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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

7:09

Modern attacks against Aristotle’s thoughts on human...

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/11

It’s unfortunate that modern philosophers have devoted vast efforts to attacking the self-confident and optimistic views put forward by Aristotle (384-322 BC) on human nature and life’s purpose. John Vespasian explains that Aristotle conveyed his main premise in his works “Politics,” “Eudemian Ethics” and “Nicomachean Ethics,” namely, that it is the essence of human beings to be rational. In contrast to all animals, we can think, assess facts, develop theories, draw our own conclusions, and test

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7:14

Aristotle’s theory of virtue and character development

John Vespasian ·

2025/03/11

In contrast to thinkers preaching altruism and self-sacrifice, the theory of virtue developed by Aristotle (384-322 BC) aims at the achievement of happiness. John Vespasian explains that Aristotle regarded character development as a tool for facilitating happiness. Aristotle wrote two treatises presenting his theory of virtue and character development, namely, the “Nicomachean Ethics” and the “Eudemian Ethics.” He wrote or dictated those two works in the years between 335 BC and 321 BC, while he was

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6:47

Schopenhauer and Indian philosophy

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/27

The influence of Indian religion on Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1960) falls within a growing interest of Western thinkers in Eastern culture. John Vespasian explains that, 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, that is, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Those give an outline of the three key concepts in

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8:54

Differences between Schopenhauer and Indian philosophy

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/27

When Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) studied Indian or Hindu philosophy, he didn’t restrict himself to the foundational texts. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer read the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita but those lack the subtle interpretations made by Hindu thinkers across the centuries. Schopenhauer adopted early in his career some Hindu tenets and conveyed them, in his own words, in his book “The world as will and representation” first published in 1818. For instance, Schopenhauer wrote

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5:50

Schopenhauer’s views on religion

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/27

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) deployed large efforts to study Christianity and Eastern religions. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer's goal was to draw the best ethical advice from religion. Although Schopenhauer devoted long years to studying religion, his theory of the will (“life force”) has no direct connection to religion and his ethics are equally far from divinities and devotionals. The key idea in Schopenhauer’s philosophy is that the world is governed by the will, that is, a blind,

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6:20

Schopenhauer’s philosophy of art and beauty

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/27

Artistic contemplation plays a major role in the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860). John Vespasian explains that art conveys reality in an immediate manner, enabling humans to grasp crucial elements without need of complex explanations. According to Schopenhauer, artistic contemplation enables people to escape the dire influence of the will (“life force”) and increase their self-awareness. In his books “The world as will and representation” (1818) and “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851),

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5:14

Criticism of Schopenhauer’s philosophy of art and beauty

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/27

Despite his efforts to develop a coherent philosophy of art and beauty, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) missed essential elements. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer's aesthetics theory is incomplete because it defines beauty as harmony and symmetry, that is, he exclusively refers to aspects perceivable by the senses. Why is Schopenhauer’s art theory incomplete? Because it is leaving out major art forms. His arguments about harmony and symmetry are applicable to paintings, sculpture,

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5:29

Schopenhauer’s views on genius

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/27

For Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), creativity is the key element in genius. However, Schopenhauer defined creativity in an unusual way. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer was not referring to the ability to create new concepts by recombining existing ones. No, he was referring to the rare ability to come up with breakthrough, surprising ideas. His theory of the will (life force) doesn’t attribute creativity to nature. Schopenhauer viewed the will as a wild, blind force that drives all

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6:32

Opponents to Aristotle’s views on knowledge and learning

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

In history, only a handful of philosophers have endorsed the views on knowledge and learning developed by Aristotle (384-322 BC). John Vespasian explains that the opposition to Aristotle’s empiricism began before his birth, that is, with his predecessors, in particular Socrates and Plato. Socrates said that true wisdom starts with recognising one’s ignorance. Aristotle considered that wisdom should be measured only by objective standards. Truth must be universal or not at all. It is irrelevant if

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8:27

The opponents to Aristotle’s theory of virtue and...

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

The sound principles established by Aristotle (384-322 BC) in the field of ethics were quickly abandoned. His philosophy of virtue and character development gathered a vast number of enemies precisely because it is fair and realistic. John Vespasian explains that it takes a long time to develop a virtuous character. Aristotle wrote in the second book of “Nicomachean Ethics,” that the development of virtues requires constant practice. There are no short-cuts to character development but the efforts

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6:43

Putting Aristotle’s theory of virtue and character...

