Podcast
Stoa Conversations
Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay discuss Stoic theory and how to apply it.
These are Stoa's briefs of episodes from Stoa Conversations. The episodes belong to their makers, and every brief links to the original.
Episode briefs 8
C.S. Lewis on the Conquest of Nature and the Abolition of Man
Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay close their series on C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man by examining what it means to conquer human nature.
Michael Trombley and Caleb on Emily Wilson's Critique of Epictetus
Michael Trombley and Caleb examine classicist Emily Wilson's three criticisms of Epictetus and test whether they hold up against the Discourses and Handbook.
The Stoics vs. Plato: Blank Slate or Innate Ideas
Michael Tremblay and Caleb Ontiveros compare the Stoic view of the mind as a blank slate with Plato's theory of innate knowledge, and what each means for self-knowledge.
C.S. Lewis Against Moral Subjectivism and the Tao
Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay examine C.S. Lewis's case against moral subjectivism and his idea of a shared moral core called the Tao.
Is Christopher Nolan's Odyssey More Stoic Than Homer's?
Caleb Ontiveros reads Christopher Nolan's film adaptation of the Odyssey against Stoic ideas about the gods, agency, duty, and perseverance.
C.S. Lewis on Objective Value and Men Without Chests
Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay discuss C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man and its case for objective value against emotivism.
Cicero, Carneades, and Skeptical Probability
Massimo Pigliucci joins Caleb Ontiveros to trace ancient skepticism from Pyrrho through Carneades to Cicero and its bearing on certainty and polarization today.
Caleb Ontiveros on Why Stoic Happiness Must Be Up to Us
Caleb Ontiveros and Michael Tremblay lay out and stress-test the Stoic case that happiness must depend on us, not on the world.