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Sure, Epicureans focused on seeking pleasure – but they also did so much more.

Great ideas in philosophy often come in dense packages. Then there is where the work of Marcus Aurelius.

What happens to a person’s identity when they are forced to play a hypermasculine role just to survive?

Russian workers are being taught the art of smiling in order to seem more welcoming to the 1.5 million tourists expected to attend the 2018 FIFA World Cup this week […]

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,Courage to change the things I can,And wisdom to know the difference.

Over the years Christopher has spontaneously delivered many dozens of unforgettable lines. Here are four of them.

There are many famous schools of thought that you have probably heard of, but did you hear the truth or just get a caricature of the idea? 

The widely beloved chef, writer and TV host Anthony Bourdain was found dead Friday morning at age 61. Here’s a brief look at the work and life that made him an international culinary star.

You’ve heard of the big Greek philosophers. Now, read about the ones who inspired them.

Stoicism and Buddhism are two of the oldest, and well known, schools of thought in the world. Would Marcus Aurelius, a famous Roman stoic, be a Buddhist today?

Our way of life needs a skills upgrade, to reinstall certain old stoic ideas. Using your rights well needs “happiness bootcamp” skills. 

An ancient philosophy is becoming popular again thanks to author Ryan Holiday.

Should we create a new interpretation of masculinity or build a gender neutral world?   

Studying philosophy has had a major impact on the power players of Silicon Valley.

A new study suggests you should show “sportsmanship” instead of complaining about problems at work.

There is a new era of PTSD science just around the corner.  

Remember that one time when a Philosopher King ruled the whole world? Well, here is how that turned out. 

We will need a good dose of healthy stoicism if we are to survive in the world after work. 

Religions and philosophies that propose invulnerability—such as Buddhism or Stoicism—as a solution to misfortune should not be taken wholesale.

While looking at Jean-Antoine Houdon’s portrait bust of Voltaire in the Louvre, sculptor Auguste Rodin remarked, “To tell the truth, there is no artistic work that requires as much penetrating insight as the bust and the portrait. … Such a work is the equivalent of a biography.” On a separate occasion, Rodin stated, “The resemblance that [the artist] should achieve is that of the soul. Only this matters.” A new, full-scale reinstallation at the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focuses on Rodin putting those words into practice in his own portrait busts. Known for his large-scale, full-bodied works such as The Kiss, Rodin imbued an equal amount of passion into his symbolic, soulful portraits of friends, lovers, and the famous.

Your first philosophers: Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Seneca, and one strange new face. Why the first books people read about Stoicism should be by one of these guys. On Stoicism Graduation season […]

In Three War Stories, David Mamet explores redemption and forgiveness in the context of conflict. In The Redwing, excerpted here, a 19th Century Secret Service naval officer recounts his own transformations during the course of his service and imprisonment.

George Will used an apt phrase to describe the policy options toward Syria. When faced with universally bad choices, he opined, “Don’t just do something. Stand there.” Better to do […]

In my experience it’s easier to change a home design than to change your heart, or your feelings. Take the case of “staying together for the children,” a familiar marital […]

So I promised I would do a post based on what we can learn about courage from the philosopher of manliness Harvey Mansfield. But it turns out that there’s a […]

Joseph Heller’s Catch-22turns fifty this year, and like its hero Yossarian, it seems destined to survive for the long haul. It’s the best kind of literary paradox: a classic that […]

The Economist says that Japan’s many-headed catastrophe points to deeper-seated problems, ineffective leadership and political dysfunction.

“In the last few weeks, four young gay men have committed suicide, all in some way connected to fear, shame or isolation around the issue of their homosexuality.”

Shedding tears in public was once a sign of weakness and unreliability in men, but today the art of stoicism has been lost. Should we try to reclaim it?

What the philosopher can still teach us about grief versus stoicism and “the role of emotions in the good life.”