Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven How do you live in an uncertain world? In this episode Caleb and Michael talk about the life philosophy of Skepticism. Skepticism was one of the Stoic’s rival philosophical. Michael and I discuss what skepticism is, what living like a skillful skeptic looks like, and our impressions of the philosophy. (01:15) Introduction (04:22) What is Skepticism? (12:37) Question...
Jul 25, 2023•58 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this conversation, Caleb speaks with Michael McGill. They discuss Michael's story, Roman history, and how Michael applies Stoic philosophy to his life. It’s a great look at how anyone can take lessons from Greco-Roman philosophy and use them in work, family life, and hobbies in a positive and energetic way. https://twitter.com/mcgillmd921 (02:46) Introduction (04...
Jul 21, 2023•51 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven The Stoics thought anyone could be happy in any situation. This is because virtue is the only good and it is obtainable by anyone. But why did the Stoics think virtue was the only good? That’s what Caleb and Michael discuss in this conversation. They frame the discussion around objections to that idea from Scott Aikin, William Stephens, and Massimo Pigliucci (all pa...
Jul 18, 2023•48 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this conversation, Caleb speaks with Brittany Polat . She’s has done excellent work teaching and promoting the ideas of Stoicism through her books , blog , and Stoicare , so we’re always happy to have her on. In this conversation, we talk about what we can learn from monasteries, how to think about Stoicism & accountability, what Epictetus believed about the ...
Jul 14, 2023•50 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this podcast, Michael Tremblay discusses everything you should know about ancient Stoicism in 1 hour. Consider it a Stoic speed run. (01:54) Introduction (04:46) The History (13:48) Stoic Ethics (19:35) Psychological Claims (26:49) Stoic Epistemology (33:09) Stoic Metaphysics (42:05) Stoic Exercises (52:09) Objections (56:58) Last Challenge *** Subscribe to The S...
Jul 11, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this conversation, Caleb speaks with Spencer Klavan. Spencer is a classicist, author of How to Save the West, and host of the Young Heretics podcast. Spencer argues that we face five crises and how we respond to them determines who we are as individuals and society. These crises pertain to reality, body, meaning, religion, and regime. We discuss these challenges,...
Jul 07, 2023•57 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven We discuss one of the most important Stoic ideas: Role ethics. This is a decision making framework from the Stoic philosopher, Epictetus. It’s a challenge to live a meaningful life by performing the roles you’ve been assigned and the roles you’ve chosen with excellence. We talk about the different kinds of roles we should occupy according the Stoics and how these ro...
Jul 04, 2023•58 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this conversation Caleb speaks with Greg Lopez . Greg is a practicing secular Buddhist and Stoic. He’s also the co-author, with Massimo Pigliucci, of A Handbook for New Stoics. They discuss Greg’s struggle to combine the two philosophies, and different accounts of mindfulness. Greg's Stoicon 2020 talk (02:12) Buddhism and Stoicism (12:25) Daily Practice (16:05) V...
Jun 30, 2023•46 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this episode, Caleb and Michael discuss mindfulness and Stoicism. They start by covering two central definitions of modern mindfulness, move to comparing those accounts with Stoic mindfulness, and end by talking about different ways to become more mindful. (05:47) What is Mindfulness? (15:52) Stoic Mindfulness (26:12) Comparing Mondern Mindfulness & Stoic Min...
Jun 27, 2023•53 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this conversation Caleb speaks with Will Johncock, the philosopher, sociologist and author of Beyond the Individual: Stoic Philosophy on Community and Connection . Will’s work highlights the deeply social aspect of Stoicism and offers an essential frame for thinking about our own lives, the lives of the people around us, and our world. Will reminds us that we sha...
Jun 23, 2023•50 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven They say that if you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention. The Stoics don’t agree with that. In their view, anger is always bad. If you’re angry, you’re not seeing things as they are. Caleb and Michael discuss why you’d think that in this conversation. It’s grounded in Seneca’s On Anger . Enjoy. (02:09) Introduction (06:57) What Is Emotion (12:55) What Is Anger...
Jun 20, 2023•54 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this conversation, Caleb speaks with Chris Gill. It is one of the best explanations from a scholar who regularly interacts with practitioners. This episode was released previously on the Stoa App. We’re currently running an annual special for our membership in the month of June: https://stoameditation.com/ We discuss the Stoic virtue, the idea of indifference, th...
Jun 16, 2023•48 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven Today, we talk about the View from above. It’s the one of the most popular Stoic practices for generating a sense of calm, perspective, and purpose. What it is, how to practice it, and the risks associated with the practice. We also touch on the importance of consuming art and how you can use art to get into a Stoic mental state. Arvo Pärt 6 Ways to Practice the Vie...
Jun 13, 2023•46 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven This is our 50th episode! Thank you for listening and supporting Stoa Conversations. If you’d like to support the show, please subscribe, leave a review, and share an episode with a friend. Also, send a note to stoa@stoameditation.com . We read and respond to every single one. This episode is with Dr. Marcus Hedahl . Marcus turns the tables and asks Caleb Ontiveros ...
Jun 09, 2023•52 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven Michael and Caleb discuss…Jordan Peterson. In a previous episode, we covered 12 Rules for Life . Jordan Peterson is a controversial political and cultural figure – but in that discussion, we put all that aside. In this discussion, we bring it all back. We cover what we see as Peterson’s virtues and vices in this conversation and how they impact his work. We discuss ...
