x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

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

6:20

Aristotle’s views on friendship

John Vespasian ·

2025/11/04

Aristotle addressed friendship in his “Nicomachean Ethics.” He viewed friendship as indispensable for leading a happy life, but identified three types of friendships: those based on utility, those based on pleasure, and those based on shared values or virtues. The latter is by far the most valuable. Friendships of utility are based on mutual interest. People collaborate with each other for a myriad of reasons, which are not necessarily linked to business or making money. Business partners constitute

en

9:07

Aristotle’s four key contributions to philosophy

John Vespasian ·

2025/11/04

Aristotle (384-322 BC) made four decisive contributions to philosophy. First, in metaphysics, he refuted Plato’s theory of forms. While Plato had believed in a world of pure abstractions (which he called “forms”), Aristotle emphasised observing the material world. Second, Aristotle came up with the concepts of substance and form. He asserted that each item is composed of substance and form. Substance refers to its underlying essence, and form to its individual characteristics. The combination of

en

6:43

Key ideas in Aristotle’s teachings on logic and...

John Vespasian ·

2025/11/04

The philosophy of logic and reason developed by Aristotle (384-322 BC) is different from computer logic, religious logic, and other types of logic that have existed in history. There are three distinct features that render Aristotelian logic unique. I’m going to present those three features, one by one. First, Aristotelian logic is linked to language. I would go even further and specify that it is linked to human language. Humans have ways of thinking that are very different from those of computers

en

7:13

Aristotle’s thoughts on tragedy and literature

John Vespasian ·

2025/11/04

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. 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. Aristotle considered the plot structure crucial for delivering the

en

6:41

Opponents to Aristotle’s views on knowledge and learning

John Vespasian ·

2025/11/04

In history, only a handful of philosophers have endorsed the views on knowledge and learning developed by Aristotle (384-322 BC). The opposition to Aristotle’s empiricism began before his birth, that is, with his predecessors, in particular Socrates and Plato. Let us take a look at how their views differ from those of Aristotle. Socrates (469-399 BC) never wrote any books, but his ideas have been recorded by Plato and Xenophon in their books. If we trust those sources, Socrates had been born in

en

6:13

Putting Aristotle’s views on education into practice

John Vespasian ·

2025/11/04

After the disastrous distortions introduced in late Antiquity, it took twenty-three centuries to put into practice the views that Aristotle (384-322 BC) had developed on education. The reason for the long interval is not that Aristotle’s ideas on education are difficult to grasp. In fact, it only takes a few hours of study to understand Aristotelian ethics, which regards happiness as the goal of human life and virtue as the path to happiness. Aristotelian educational ideas emanate from Aristotelian

en

7:41

Michel de Montaigne and moral philosophy

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/30

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) built himself a morality framework by writing essays for two decades. His philosophy resembles a house built little by little, using various techniques and materials, and then painted over several times in different colours. On the one hand, Montaigne embraced scepticism, showing very little confidence in the human ability to establish absolute truths. He studied history extensively, especially ancient Rome and ancient Greece, and realised that even the best people

en

7:12

Michel de Montaigne and existentialism

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/30

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) is regarded as the first existentialist philosopher in history because he accepted the inevitability of death, and sought to maximise his happiness in every situation. Instead of fearing death, Montaigne recommended getting acquainted with it, so that it becomes part of our expectations. The consciousness of our limited lifespan can help us make the best of every day and every opportunity. Montaigne’s individualism reinforced his existentialism. He showed little

en

8:35

Michel de Montaigne as a precursor of existentialism

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/30

For historians of philosophy, there is a definite proof that Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) was a forerunner of modern existentialism; they point to Montaigne’s essay titled “To study philosophy is to learn to die” and argue that it contains all key ideas of existentialist philosophy. I cannot deny Montaigne’s position as a precursor of Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) and Albert Camus (1913-1960), but I want to underline the uniqueness of his ideas. Neither Sartre, Camus, or any other modern

en

6:16

Michel de Montaigne’s scepticism

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/30

I view Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) as the first thinker who realized that scepticism can save one’s life. His insight is still true today, and will remain true for as long as people keep using deceit and misrepresentation to further their interests. Unfortunately, Montaigne’s defence of scepticism is rather messy. In some essays, he rightly refuses to believe other people’s statements when they contradict his own experience. I would call that prudence rather than scepticism, and I consider it a

en

6:14

Social organisation and Michel de Montaigne’s scepticism

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/30

When historians refer to scepticism in the works by Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), they point to his general reluctance to accept absolute truths. Taken to extremes, scepticism weakens the confidence in one’s perceptions and ability to reason. Since Montaigne wrote essays during a twenty-year period, his own definition of scepticism shifted from general doubts, to self-doubt, to doubts about society’s institutions. The latter is particularly interesting for modern readers because, as Montaigne put

en

6:58

Schopenhauer and the meaning of life

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/28

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) built his philosophy step by step, starting with a central concept (the theory of the will), and adding layers of explanations. His physics, epistemology, logic and morality revolve around the theory of the will, and so do his views on the meaning of life. According to Schopenhauer, the will (“life force”) drives all living creatures to secure their survival and reproduction; at the same time, the will prompts them to seek pleasure but doesn’t pay attention to the

en

8:34

Schopenhauer’s key concepts

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/28

The key concepts in the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) connect it to Ancient Stoicism and existentialism. Let us pass review to those concepts, which Schopenhauer first outlined in “The world as will and representation,” a book that he published in 1818. Schopenhauer built his philosophy around the theory of the will (“life force”). He viewed the will as the driver of all living creatures. It is a wild, irrational, eternal driver that prompts all creatures to secure their survival and

en

8:08

The revival of Aristotle’s views on education

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/28

The twentieth century has generated three serious initiatives to revive the educational philosophy put forward by Aristotle (384-322 BC), or similar to his. In essence, revival initiatives aim at prioritising the student’s individual development. Let’s review these three attempts and see the extent to which they have remained loyal to Aristotelian education. Let’s assess if they have grasped the philosophy outlined in the “Eudemian Ethics” and the “Nicomachean Ethics” by Aristotle. John Dewey

en

7:07

Schopenhauer and the role of reason

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/28

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) rejected the unshakeable optimism of his contemporaries about the power of reason. He acknowledged that all individuals are potentially able to think, but pointed out that few people make the effort to assess facts accurately and draw logical conclusions. His book “On the fourfold root of the principle of sufficient reason” (1814) defends the thesis that events can be traced to a particular cause in each case. Nothing happens by chance. Also human decisions can be

en

5:29

Aristotle’s influence on Western philosophy

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/28

The historical influence of Aristotle (384-322 BC) rests on the labours of one man, namely, Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). I find it remarkable that Aquinas made Aristotle’s philosophy popular even though he had never intended to do so. Aquinas was an Italian Dominican monk and theologian, who aimed at spreading Christian ideals. He could not care less about Aristotelian ideas as such, but he had read Aristotle and realized that Aristotelian philosophy is true. The validity of Aristotelian philosophy

en

9:35

Analysis of Schopenhauer’s views on the role of reason

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/28

The views of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) on the role of reason differ from those of prior philosophers. On the one hand, Schopenhauer is more realistic. He does hold reason in high regard, but acknowledges the strong influence of impulses in human decisions. On the other hand, Schopenhauer observes that it takes substantial effort to use reason assiduously. The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-271 BC) had in part anticipated Schopenhauer’s views on the role of reason. He favoured the

en

8:06

Michel de Montaigne and moral relativism

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/23

The search for happiness relies on certainty in reasoning and effectiveness in action. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) coined a brand of moral relativism that, he assumed, could help us reduce mistakes in reasoning. Montaigne’s arguments give us abundant food for thought, in particular when it comes to making crucial decisions. How much can you trust your perceptions and logic? What mistakes are typically made by people under pressure? All in all, these discussions aim at improving one’s chances of

en

6:38

Critique of Michel de Montaigne’s moral relativism

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/23

We all need clear philosophical principles to make accurate, quick decisions. In the absence of principles, decisions depend on emotions, prejudice and superstition. The essayist Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) asked himself how to make good decisions, and recorded his reasoning in detail. Montaigne was puzzled by the wide variety of opinions that people hold when confronted with the same facts. He devoted his essay “That what’s called good and evil mostly depends on our opinions” to analysing this

en

6:47

Michel de Montaigne and cultural relativism

John Vespasian ·

2025/10/23

Many people today ask themselves if all cultures are equal, or if some cultures are superior to others; the question is as old as humanity, and the answer is crucially important. Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) asked himself this same question in the sixteenth century, and examined in great detail the arguments from both sides. His careful philosophical analysis is still worth reading nowadays. In the sixteenth century, intellectuals regarded Europe as the leading culture. They took for granted that

en

224 results

Similar Podcasts

Classic Radio Science Fiction

solgoodmedia.com

Mission to Mars

Inception Point Ai

The 365 Days of Astronomy

365DaysOfAstronomy.org

Creek Devil

william Jevning

UFO Chronicles Podcast

Nik Hunter