Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
Join Rob Colter and Massimo Pigliucci for a series of engaging conversations, sometimes with special guests, on what it means to practice philosophy as a way of life. New episodes out on the second Friday of every month. Full index at https://philosophyasawayoflife.blog/philosophy-for-life-podcast/Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Practical philosophy as daily practice • Stoicism: Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca • Virtue ethics, resilience, emotions, freedom • Relationships: love, marriage, family • Politics, leadership, environmentalism • Comparisons: Epicureanism, Aristotelianism, Confucianism, Buddhism, existentialism • Translating classics, modern applications (therapy, prisons, bullying)This podcast explores what it means to practice philosophy as an everyday guide for living, through conversations between the hosts and a mix of scholars, writers, translators, therapists, and other practitioners. Much of the discussion centers on ancient “philosophies of life,” especially Stoicism, while regularly placing Stoic ideas in dialogue with other traditions such as Epicureanism, Aristotelian ethics, Confucian thought, Buddhism, and existentialism. Across the episodes, philosophy is treated not primarily as an abstract academic subject but as a set of practical commitments: how to cultivate character, reason well about what matters, and develop habits that shape responses to adversity and ordinary circumstances alike.
A recurring theme is the interpretation of classical sources and figures—particularly well-known Stoics—and how modern readers can understand key concepts like virtue, freedom, agency, emotions, love, anger, authenticity, and moral development. The show often examines how historical context, translation choices, and genre (including contemporary formats like graphic novels and online media) affect the way philosophical ideas are received and applied today. Alongside close attention to texts and intellectual history, the conversations connect philosophy to concrete domains such as relationships and family life, marriage and partnership, leadership and civic responsibility, workplace and social conflict, bullying, incarceration, military culture, and environmental challenges.
The podcast also returns frequently to meta-level questions about the boundary between philosophy and religion, what it means to “live philosophically,” and whether philosophical practice requires specific exercises or training beyond rational reflection. Listeners can expect a blend of ethical theory, practical counsel grounded in particular traditions, and careful scrutiny of common misunderstandings—especially about Stoicism as emotional suppression or as a tool only for crises rather than a daily discipline.
