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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

5:43

Schopenhauer’s biography (1 of 5): The first turning...

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/20

The biography of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) is worth studying because it provides a wonderful illustration of Schopenhauer’s ideas. He practised what he preached at each opportunity and published extensive notes about his thoughts. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer is one of the best German-language thinkers and essayists, but he was born in Danzig, which is nowadays called Gdansk and belongs to Poland. His parents were both hard-working and successful, each of them in their own way

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6:15

Schopenhauer’s biography (5 of 5): the illustrious years

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/20

In the life of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), the last two decades are the illustrious years. John Vespasian explains that, during those two decades, Schopenhauer enjoyed the status of a minor celebrity in German-speaking territories. Schopenhauer published “The art of debate” (sometimes translated as “The art of controversy”) in 1839. He had turned fifty-one and was continuing with his strategy of publishing as many short books and essays as possible. The more titles he published, the more

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5:56

Schopenhauer on ethics

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/20

The ethics system proposed by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) is similar to Ancient Stoicism in some aspects, but offers more complex explanations on the workings of nature, society, and human motivation. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer theorised that life is fundamentally marked by the influence of the will (“life force”) which will generate a large amount of suffering and dissatisfaction if you fail to take countermeasures. The theory of the will was put forward by Schopenhauer in his

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8:14

The three principles in Aristotle’s philosophy of...

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/18

Twenty-five centuries ago, Aristotle delineated a philosophy of mind and consciousness that has never been surpassed. His principles, outlined in his books “Categories,” “Metaphysics,” and “Physics,” have withstood the passage of time. His books were written mostly in the period 340-325 BC. John Vespasian explains that the Aristotelian philosophy of mind and consciousness can be condensed in three principles. Let’s enumerate them one by one. First, the definition of human beings as rational

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4:35

Aristotle’s views on the nature of reality and existence

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/18

The enormous achievements of Aristotle come to light when you compare his ideas with those of other thinkers. John Vespasian explains that, especially during the decade that Aristotle devoted to lecturing in Athens (335-325 BC), he came up with very accurate insights on the nature of reality and existence. As Aristotle explains in his book “Metaphysics,” each entity in the world possesses a unique essence or nature. In broad terms, the essence of an entity is determined by its “material cause” (the

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4:21

Aristotle’s key insight on the nature of reality and...

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/18

The books “Metaphysics” and “Nicomachean Ethics” were written or dictated by Aristotle around 330 BC. They condense his insight on the nature of reality and existence. John Vespasian explains that the key idea in those works is the acknowledgement that existence exists. That essential insight leads to grasping that the world is driven by causality, and that human beings can shape their own destiny. The acknowledgement that existence exists means that we do not need esoteric arguments to understand

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5:07

The role of causality in Aristotle’s views on the...

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/18

As soon as Aristotle passed away in 322 BC, the enormous importance of his contributions got lost for most people. Only a superficial knowledge of his philosophy remained such as the concepts of potentiality and actuality. John Vespasian explains that, to the detriment of civilisation, the pillar of Aristotle’s ideas was rapidly undermined, lost and forgotten. I am talking about causality, a concept that plays a pivotal role in Aristotle’s views on the nature of reality and existence. “Nature does

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4:50

Happiness and Aristotle’s views on the nature of...

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/18

Consistency is the hallmark of philosophical truth; in a good system of ideas, each individual aspect matches the totality and the totality matches reality. Every application of true principles leads to the best possible outcome under the circumstances. John Vespasian explains that true philosophy operates through identity and causality. It does not depend on wishful thinking, magic, or hope. Aristotle in his “Nicomachean Ethics” called hope a “waking dream” in contrast to the predictability

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5:42

Aristotle’s philosophy of logic

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/18

When Aristotle was born in 384 BC, logic was in its infancy and indistinguishable from rhetoric; the ancient Greeks viewed rhetoric as useful because it could help them secure a business deal or win a case in court. The purpose of rhetoric was to win; logic (even twisted logic) was just part of its arsenal. John Vespasian explains that Aristotle came up with a fresh approach to logic. His books “Categories,” “Prior Analytics” and “Posterior Analytics” give us his insights in this regard

