Donald J. Robertson's Blog, page 56
July 20, 2018
Interview: Chuck Chakrapani on Marcus Aurelius
How would you introduce yourself and your work to our readers? I am a psychologist by education and a data scientist by profession. I have also been a long-term, inconsistent Stoic practitioner of no particular distinction or significance. I’m reluctant to call myself a Stoic for two reasons: One, I feel it’s presumptuous on my …
July 19, 2018
Interview: John Sellars on Marcus Aurelius
How would you introduce yourself and your work to our readers? I’m an academic who writes about Stoicism and the later reception of Stoicism. My first book The Art of Living (2003) was about the way in which the Stoics saw philosophy as something expressed in one’s way of life. My second book Stoicism (2006) …
July 17, 2018
Interview: Scott Perry on Marcus Aurelius
How would you introduce yourself and your work to our readers? I’m a husband, father, teacher, and musician from Floyd, VA USA. My lifelong study and affection for Stoic philosophy benefits my life, relationships, and work including my book, The Stoic Creative Handbook, my coaching practice, my membership site, my podcast, and my work as …
July 2, 2018
Sign up for my free email course on Epictetus
You can now sign up for my new email course on the Stoic Handbook of Epictetus. You’ll receive one email per week for a year. The Handbook is divided into 53 passages so each email contains one passage with my commentary underneath.
July 1, 2018
Book Review: Backbone by Karen Duffy
Karen Duffy, or “Duff”, was kind enough to send me a review copy of her new book Backbone: Living With Chronic Pain Without Turning Into One (2017) because it contains a chapter on Stoicism. It’s a book about developing a backbone, and a sense of humour, and not allowing chronic pain or illness to get …
June 28, 2018
Complete List of my Free Stoicism Courses and Downloads
I’ve added loads of free courses and downloads to my e-learning site. You’re welcome to check out all of them. Here’s a quick roundup: Crash Course on Socrates, my fifteen minute introduction to the life and philosophy of Socrates Crash Course in Stoicism, my ten minute introduction to Stoic philosophy Stoic Therapy Toolkit, downloadable PDF …
June 27, 2018
Roundup of Videos on Stoicism
I've been doing quite a few video interviews about Stoicism over the past year or so. Here's a roundup of some of them.
Book Review: How to be a Stoic (2017) by Massimo Pigliucci
NB: See my video below for a discussion of the twelve practical techniques listed at the end of this book. Massimo Pigliucci is an important voice in the modern Stoicism movement. Instead of lecturing readers on academic philosophy he’s chosen to provide them with a practical guide to living like a Stoic in the real …
June 25, 2018
The Stoics on Phocion the Good
Phocion the Good was an Athenian statesman and general who was born a few years before Socrates was executed. He was executed at Athens himself around 318 BC, perhaps shortly after the arrival there of Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism. Plutarch wrote a chapter on him in Parallel Lives, citing him as a …
June 19, 2018
Socrates on Finding Jobs for Refugees
Xenophon records several examples of situations in which Socrates would help his friends to cope with difficulties. He was perceived as having a talent for giving sound practical advice. When someone had a problem that could be resolved by knowledge, he would try to educate them. When they faced practical obstacles he would encourage his …
