Episode 56: Conversation with Massimo Pigliucci
You're listening to the Stoic Solutions Podcast - practical wisdom for everyday life. Today's special guest Massimo Pigliucci joins me to talk about practical applications of Stoicism, how Stoic Philosophy can benefit us in modern times, and address misconceptions about Stoicism. We explore whether Stoicism encourages us to suppress or ignore emotions; what it means to be virtuous; what a good life looks like; Stoics' view on wealth; whether Stoics are killjoys; social approval; insults; being offended; regret; toleration; and friendship among other topics. Prof. Pigliucci has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee. He currently is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His research interests include the philosophy of biology, the relationship between science and philosophy, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism. In the area of public outreach, Prof. Pigliucci has published in national and international outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post , and the Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Contributing Editor to Skeptical Inquirer. He publishes two blogs: Plato’s Footnote ( platofootnote.org ), on general philosophy, and How to Be a Stoic ( howtobeastoic.org ), on his personal exploration of Stoicism as practical philosophy. He is also the author or editor of 13 books (full list: https://platofootnote.wordpress.com/books/), most recently of the best selling How to Be A Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books). Other titles include Answers for Aristotle: How Science and Philosophy Can Lead Us to a More Meaningful Life (Basic Books); Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press), and Science Unlimited? The Challenges of Scientism (co-edited with M. Boudry, University of Chicago Press). Visit my website at stoicsolutionspodcast.com where you can connect with me on social media and listen to past episodes. Support my work by becoming a donor through Patreon or Paypal to access special rewards including the ability to have upcoming guests answer your questions, custom podcast episodes, group conversations with me and podcast listeners, and one-on-one discussions. Join my new Discord chat server for interactive discussion with me and people interested in Stoicism. Share, comment, like, subscribe, and leave reviews to help support my efforts and keep this project going. Email me with your thoughts – justinvacula at gmail.com. Support through Patreon and Paypal Donate: http://justinvacula.com/donate/ Find Justin Vacula online and listen to past content: Main website: http://www.stoicsolutionspodcast.com SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/justinvacula iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stoic-philosophy/id1264404483 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/justinvacula Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/justin-vacula/stoic-philosophy Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?authuser&u=0#/ps/I4gq7yzmfr63glwfvin2kmciifq Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoicSolutionsPodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/StoicSolutions Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/justinvacula Engage at home or on-the-go with podcast listeners and people interested in Stoicism & Philosophy in my new interactive easy-to-use Discord chat channel: http://justinvacula.com/2018/04/02/stoic-solutions-podcast-discord-chat/ Podcast music, used with permission, is from Fairyland's album 'Score to a New Beginning.' View their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Groupe.Fairyland.Officiel/ Resources: Stoic Philosophy Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Stoicism/ Modern Stoicism http://modernstoicism.com Massimo Pigliucci blog 'How to be a Stoic' https://howtobeastoic.wordpress.com