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PODCAST

John Vespasian

JOHN VESPASIAN is the author of sixteen books, including “When everything fails, try this” (2009), “Rationality is the way to happiness” (2009), “The philosophy of builders” (2010), “The 10 principles of rational living” (2012), “Rational living, rational working” (2013), “Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief” (2014), “On becoming unbreakable” (2015), “Thriving in difficult times” (2016), “Causality: Aristotle’s life and ideas” (2024), “Foresight: Schopenhauer’s life and ideas” (2024),

science social sciences

All Episodes

9:31

Aristotle’s theory of the soul

John Vespasian ·

2026/04/09

People frequently ask me what is the point of studying philosophy? My answer is always short. A few words suffice. The point of studying philosophy is learning to see. Once you get familiar with key #philosophical doctrines, such as those put forward by Aristotle, you will understand the world better and make better decisions. A good example of “learning to see” is the theory of the soul. The concept of the soul (“anima” in Latin) has been a central theme in #philosophy and theology throughout

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7:26

The two keys in Aristotle’s views on politics and...

John Vespasian ·

2026/04/09

It is naive to believe that history advances only in a single direction. If that was the case, people wouldn’t repeat #mistakes made in the past. If that was the case, knowledge would grow with each generation and lessons would never be forgotten. Unfortunately, historical and #philosophical lessons are often forgotten. #aristotle came up with the two key ideas of balanced governance, but history has done everything possible to wipe them out from people’s memory. Aristotle’s first principle of

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11:40

Critique of Aristotle’s theory of justice

John Vespasian ·

2026/04/09

If you contest a principle, it follows that you are contesting its consequences. If you disagree with Aristotle’s #metaphysics (the #principles of identity and causality), you’ll inevitably have to reject his theory of justice. According to Aristotle, justice is a #virtue (habitual practice) consisting of giving to each person his due. His definition rests on the principle of identity (that a man possesses moral and physical characteristics that define him) and causality (that he will behave

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7:16

Opposition to Schopenhauer’s theory of knowledge

John Vespasian ·

2026/04/09

When Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) began to question mainstream philosophical ideas, he expected heavy #opposition and criticism. In this respect, he was not disappointed. Almost all twentieth-century thinkers have opposed Schopenhauer and his theory of the will. Hefty opposition was no surprise to Schopenhauer precisely because he had presented his ideas as improvements on those of #immanuelkant (1724-1804), Friedrich #hegel (1770-1831), and other philosophers. Schopenhauer held Kant in high

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6:24

Analysis of Schopenhauer’s philosophy of happiness

John Vespasian ·

2026/04/09

While most nineteenth-century #philosophers focused their efforts on epistemology and social ethics, Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860) stands alone in his concern for individual well- being and happiness. He rejected the trend set by Kant, Fichte and #hegel because he could not see any practical application. Those three thinkers are categorised in #philosophy books as “idealistic,” but I think that it’s more accurate to call them “otherworldly.” Kant’s theory of the categorical imperative is useless

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5:58

Schopenhauer’s philosophy of life

John Vespasian ·

2026/04/09

I can summarise in one sentence the #philosophy of life put forward by Arthur #schopenhauer (1788–1860); my summary is the following: “Unless you make steady efforts to improve and protect yourself, chances are that bad luck will wipe you out.” Mainstream philosophers call Schopenhauer a #pessimist and consider his work uninteresting. They argue that Schopenhauer had little concern for social issues and that, for that reason, his ideas are unsuited for today’s world. I would argue that the opposite

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8:53

Philosophical lessons from Seneca’s tragedies

John Vespasian ·

2026/04/07

Every artwork entails magnification. It blows some aspects of reality out of proportion to underline their significance from the creator’s viewpoint. Other aspects are minimised, ignored, distorted or blurred. #seneca was a playwright before becoming a #stoic philosopher. It is enlightening to study his plays because they announce the principles of Stoicism, magnify its powerful insights, and attempt to cover up its deficiencies. The plays written by Seneca fall in the category “tragedies” and, to a

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8:31

Seneca and the art of patience

John Vespasian ·

2026/04/07

#patience and #endurance have become the archetypal #virtues of those who claim to be enlightened. When the situation gets from bad to worse, they are the first to recommend resignation, acceptance and passivity. #seneca is to blame for originating the passive #mentality that will accept anything, even the most outrageous abuses. That’s the mentality of inner serenity amidst turbulence and decay. Even in the face of severe setbacks, Seneca’s followers will look away while repeating to themselves

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5:53

How to practise Seneca’s art of patience

John Vespasian ·

2026/04/07

#stoicism is often presented as a purely reactive philosophy. Its role is to toughen the soul for enduring setbacks, adversity, and eventually death; and its goal is the reduction of emotional pain, devoting little energy to solving the root problems. #seneca was the most prolific Stoic author in #ancientrome , but his recommendations are far more dynamic than those made by previous Stoic thinkers such as #zeno of Citium (334-262 BC). I would define their difference as follows: Where Zeno had

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6:56

Seneca on overcoming stress

John Vespasian ·

2026/04/07

The concept of #stress in our century is dramatically different from the concepts in prior centuries. People in the Middle Ages or in Ancient Rome wouldn’t have understood our concerns for issues such as noise pollution and work overload. Seneca wrote extensively about #worries and preoccupations, but those would involve life-or-death threats. I am referring to people worrying about not having enough food to eat tomorrow, or being killed in an upcoming battle. Nonetheless, Seneca’s insights on this

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6:25

Refutation of Schopenhauer’s views on love and...

