Stoicism | Classical Wisdom Weekly - Part 2

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Tag Archives: Stoicism

A Stoic Skill: Premeditatio Malorum

by Andrew Rattray What makes you nervous? What worries you? We all have something that ties our guts up in knots when we think about having to do it, don’t we? Life is full of these situations, where we find ourselves concerned about what the future holds. Especially now, with the ever-negative deluge of the

Ten Things We Can Learn From the Ancients: How to Live Better

by Ed Whelan, Contributing Writer, Classical Wisdom The Greeks and Romans have decisively shaped Western civilization, which in turn has influenced modern global culture and society. Today, we can still learn from their teachings and thought. They were interested in the same things as we are, such as happiness, freedom, and well-being. Graeco-Roman civilization can

The Four Stoic Virtues

by Andrew Rattray What makes a person good? What separates those people who always seem to make the best choices from those who are plagued by their vices? Like so many other philosophies, the Stoics spent significant time and effort establishing their ideas around ethics and virtue to determine what exactly makes a person ‘good’.

The Last Words of Marcus Aurelius

by Andrew Rattray There’s something poignant about last words. A final flourish made all the more beautiful because we know there’s no more wisdom to come. A reminder that all things come to an end. Eugene Delacroix, the 19th century romantic artist, certainly thought so when he painted ‘Last Words of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius’.

Stoicism and Buddhism: Two Sides of the Same Coin?

by Andrew Rattray If you’re anything like me, I’m sure you’ll have noticed the bookshelves of your local store positively groaning with all manner of self-help books; stylish tomes offering a route to peacefulness and serenity. It’s no surprise that the pressures of our modern life, particularly stressed by the ongoing difficulties of the pandemic,

Marcus Aurelius and his Mentors

by William B. Irvine, Professor of Philosophy, Wright State University Marcus Aurelius was arguably one of the greatest Roman emperors.  He is also the author of one of the primary Stoic texts, the Meditations.  As far as scholars can tell, it was intended as a private journal, in which he recorded his observations about the