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

Various thinkers have tried to put rational systems of virtues and character development into practice. John Vespasian explains that their attempts have attained success to the extent that they are aligned with the ideas presented by Aristotle (384-322 BC) in his “Eudemian Ethics” and “Nicomachean Ethics.” In those works, Aristotle outlines his five key ideas about virtue and character development. Let’s summarise those ideas. Aristotle placed at the centre of philosophy the fact that human beings

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7:42

Education and Aristotle’s theory of virtue and...

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

Aristotle (384-322 BC) made a large understatement in his work “Politics” by writing that “education is the best provision for old age.” He should have written that “education is the best investment one can make.” John Vespasian explains that the acquisition of a good character (a virtuous character) is the key purpose of education. Aristotle wrote in book six of his “Nicomachean Ethics” that the primary goal of wisdom is to differentiate good from evil. In the Aristotelian tradition, character

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6:39

Aristotle’s philosophy of aesthetics

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

Aristotle (384-322 BC) presented his theory of aesthetics in his work “Poetics,” which is primarily devoted to literature and theatre. For defining art, Aristotle employed the Greek word “mimesis,” which means “imitation.” John Vespasian explains that every form of art involves an imitation of reality according to the artist’s standpoint. The artistic imitation of reality can be more or less accurate, but needs to be recognisable. A random shape on a canvass, or a meaningless poem, do not constitute

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7:04

Aristotle’s thoughts on tragedy and literature

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

Aristotle (384-322 BC) outlined his thoughts on tragedy in his work “Poetics.” He regarded tragedy as an art form evoking pity and fear, leading the audience to gain emotional resilience and wisdom. John Vespasian explains that the process of gaining resilience and wisdom from tragedy watched on stage is called “catharsis.” The key plot element in a tragedy is that the hero (who is essentially virtuous) ends up destroying his life due to a judgement error. According to Aristotle, a playwright can

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9:07

Aristotle’s thoughts on the purpose of art and beauty

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

Aristotle (384-322 BC) devoted his “Poetics” to defining art and beauty, especially in the field of theatre. For Aristotle, art consists of a reality imitation or reflection (“mimesis”) with a purpose determined by the artist. John Vespasian explains that the Aristotelian concept of art goes beyond defining what is pretty, pleasant or appealing. The goal of art is not to entertain or make your time more pleasant, but to identify truths that are not self-evident. Art conveys ideas that cannot be

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7:07

Aristotle’s theory of rhetoric and persuasion

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

In his work “Rhetoric,” Aristotle (384-322 BC) presents the three principles of effective communication and persuasion. He names them “ethos,” “pathos,” and “logos.” John Vespasian explains that “ethos” refers to the persuasive appeal of the speaker’s own personality. If a speaker possesses credibility, trustworthiness, and charisma, he can influence the audience more easily. By “pathos”, Aristotle meant the appeal to the audience’s emotions. Salespersons and professional speakers know how to make

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5:34

Schopenhauer and the problem of evil

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

The problem of evil was addressed by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) by referring to the theory of the will (“life force”), which constitutes the pillar of his philosophy. Schopenhauer defined the will as the force driving living creatures to secure their survival and reproduction, and seek pleasure. John Vespasian explains that, according to Schopenhauer, the will creates endless human desires. As soon as one desire is fulfilled, another one arises. It is simply impossible to satisfy them all. As a

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5:41

Putting Aristotle’s theory of rhetoric and persuasion...

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

In his work “Rhetoric,” Aristotle (384-322 BC) identified a triad of pillars for persuasion and effective speaking. John Vespasian explains that the three pillars (ethos, pathos and logos) refer to the three key elements in communication, namely, the speaker’s fame and credibility, the strength of his arguments, and their emotional impact. Although it only takes a few of hours to familiarise oneself with Aristotelian rhetoric, it is tricky to put it into practice. It is a fact that most people

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6:05

Lessons from Schopenhauer’s views on genius

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) wrote extensively about the phenomenon of genius. His notes provide clues on how to increase one’s creativity and critical thinking. They give hands-on advice on increasing one’s self-awareness and self-reliance. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer observed that geniuses appear to be fearless, or at least, less fearful than the average person. In “Parerga and Paralipomena,” he noted that geniuses are willing to do what needs to be done. They are willing to go as

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6:06

Schopenhauer’s views on the nature of evil

John Vespasian ·

2025/02/26

The philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) about the nature of evil stands in sharp contrast to other thinkers. For Schopenhauer, evil is a natural phenomenon. It’s the inevitable outcome of the will (“life force”) when left to operate freely. John Vespasian explains that Schopenhauer attributes evil to the life force that prompts all living creatures to secure their survival and reproduction, seek pleasure and maximise short-term gains. This life force doesn’t care about risks, costs, and

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