In the media
A look at recent public appearances by yours truly
Here is another occasional installment of media appearances featuring, well, myself. Apologies for the presumption, but I imagine that—since you are subscribing to Figs in Winter—you may have at least a passing interest in what else I do and talk about. So here you will find links to recent interviews, podcasts, external articles, and other assorted media appearances featuring yours truly. Enjoy, I hope!
Against Pragmatic Stoicism: a response to Chuck Chakrapani. Stoicism is an eminently practical philosophy, which probably accounts in great part for its endurance and current popularity. My friend Chuck Chakrapani, however, wishes to propose a form of Pragmatic Stoicism—notice the capital P—meaning a version of Stoicism rooted in the modern philosophical approach known as Pragmatism and developed largely in the United States during the late 19th century by authors like philosophers Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey. I think it’s a bad idea. Let me explain why. … (Modern Stoicism)
Stoicism isn’t what you think! A “Philosophy Everyday” conversation with host Masud Gaziyev (based in Tallinn, Estonia), on common misconceptions about Stoicism and how to fight them. (YouTube, 1h 5’)
The Philosopher’s Compass: Massimo Pigliucci and Gregory Lopez. In this episode of The Philosopher’s Compass podcast, I spoke with Massimo Pigliucci and Gregory Lopez, my co-authors of the book Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers (in North America) and Live Like a Philosopher: What the Ancient Greeks and Romans Can Teach Us About Living a Happy Life (in UK). We talked about their journeys into philosophy, the practical applications of Stoicism in modern life, and the importance of ethics. Our conversation explored other philosophical schools, how philosophy can help bring us meaning and purpose, and the nature of joy in Stoic practice. Watch until the end and you’ll hear Massimo and Greg share their recommendations for reading and resources for those interested in exploring Stoicism further. (YouTube, 1 hour)
Too Weird to Believe, Too Plausible to Deny, Mind-Blowing Philosophical Ideas. This is a new edited book aimed at a general public, and I contributed one of the chapters. Here is a brief description of the book:
Anyone new to philosophy soon encounters new ideas that challenge their hidden biases and cherished beliefs, or are at odds with common sense and tradition. Yet, these philosophical ideas are backed by strong arguments, arguments so strong that it’s difficult to identify what is wrong with them. Too Weird to Believe, Too Plausible to Deny: Mind-Blowing Philosophical Ideas explores these strange yet cogent ideas in 29 short, clear chapters written by some of the best philosophers alive today.
And here is the summary of my chapters, entitled “It's your fault if you're not happy":
Can we control our own happiness? Here we explore different philosophical perspectives on this age-old question, focusing particularly on views from ancient Greece and Rome. While modern society often links happiness to external factors like wealth, relationships, and health, some ancient thinkers proposed radically different views. We examine four major philosophical approaches: Aristotle’s balanced view that happiness depends on both personal virtue and external circumstances; Epicurus’s argument that happiness comes from pursuing simple, natural pleasures rather than excessive desires; the Pyrrhonian perspective that peace of mind comes from suspending judgment about uncertain matters; and, finally, the Stoic position that happiness is entirely within our control. The Stoics, particularly Epictetus, argued that true happiness depends solely on our judgments about events, not on external circumstances. They claimed that, while we can’t control what happens to us, we have complete control over how we interpret and respond to events. This leads to a radical conception of freedom: we are truly free when we recognize that our wellbeing depends only on our faculty of judgment, the one thing that is entirely up to us.
The biology of conflict. Conflicts between nations, religions, races, ethnicities, and political camps abound. Social media amplifies and inflames emotions. Can human biology offer a reason for, and a way out of, our modern polarisation? For example, is nationalism rooted in evolution and early allegiances to the tribe that increased fitness for survival and procreation? Humans will bear any burden, and endure any hardship, to protect even the pride of the group, which today is usually nation-states or ethnicities. Join Robert Lawrence Kuhn, creator and host of Closer to Truth, alongside philosophers Massimo Pigliucci and John Dupré, and neuroscientist Maria Balaet to explore the biology of conflict. … (Institute of Art and Ideas TV, 23’)
Bravo!