Steven Gambardella on Stoicism: Its Benefits and Paradoxes

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Please visit Steven Gambardella's site here to learn more. 

Show Notes:

1:15 background in the arts

4:00 Dutch philosopher Spinoza’s parallels with Hellenistic philosophies

5:20 Gambardella’s Become As You Are

7:30 “Stoic Kitsch” blog post 

9:00 individual agency and collective action

11:00 crisis of agency

11:20 emergence of stoicism

14:00 four-fold root of virtue

20:10 four facets of autonomy, perspective, objectivity and control and their relation to the four virtues of wisdom, moderation, justice and courage/fearlessness

21:25 Steven's blog 

21:45 Stoic view of justice relates to ignorance

26:00 moralism

27:00 Seneca, tutor and advisor to Roman emperor Nero

32:00 applying ancient Stoic ideas in current day

35:35 Stoicism and Philosophy Reading Group 

38:30 summary of Stoicism: Virtue is the only good; and you have full control over the domain of your soul/your “inner citadel”

40:20 Stoicism at a crossroads 

43:45 his hope to contribute to a revolution of the soul that encourages a view of the world that is more holistic and spiritual

45:40 Question from Susanne van der Meer about the paradox in Stoicism about the responsibility of agency versus a Stoic view of incarceration 

55:00 Stoic view of fear and desire

1:00:00 Comments from Emily Gould

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Music by Toulme.

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