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Podcast Profile: Practical Stoicism

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12 episodes
2026
Median: 16 minutes
Collection: Philosophy

Description (podcaster-provided):

Stoicism is the pursuit of Virtue (Aretê), which was defined by the Ancient Greeks as "the knowledge of how to live excellently," Stoicism is a holistic life philosophy meant to guide us towards the attainment of this knowledge through the development of our character. While many other Stoicism podcasts focus on explaining Ancient Stoicism in an academic or historical context, Practical Stoicism strives to port the ancient wisdom of this 2300-plus-year-old Greek Philosophy into contemporary times to provide practical advice for living today, not two millennia ago. Join American philosopher of Stoicism Tanner Campbell, every Monday and Friday, for new episodes.

Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

➤ Practical Stoicism in modern life • virtue as sole good • justice, roles, consent • meta-ethics and moral realism • preferred indifferents debate • navigating crowds, habits, difficult people • changing environments for moral progress

This podcast presents Stoicism as a practical, contemporary life philosophy centered on the pursuit of virtue (aretê) through character development and rational moral judgment. Rather than treating Stoicism mainly as history or academic theory, it focuses on applying classical Stoic ideas to modern ethical questions and everyday challenges, with an emphasis on becoming a “prokoptôn,” someone making ongoing moral progress rather than aiming at perfection.

Across the episodes, the host draws heavily from primary Stoic sources such as Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Musonius Rufus, and early Greek Stoics, using close reading and careful argument to clarify what Stoics meant by key concepts like virtue as the only good, the role of justice as fairness (not mere legality), and the importance of living consistently with reason and human social nature. A recurring theme is resisting popular distortions of Stoicism as emotional suppression, passive endurance, or performative toughness; instead, Stoicism is framed as reflective, pro-social, and action-guiding.

The discussions often connect ancient debates—such as disagreements about “preferred indifferents” and the philosophical foundations needed to make Stoic ethics coherent—to current forms of “modern Stoicism” and contemporary assumptions about values. The podcast also applies Stoic role ethics and virtue ethics to sensitive moral topics, aiming to move from gut reactions and cultural fashion toward reasoned explanations focused on consent, harm, coercion, responsibility, and what one’s choices do to one’s character. Alongside these philosophical explorations, the feed includes occasional community-oriented or personal messages from the host.

Episodes: