“Stoic Paradoxes” Lecture 7: Only The Wise Man Is Wealthy

Quintus Curtius Podcast ,

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Welcome to the seventh and final lecture in our series on Stoic Paradoxes.

In this lecture, we discuss some of the most critical points of Stoic ethics:

  1.  What is wealth?
  2. Who can be considered wealthy?
  3. Is the wise man rich?  If so, in what way?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this lecture series.  If so, please rate me on iTunes, and on Amazon.com, so that others may find these lectures, and enrich their own lives.

Please feel free to email also, if you have questions about any of the ideas discussed here.

This podcast was brought to you courtesy of Fortress of the Mind Publications.  

“Stoic Paradoxes” Lecture 6: Wise Men, Fools, Free Men, And Slaves

Quintus Curtius Uncategorized ,

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope the next few days will be a time for reflection and relaxation.

And thanks for joining us in our next lecture on Stoic Paradoxes.  In this lecture, we discuss some of the most critical doctrines in Stoic ethics:

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“Stoic Paradoxes” Lecture 5: Misdeeds Are Equal, And Good Deeds Are Equal

Quintus Curtius Podcast ,

 

Fortress of the Mind Publications brings you the fifth lecture in our series on Stoic Paradoxes.

In this lecture, we discuss the following proposition:  misdeeds are equal, and good deeds are equal.

Is this true?  If so, to what extent?  And what does it mean for us?

Join us here (for SoundCloud) or here (for iTunes) to find out the answers…

“Stoic Paradoxes” Lecture 4: Discussion Of Paradoxes 1 And 2

Quintus Curtius Podcast ,

This is our fourth lecture on Stoic Paradoxes.  In the first three lectures, we discussed some important background information: the life of Cicero, the basics of Cicero’s thought, and a summary of Stoic fundamentals.

In this 15-minute lecture, we get into the book proper, with a discussion of the book’s first two propositions:

  1.  That what is honorable is the only true good.
  2. When a man has virtue, he will lack nothing for proper living.

You can listen to the podcast by clicking here.

By the time you’ve gone through my book and we conclude this lecture series, you will know Stoicism better than any college professor.

Brought to you courtesy of Fortress of the Mind Publications.  

 

Your Character Has Two Components

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Every man’s character has a dual quality to it.  One quality is etched into every man’s consciousness from birth, more or less.  And this is the quality of reason that Nature herself has endowed us with; it is that which separates us from the unreasoning brutes.

It is a universal quality, in the sense that every man possesses it.  From this rational aspect we get our innate sense of justice and fairness.  It is also what gives man that special curiosity about the world:  it is that which impels him to make inquiries into everything, to investigate everything, and to try to find answers for the riddles of Nature.

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Breakout From The Chosin Reservoir

Quintus Curtius History , , ,

The armies of North Korea burst into South Korea in June 1950 and quickly overwhelmed its forces, confining them to a perimeter around the city of Pusan.  Douglas MacArthur, in what can only be called a brilliant counterstroke, hit back with an amphibious landing at the city of Inchon.

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“Stoic Paradoxes” Lecture 3: The Fundamentals Of Stoic Doctrine

Quintus Curtius Podcast ,

We continue our lecture series on Stoic Paradoxes with a detailed discussion of the essentials of Stoic thought.  What are its main tenets?  Where did they come from?  How were they applied?  Are they reasonable?  Tune in with me to find out…

This podcast was brought to you courtesy of Fortress of the Mind Publications.

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments.

A Reading Of The Prologue To “Pantheon”

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Frequent reader Lucas Temple mentioned to me recently that he would like to hear a reading of the prologue of my book Pantheon: Adventures In History, Biography, And The Mind.  The prologue is an account–based on actual events–of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen, one of the triumphs of archaeology.

The incident highlights the themes of persistence, struggle, and the idea that brilliant success often comes just when all seems lost.

So, Lucas, this one’s for you, brother.  I hope you enjoy it.

My podcasts will also soon also be available on iTunes.  I will keep listeners informed.

This podcast was brought to you courtesy of Fortress of the Mind Publishing.

To listen to the podcast on SoundCloud, click here.

 

“Stoic Paradoxes” Lecture Series, Part 2: Cicero’s Thought

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In this second lecture of our series on Stoic Paradoxes, we focus on the influences behind Cicero’s thought, and how he identified himself doctrinally.

This podcast is brought to you by Fortress of the Mind Publications.

 

Greed Is A Corruptor

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Pyrrhus was a powerful king who ruled Epirus and Macedon for some years during the Hellenistic period. Plutarch tells a revealing story about him in his Parallel Lives (Life of Epirus, 14).

One of Pyrrhus’s valued advisors was a man named Cineas, who was entrusted on many foreign missions of great sensitivity.

[To read the rest of my article, click here.]

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