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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),

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All Episodes

4:30

Accuracy in Aristotle’s philosophy of logic

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/22

It is not an exaggeration to say that #aristotle (384-322 BC) made modern civilisation possible. He invented formal #logic at a time where most of humanity could neither read nor write. If it wasn’t for Aristotle’s contribution to #philosophy , we wouldn’t enjoy such a high standard of living nowadays. In his book “Prior Analytics,” Aristotle outlined the method for drawing correct conclusions; his method is called syllogism or syllogistic reasoning. A syllogism is a sequence of thoughts, ideas or

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7:32

The superiority of Aristotle’s teachings on logic and...

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/22

If your #logic is slightly wrong, even one per cent wrong, you will end up completely lost fairly soon. Over time, your errors will compound and the consequences will eventually wipe you out. No one can escape the deleterious effects of faulty logic. There are three aspects that render Aristotelian logic vastly superior to other logical systems. For attaining success in your private and professional life, Aristotle’s logic is indispensable. Let us pass review at the three aspects that make it so

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5:36

Morality in Aristotle’s teachings on logic and reasoning

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/22

The choice of a method in #logic determines all other choices in your life. It determines the scope and depth of your thinking, your concept of #happiness , your drive and your steadfastness. In contrast to other systems of logic, the one delineated by #aristotle (384-322 BC) understands the importance of purpose and gives a central role in how conclusions are drawn. When looking at entities and events, Aristotelian #logic is not only asking how or why. It looks beyond the obvious and aims at

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7:38

Opponents to Aristotle’s thoughts on human nature

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/22

The #optimism found in Aristotle’s view of human nature has been rarely shared by other philosophers. While #aristotle (384-422 BC) regarded humans as rational captains of their destiny, most thinkers in history have considered humans as deficient creatures driven by instincts and social pressure. Aristotle’s predecessor and teacher #plato (429-347 BC) gave his views on human nature in his books titled “The Republic” and “Phaedo.” In “The Republic,” Plato theorises about the division of the human

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7:33

Seneca on the best use of time

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/20

I love ancient #timemanagement techniques because they do not rely on technology. They revolve around human nature and the concentration of one’s efforts; and their advice can be put into practice right away. In his Letters to Lucilius, #seneca made recommendations on time #management, especially in the 47th and 101st Letters. His advice can be condensed in one word: consistency. I must however acknowledge that it is hard to implement. Seneca had perfectly understood that time management isn’t about

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6:02

How Seneca viewed time

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/20

In contrast to modern philosophers, Seneca did not give a great importance to time. Like other Stoic thinkers, he did not fundamentally care whether his life was long or short. Seneca’s view of time is worth studying because it helps us understand key concepts of #stoicism. In his 49th and 101st Letters to Lucilius, #seneca criticised people who waste their lives in trivial pursuits. On the other hand, the 49th and 101st Letters praise individuals that focus on self-improvement and learning, in

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6:02

Seneca on avoiding distractions

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/20

When we talk about avoiding #distractions , we are assuming that we have clear goals and plans to achieve them. If we keep pursuing those goals assiduously, we are on the right track, but if we get sidetracked, it is because we are getting distracted. #seneca Seneca addressed this subject in the 1st Letter to Lucilius, in which he deplores the human tendency to waste time on things of little importance. The more time we waste on distractions, the less time we will have left for fulfilling our life’s

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6:42

Seneca’s formula for avoiding distractions

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/20

We could save an enormous amount of time if we figured out how to remain focused on our goals. Even for #motivated people, it is difficult to keep going day after day without getting sidetracked. #seneca came up with a powerful formula for avoiding distractions. In #history , many people have put it into practice successfully. Some of them had learned it by reading Seneca's works, and others had arrived at the same conclusion by themselves. In his 54th and 77th Letters to Lucilius, Seneca condensed

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5:40

Schopenhauer’s views on solitude

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/15

It is not exaggerated to affirm that #solitude enabled Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) to become a great philosopher. It took him forty thousand hours of quietness to sharpen his powers of observation, and another forty thousand to make sense of what he had observed. #schopenhauer Schopenhauer held solitude in high regard because it is a prerequisite of self-awareness. Individuals need quietness to understand how the will (“life force”) affects their lives. In his book “The world as will and

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7:53

Schopenhauer’s key ideas on ethics

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/15

I am going to summarise the moral #philosophy put forward by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) in seven key ideas. The presentation of those key ideas will identify, when relevant, the difference between Schopenhauer and other philosophers. #schopenhauer Schopenhauer’s ethics don’t rely on revelation by God or prophets. His ethics overlap with Christianity in some areas, especially in the appreciation of compassion as a major virtue, but do not refer to the teachings of Jesus Christ as recorded in the

