#39 -The Art of Becoming A Stoic (With Michael Tremblay) Part 2

The Creative Stoic Podcast

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This week is part 2 from my conversation with Michael Tremblay. Michael is a PhD student on Philosophy. In this interview we went deep into what ancient Stoics thought about concepts such as: beliefs, values, religion, virtue and vice.

1:00 The definition of Stoicism. The core definition is the focus of our attention into what matters. What matters is virtue and vice.

1. Focus on what matters.
2. What matters is what's in our control (virtue and vice)

3:30 Aristotle started saying the goal of life is to be happy in an individual level. Philosophers from that point on talk about the importance of virtue.

3:40 According to the Stoics virtue is knowledge. Our beliefs determine our action. If you know how to act you will act with virtue.

4:40 The definition virtue according to Aristotle is slightly different.

5:10 Vice is ignorance, confusing a bad thing with a good one.

6:30 Why do we say friends and family are the most important?

7:20 Cicero criticism to the Stoics.

7:30 Stoics say our capacity to choice is the most important. A life of good choices is a good life. The choice to believe true things.

9:00 Aristotle does believe friends and family are essential to a good life.

9:30 The best way to help others is to help ourselves first.

10:30 Socrates wasn't afraid of death, so he lived with courage.

10:40 Socrates example: The politician who is not afraid of death cannot be corrupted by threats.

11:40 Stoic (Virtue and vice) vs Christian (Grace and sin)

12:00 Aristotle says it's all about:

• Doing the right thing,
• for the right reason,
• and to feel the right way about it.

13:30 Virtuous people are the only ones who can truly contribute to others.

13:50 Misused shallow Stoicism can be interpreted as a way to be more judgmental of others.

15:12 Social animals.

15:15 Plato pointing up and Aristotle pointing down.

16:30 The Social behavior of humans acting like animals in society.

17:50 David Hume's perspective.

20:00 Conflicts of the claim "We need others for happiness."

21:00 Pleasure and honor.

21:10 Friendship vs being popular.

22:00 Popularity is not in you, it's in them. It's not a virtuous way to live.

25:00 Epictetus on being weird and genuine.

26:00 Socrates was executed for being genuine.

27:30 Plato and a Platypus walk into a bar. A great book to start learning about philosophy.

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