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4:18

Accuracy in Aristotle’s philosophy of logic

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/18

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. John Vespasian explains that, 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

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4:47

Cultural impact of Aristotle’s philosophy of logic

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/18

The cultural impact of Aristotle’s philosophy of logic begins with Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), who undertook to couple Christian theology to Aristotelian philosophy. The combination is far from self-evident and Aquinas did it only by twisting the ideas of Aristotle almost beyond recognition. John Vespasian explains that, in his “Summa Theologiae,” Aquinas provides a systematic presentation on how to merge syllogistic logic and Christianity. According to Aquinas reason and faith are both important

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5:47

The failed crusade against Aristotle’s philosophy of...

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/18

The philosophical innovations brought forth by Aristotle (384-322 BC) are momentous, truly revolutionary, especially in the field of logic. His identification of a precise method (which he called syllogism) to reach accurate conclusions allowed, for the first time in history, to conduct rational debates. John Vespasian explains that modern civilisation is built on the pillars of Aristotle’s logic, and the enemies of civilisation know that it can be undermined by severing those pillars. Without

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6:20

Aristotle’s teachings on logic and reasoning

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/18

Aristotle (384-322 BC) did not teach ready-made solutions, but methods for solving problems. The purpose of logic is to see beyond the obvious, assess the facts, and draw conclusions that are in line with all available evidence. John Vespasian explains that Aristotle’s teachings on logic and reasoning are presented in his book “Categories” and the twin treatises “Prior Analytics” and “Posterior Analytics.” They outline a method that is easy to grasp, but hard to apply consistently in every area of

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6:41

Analysis of Schopenhauer’s views on ethics

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/13

The uniqueness of the ethical system put forward by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) becomes clear when we compare it with other philosophies. I regard it as particularly enlightening to compare Schopenhauer’s ethics with Taoism and Stoicism. John Vespasian explains that Taoism was created in ancient China. It predicates harmony with nature, spontaneity, modesty, simplicity and steering away from violence. Lao-Tzu (6th century BC) preceded Plato by a century. After his death, his disciples put his

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7:36

Schopenhauer’s key ideas on ethics

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/13

John Vespasian summarises 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’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 Bible. Like

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5:16

Schopenhauer’s views on solitude

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/13

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. John Vespasian explains that 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

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6:51

Analysis of Schopenhauer’s views on solitude

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/13

Few philosophers agree with the positive views on solitude put forward by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860). John Vespasian makes comparisons to identify the differences and look for the truth. Aristotle (384-322 BC) acknowledged the value of solitude for learning and self-awareness, but considered impossible for humans to reach their full potential without social connections. By “social connections,” Aristotle did not mean only family and friends; his definition of “social connections” encompasses

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7:48

Schopenhauer’s views on the self

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/13

What characterises the philosophy of the self developed by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)? Which are the differences between Schopenhauer’s ideas and those of other philosophers? John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer outlined his philosophy in “The world as will and representation,” a book published in 1818. The book puts forward the “theory of the will” as explanation for the cosmos, society, and human nature. According to this theory, the will (“life force”) is driving all living creatures to

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5:38

Schopenhauer and the philosophy of education

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/13

Like most great philosophers, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) considered education as a lifetime activity. Schooling is only the first step, however necessary, and should build at the same time the student’s character, knowledge, and skills. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer was very precise in defining the purpose of moral education; the principal purpose is to help students build their self-awareness and self-discipline. Self-awareness enables individuals to perceive the influence of the

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6:46

Opposition to Schopenhauer’s philosophy of education

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/13

There is fierce opposition to the philosophy of education put forward by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860). The opposition goes beyond little details. It’s essential, fundamental, ferocious, and relentless. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer created his own antagonists from the moment that he diverged from the doctrines of Plato (429-347 BC). You can find those doctrines in Plato’s book “The Republic.” Plato employed grandiloquent terms for describing his ideas about education. He spoke about a

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