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6:48

Schopenhauer and Buddhism

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/15

In the field of ethics, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was influenced by Buddhist thought. In particular, #schopenhauer held in high regard the Buddhist concern for suffering, placing empathy and #compassion at the centre of his ethical system. Nonetheless, there are fundamental differences between the ideas of Schopenhauer and the Buddhist #religion. In his book “The world as will and representation” (1808), Schopenhauer theorised that the universe is driven by the will (“life force”). Every

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6:02

Differences between Schopenhauer and Buddhism

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/15

The #philosophy developed by Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) takes some ethical ideas from Buddhism, but those don’t affect the theory of the will (“life force”), which constitutes the essence of Schopenhauer’s work. #buddhism was created by Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) in the sixth century before our era. Buddha was born into a Nepalese royal family, grew disillusioned with his aristocratic lifestyle, and began to search for the meaning of life. Some of his ethical views were taken over by

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7:06

Schopenhauer and Indian philosophy

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/15

The influence of Indian religion on Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1960) falls within a growing interest of Western thinkers in Eastern culture. In the field of art, such a tendency has been named “Orientalism” and is observable particularly amongst French painters. In the period 1810-1820, #Schopenhauer became acquainted with Indian #philosophy by reading its foundational texts. I am referring to the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Those give an outline of the three key concepts in Indian religion,

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6:31

Seneca: effectiveness leads to happiness

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/06

I have never been impressed by individuals who preach effectiveness, productivity and efficiency for the sake of it. They devote their efforts to finding faster ways of getting from A to B, without explaining why we should want to get to B in the first place. Seneca took the opposite approach. His ideas about effectiveness are linked to the pursuit of happiness, self-reliance, and peace of mind. Seneca first speaks about the goal, and then describes the path to reach it. For the 59th Letter to

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6:58

Seneca’s ideas on the nature of fate

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/06

The concept of determinism was unknown to ancient Greek and Roman philosophers because they regarded the universe as a combination of forces. Gods could influence our lives, but we can request the succour of other divinities. Our future is not written in stone. Seneca lived in a polytheistic environment in which Roman deities embodied concepts taken from Greece or Egypt. Humans find themselves on the receiving end of divine forces, but those are contradictory, inconstant and chaotic. After some

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6:00

Seneca on how to stop worrying

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/06

Worry is the quintessential wasteful emotion. It doesn’t help improve our life, but consumes large amounts of energy. The more we worry, the less time we have available for productive, constructive action. Seneca had endured worry and anxiety in his mid-twenties, due to a severe respiratory illness. He thought he was going to die, when he had barely started to live. Decades later, when looking back at that period, he had drawn crucial philosophical lessons. I regard the 107th Letter to Lucilius as a

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6:30

Putting Seneca’s anti-worry recipe into practice

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/06

I can understand those who doubt the applicability of Stoic philosophy to today’s problems. Seneca lived a long time ago. How could he possibly foresee the problems we are facing today? Indeed, Seneca’s preoccupations did not resemble ours, but we shouldn’t assume that people in Ancient Rome faced fewer problems than people in our century. Nor that Seneca’s anxiety and worry experience was essentially different from ours. Philosophy is about principles, about immanent truths that, come what may,

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6:25

Putting Seneca’s anti-worry recipe into practice

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/02

I can understand those who doubt the applicability of Stoic philosophy to today’s problems. Seneca lived a long time ago. How could he possibly foresee the problems we are facing today? Indeed, Seneca’s preoccupations did not resemble ours, but we shouldn’t assume that people in Ancient Rome faced fewer problems than people in our century. Nor that Seneca’s anxiety and worry experience was essentially different from ours. Philosophy is about principles, about immanent truths that, come what may,

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7:41

Seneca’s formula for achieving tranquillity

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/02

The solution to worry must begin by understanding its cause and how it builds over time. Seneca grasped the nature of preoccupations better than most philosophers in history, but his recommendations need to be adapted to our century. Seneca attributed mental strain to the human tendency to go too far, run too quickly, and expect too much. He viewed peace of mind as the major goal of philosophy, but acknowledged the difficulty of giving up the desires that prevent tranquillity. We achieve

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10:09

Seneca’s advice on setbacks

John Vespasian ·

2026/01/02

In history, few philosophers have come with workable, solid advice about dealing with setbacks. Socrates (470-399 BC), Plato (427-347 BC) and Aristotle (384-322 BC) had given little thought to this matter, concentrating their efforts on logic and epistemology rather than on human psychology. Seneca was the first philosopher in history to come up with a complete prescription for dealing with setbacks in all sorts of circumstances. He took the insights developed by Zeno of Citium (334-262 BC) and

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