Jun 06, 2023•51 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this conversation, Michael Tremblay speaks with Gordon Marino . Gordon is a professor of philosophy at St. Olaf's College and a specialist in existentialism. In this conversation, they speak about existentialism and in particular the work of Kierkegaard. They discuss the idea of authenticity and human's capacity for self-deception. Towards the end of the podcast,...
Jun 02, 2023•47 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this episode, Caleb and Michael discuss the Socrates and the Socratic method. The Socratic method is the core philosophical technique. So, it's essential to understand. Caleb and Michael start start by giving an initial background on Socrates and then move to discussing the strengths and risks of Socratic questioning. (01:28) Introduction (04:17) Who Was Socrates...
May 30, 2023•55 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven This conversation will help you think more deeply about the nature of rhetoric. Caleb Ontiveros speaks with the political scientist Rob Goodman. You may recognize his name from the book Rome’s Last Citizen , which he wrote with past Stoa Conversations guest, Jimmy Soni. He's also the author of Words on Fire: Eloquence and Its Conditions. We discuss ancient Romans, c...
May 26, 2023•45 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this conversation, Michael and Caleb discuss Ryan Holiday’s book The Obstacle Is the Way. They cover the good, bad, and provocative. Both argue that it’s practically inspiring even if philosophically shallow. Michael argues that in a real sense, it’s not a Stoic book. Caleb pushes back – a little. (05:30) Protreptic Philosophy (11:44) The Necessity of Popularizat...
May 23, 2023•56 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven What is happiness? In this discussion, Caleb speaks with Marcus Hedahl, a philosophy professor at the US naval academy. They discuss happiness, its subjective versus objective nature, the meaning of life, what we can and can't reframe, and much more. It's an excellent conversation for understanding Stoicism, beginning with its account of happiness. (09:59) The Natur...
May 19, 2023•49 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven Are things really right or wrong? Is morality objective? In this conversation, Caleb gives three arguments for thinking that it is. Michael questions each one. Along the way, they discuss the Stoic response to skepticism, why this issue matters, and how the ancient Stoics grounded their picture of the good life. (06:51) What is Moral Realism? (16:12) The Argument fr...
May 16, 2023•57 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this conversation, Michael Tremblay speaks to David Fideler about Seneca. They cover how the Stoic philosopher provided valuable guidance for how to live today. David’s book Breakfast with Seneca serves as the launching point for the discussion. (03:04) Facing the Mob (09:06) Cosmopolitanism (20:03) Authenticity (24:42) Confronting Death (29:21) Experiencing Grie...
May 12, 2023•56 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven One of the best ways to understand what Stoicism is and contemporary Stoic debates is learning about Aristo of Chios. Today, we’re having debates over the place of physics and logic in Stoicism and the place of Stoic advice today. Well, Aristo challenged the Stoics on these issues hundred of years ago. In this episode, Michael and Caleb talk about what he had to say...
May 09, 2023•53 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this episode, Caleb speaks with Hampus Jakobsson . Hampus is a venture capitalist and serial entrepreneur. He is currently a general partner at Pale Blue Dot. We talk about Stoicism and entrepreneurship. It’s a practical discussion centering on how to use Stoicism as a tool to accomplish your goals. You’ll get a number of tactics you can use to solve problems, bu...
May 05, 2023•54 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this episode, Michael and Caleb review Jordan Peterson’s book 12 Rules for Life. We each pick out 1 idea we believe is true, 1 false, and 1 provocative. There’s a lot to say about this controversial book. Both of us think it has a number of life-changing lessons, but also gets important things wrong. (04:29) Hierarchy and Feedback Loops (15:49) Tell the Truth (23...
May 02, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven This conversation is with Tanner Campbell., the founder of Practical Philosophy and host of the Practical Stoicism Podcast . Tanner specializes in bringing Stoicism to a broad audience in a way that is practical and accessible. In this episode, he and Michael Tremblay how to navigate our roles and responsibilities as Stoics, Tanner's journey from being skeptical of ...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 20 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven Are you even Stoic if you don't take ice-baths, fast, or regularly underdress? Michael and I discuss why the Stoics argued for voluntary suffering – but also what they said about how it should be practiced. We then debate whether one should show off and share how we practice voluntary suffering in our own lives. (03:18) What is Voluntary Suffering? (07:31) Why You S...
Apr 25, 2023•52 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this conversation, Michael speaks with Julia Galef , author of The Scout Mindset. Julia is a modern advocate for what the Stoics argued: improving our reason and learning to pursue the truth. Michael and Julia discuss her arguments for the scout mindset as compared to the soldier mindset. (01:28) Scout Mindset (10:25) The Case For Scout Mindset (21:50) Sophism (2...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven Why do you do things you know you shouldn’t? The ancient term for doing what you knew wasn’t best for was akrasia or weakness of will. Plato and Aristotle believed in it. The Stoics did not. What this means and why it matters for us today is the subject of this episode. (01:04) What is Weakness of Will (11:54) Plato on Weakness of Will (22:22) Aristotle (28:44) The ...
Apr 18, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Want to become more Stoic? Join us and other Stoics this October: Stoicism Applied by Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay on Maven In this episode, I speak with Emily Austin. Emily is the professor of philosophy at Wake Forest University and she's also the author of Living for Pleasure , which is an introduction to the ancient philosophy of Epicureanism, and that's what we'll be focusing on today. Ancient Stoics, like Seneca, found a lot of wisdom in Stoicism’s philosophical rival, we can do th...
Apr 14, 2023•59 min
