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PODCAST

John Vespasian

JOHN VESPASIAN is the author of eighteen 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

00:07:01

Montaigne’s literary techniques and contributions

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/22

Why should we study Montaigne’s literary techniques? What benefits can we draw from his contributions? I see two crucial reasons for studying the literary techniques and contributions from Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592). In the first instance, they can enable us to think faster in the face of challenges. Secondly, they can help us make better decisions. Let us review his literary techniques and contributions in the light of those two benefits. Montaigne belongs to a small group of authors, a group

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00:05:51

Human flourishing and Schopenhauer’s pessimism

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/20

Literary critics state that Albert Camus (1913-1960) wrote his novel “The Stranger” under the influence of Schopenhauer (1788-1860), but they are completely wrong. Camus created a protagonist, named Meursault, who displays indifference and defeatism that do not exist in Schopenhauer’s work. Worse still, Camus did not provide any useful advice to his readers. If anything, he promoted the idea that anxiety, despair, and aggressiveness are normal. Schopenhauer actually did his best to combat those and

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00:07:01

The myth of Schopenhauer’s pessimism

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/20

In a discussion about pessimism in Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), we must begin by defining our terms. Before you engage any philosophical discussion, you should ask people to define their terms. It’s a waste of time to argue for or against an idea, if words are being misinterpreted. Misunderstandings are a widespread ground for litigation. I regard Schopenhauer’s pessimism as a myth because those who affirm it are distorting the term “pessimism.” If someone makes an accurate assessment of risks

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00:05:34

Schopenhauer and the idea of justice

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/20

In the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), we find a unique combination of realism and empathy. His books show that Schopenhauer was fully conscious of the advantages of industrial societies. They offer individuals far more chances than agrarian, immobile, medieval structures. At the same time, Schopenhauer was aware that perfection cannot be expected from any justice system. Judges and juries make mistakes, and corruption and incompetence play a role in some cases. Even with hard work

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00:06:18

Analysis of Schopenhauer’s idea of justice

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/20

The genius of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) also shows in his unique idea of justice. On the one hand, he regarded it as highly desirable in society. Civilisation cannot exist without a consistent protection of life, liberty and property. On the other hand, Schopenhauer acknowledged that human life inevitably entails injustice; sometimes injustices are caused by errors and mistakes; on other occasions, injustice is caused by sheer bad luck that deprives a person of his health, property, or

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00:06:24

The hidden message in Michel de Montaigne’s literary...

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/08

Learning to fish is more valuable than getting a free meal, because the former can feed us for a lifetime. Methods are far more valuable than objects, because objects are finite. Methods are not limited in time. We can simply employ them to arrive at our goals once and again. The essays by Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) include an important hidden message: Keep your eyes open and stay alert. Don’t accept things without questioning, especially if they look too good to be true. Look beyond the

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00:05:50

Michel de Montaigne’s biography (5 of 5): joy until...

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/08

Some people are so afraid of dying that they waste hundreds of hours trying to protect themselves against the normal risks of life. They fear catching the flu, falling from their bicycle, or eating too much meat; as a result, they restrain their lifestyle in the vain hope of living a little bit longer. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), after a long reflection, made the opposite choice. Instead of being paralysed by fear, he remained extremely active. Instead of worrying, he focused on his favourite

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00:05:45

Michel de Montaigne’s biography (4 of 5): the...

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/08

When things are falling apart and everything seems lost, we might just as well enjoy ourselves. Once we realise that our days are counted, there is little reason for stress. Every day that is left can deliver exhilaration and happiness On his fifty-second birthday, Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) must have come to that conclusion. He had already exceeded the average lifespan, which had severely diminished in sixteenth-century France due to the religious wars. Montaigne thought that, if he had a few

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00:06:08

Michel de Montaigne’s biography (3 of 5): dealing...

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/08

People always show their true colours in times of crisis. We can then recognise our true friends, true priorities, and the best and worst parts of our own character. Hardship makes the hero come forth, while the cowards sink into misery. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) faced the hardest period in his life precisely when he was expecting to enjoy the easiest. He had quit his stressful job in Bordeaux and retired to live in the countryside, expecting to lead a quiet, predictable lifestyle

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00:06:00

Michel de Montaigne’s biography (2 of 5): his...

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/08

The most intriguing aspect in the biography of Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) is his decision, when he was in his late thirties, to abandon a promising career in law and retire to live in the countryside. I have an explanation for Montaigne’s unusual decision: His daily work at the Bordeaux Parliament had made him acutely aware of the social decay in France. He had witnessed cases of confiscation, discrimination, and the beginning of the religious war between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots)

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00:06:14

Michel de Montaigne’s biography (1 of 5): his early...

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/08

I consider the French essayist Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) one of the most underrated philosophers in history. He is not on the same level as Aristotle, Plato and Socrates, but when it comes to personal development, he is one of the best. Montaigne was born in southern France within a family that belonged to the lower aristocracy. His father had made a small fortune as a wholesaler and purchased a countryside castle and the surrounding land. His father had a deep interest in classical ideals,

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00:06:17

Michel de Montaigne’s biography: literary hints and...

John Vespasian ·

2025/05/08

When authors write, they cannot avoid revealing their views and personal history, their traumas and pressing concerns. Consciously or unconsciously, they are giving hints and clues about their own life. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) and his works prove this theory correct. In his essays, Montaigne addressed a wide array of subjects, but could not avoid imprinting his personality and philosophical views in every discussion, even when recounting anecdotes from ancient Greece and Rome. Take for

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52 results

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