starts Today for How to Live Like Socrates (Live from Athens)
Enrollment begins today for the new version of How to Live Like Socrates, my four-week long e-learning course taking a deep dive into the life and philosophy of Socrates. This time, though, it will be live from Athens, the home of Socrates! To reward followers of my blog, I’ve created a special link that will …