John Vespasian ·

2026/03/27

The ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) on love and relationships contain fundamental mistakes. Schopenhauer did not devote sufficient attention to these matters. As a result, his observations and conclusions leave a lot to be desired. His conception of love and relationships is instinctual. They are driven by the will (“life force”), argues Schopenhauer, and this explains why people behave erratically when they fall in love. The will prompts them to pursue the beloved at any cost, and without

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7:45

Seneca’s methods for overcoming stress

John Vespasian ·

2026/03/25

More than two thousand years have passed since Seneca first defined his methods for overcoming anxiety, worry and other negative emotions. The context has changed, but his examples and recommendations remain valid. I am going to summarise those methods, sometimes quoting Seneca’s precise words and examples, and other times, putting the method in the context of our century. For the sake of clarity, when I present Seneca’s insights, I’m going to use modern terminology. #seneca didn’t employ words such

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5:40

Why Seneca’s anti-stress methods still work today

John Vespasian ·

2026/03/25

For the most part, ancient techniques have become obsolete. We no longer use horses and triremes as our principal means of transportation. Neither do we build houses and roads according to the methods employed in Ancient Greece and Rome. However, we can still rely on anti-worry methods conceived by Seneca. Why have they remained effective? Because human nature has not changed since Ancient Rome. The changes in technology have raised our living standards, but many individuals still suffer from worry,

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8:07

Seneca’s key insight for overcoming stress

John Vespasian ·

2026/03/25

I have often observed that insouciant people seldom suffer from worry. They go about their business without thinking long of the consequences, accept setbacks philosophically, and keep trudging ahead despite criticism and opposition. #seneca did not regard insouciance as a valid philosophical stance because it reduces humans to a perceptual level. It makes humans prone to accidents of all sorts because they have not taken basic precautions. Dogs and cats do not worry about the future because they

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6:06

Seneca on time management

John Vespasian ·

2026/03/25

We tend to regard time management as a uniquely modern concept, but nothing could be further from the truth. The fact that our ancestors employed more primitive technology did not prevent them from pursuing personal effectiveness. #seneca was not an exception in this respect. After devoting years to philosophical research, he put his ideas down to paper, aiming at producing a large literary output. If we compare Seneca with #marcusaurelius (121-180 AD), we can appreciate a large difference in their

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6:01

Seneca’s specific advice on tranquillity

John Vespasian ·

2026/03/11

Although imperfect, the #philosophy developed by #seneca concerning peace of mind is worth studying. It has been practised by thousands of people across the centuries, and still today, can prompt us to improve our lifestyle. Seneca believed that adversity, if faced properly, can help us become emotionally stronger. The difficult question, however, is how to face #adversity effectively, so that we can emerge stronger, not weaker, from setbacks. In his 68th Letter to Lucilius, Seneca praised Gaius

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6:55

Seneca: tranquillity in extreme situations

John Vespasian ·

2026/03/11

#philosophy becomes more convincing when it’s subjected to the test of extreme adversity. In order to gain wide acceptance, theoretical discussions need to be validated by experience, preferably on multiple occasions. #seneca came up with a compelling recipe for achieving #peaceofmind in times of turmoil; he told his readers to accept the inevitable, and deploy steady efforts to ameliorate the factors that can be influenced. The problem, of course, lies in the difficulty of correctly categorizing

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5:34

Seneca on how to live a good life

John Vespasian ·

2026/03/11

Since the mid-twentieth century, many philosophers are not employing the term “happiness” any more in their goal setting. They do no longer preach that happiness is the goal of human life because, I guess, they find it unattainable. Instead of happiness, they are employing the term “the good life” as something that #philosophy can reasonably deliver. The goal has become modest and inconspicuous, and even then, the promises of philosophers are subject to numerous disclaimers. This modern

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7:33

Seneca: myths about the good life

John Vespasian ·

2026/03/11

In the search for #happiness , it is as important to do the right thing as it is to avoid dire mistakes. #seneca put together a list of mistakes to avoid, and warned us against our natural tendency to look for shortcuts. When it comes to #virtue , character and happiness, I am afraid that every inch of progress needs to be earned. Every millimetre of ground needs to be conquered. There is no way to magically jump forward and avoid the required effort. Let us review the list of mistakes compiled by

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5:42

Seneca: putting the good life into practice

John Vespasian ·

2026/03/09

In ancient Greece and Rome, philosophy was conceived as a practical science; the purposes of philosophical learning were clearly defined: success, joy and happiness. #aristotle (384-322 BC) wrote his “Eudemian Ethics” and “Nicomachean Ethics” with the stated goal of helping his students achieve happiness. #seneca was not an exception in this regard. A prolific writer, he devoted the great majority of his essays and letters to dispensing advice about happiness. His #insights are based on human nature

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