John Vespasian

In history, the concept of #selfreliance developed in parallel to the concept of #individuality . In the absence of autonomy, we cannot speak of self-reliance. In the absence of personal assets, there is no room for deploying them effectively. The Stoics, Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus, and #seneca , were the first philosophers to underline the importance of individual serenity and self-reliance. #pl...

Amongst all Stoic philosophers, Seneca has attained the widest reach and popularity. The reason is not hard to figure out. He simply wrote more and better than all others put together. #seneca devoted more than two decades of his life to writing. At the beginning, he wrote plays for the theatre, tragedies, that don’t deserve much consideration. They are boring and bloody, as well as unimaginative....

It is not an exaggeration to say that #aristotle (384-322 BC) made modern civilisation possible. He invented formal #logic at a time where most of humanity could neither read nor write. If it wasn’t for Aristotle’s contribution to #philosophy , we wouldn’t enjoy such a high standard of living nowadays. In his book “Prior Analytics,” Aristotle outlined the method for drawing correct conclusions; hi...

If your #logic is slightly wrong, even one per cent wrong, you will end up completely lost fairly soon. Over time, your errors will compound and the consequences will eventually wipe you out. No one can escape the deleterious effects of faulty logic. There are three aspects that render Aristotelian logic vastly superior to other logical systems. For attaining success in your private and profession...

The choice of a method in #logic determines all other choices in your life. It determines the scope and depth of your thinking, your concept of #happiness , your drive and your steadfastness. In contrast to other systems of logic, the one delineated by #aristotle (384-322 BC) understands the importance of purpose and gives a central role in how conclusions are drawn. When looking at entities and e...

The #optimism found in Aristotle’s view of human nature has been rarely shared by other philosophers. While #aristotle (384-422 BC) regarded humans as rational captains of their destiny, most thinkers in history have considered humans as deficient creatures driven by instincts and social pressure. Aristotle’s predecessor and teacher #plato (429-347 BC) gave his views on human nature in his books t...

I love ancient #timemanagement techniques because they do not rely on technology. They revolve around human nature and the concentration of one’s efforts; and their advice can be put into practice right away. In his Letters to Lucilius, #seneca made recommendations on time #management, especially in the 47th and 101st Letters. His advice can be condensed in one word: consistency. I must however ac...

In contrast to modern philosophers, Seneca did not give a great importance to time. Like other Stoic thinkers, he did not fundamentally care whether his life was long or short. Seneca’s view of time is worth studying because it helps us understand key concepts of #stoicism. In his 49th and 101st Letters to Lucilius, #seneca criticised people who waste their lives in trivial pursuits. On the other...

When we talk about avoiding #distractions , we are assuming that we have clear goals and plans to achieve them. If we keep pursuing those goals assiduously, we are on the right track, but if we get sidetracked, it is because we are getting distracted. #seneca Seneca addressed this subject in the 1st Letter to Lucilius, in which he deplores the human tendency to waste time on things of little impor...

We could save an enormous amount of time if we figured out how to remain focused on our goals. Even for #motivated people, it is difficult to keep going day after day without getting sidetracked. #seneca came up with a powerful formula for avoiding distractions. In #history , many people have put it into practice successfully. Some of them had learned it by reading Seneca's works, and others had a...

It is not exaggerated to affirm that #solitude enabled Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) to become a great philosopher. It took him forty thousand hours of quietness to sharpen his powers of observation, and another forty thousand to make sense of what he had observed. #schopenhauer Schopenhauer held solitude in high regard because it is a prerequisite of self-awareness. Individuals need quietness t...

I am going to summarise the moral #philosophy put forward by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) in seven key ideas. The presentation of those key ideas will identify, when relevant, the difference between Schopenhauer and other philosophers. #schopenhauer Schopenhauer’s ethics don’t rely on revelation by God or prophets. His ethics overlap with Christianity in some areas, especially in the appreciati...

In the field of ethics, Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was influenced by Buddhist thought. In particular, #schopenhauer held in high regard the Buddhist concern for suffering, placing empathy and #compassion at the centre of his ethical system. Nonetheless, there are fundamental differences between the ideas of Schopenhauer and the Buddhist #religion. In his book “The world as will and representa...

The #philosophy developed by Arthur #schopenhauer (1788-1860) takes some ethical ideas from Buddhism, but those don’t affect the theory of the will (“life force”), which constitutes the essence of Schopenhauer’s work. #buddhism was created by Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) in the sixth century before our era. Buddha was born into a Nepalese royal family, grew disillusioned with his aristocratic lifes...

The influence of Indian religion on Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1960) falls within a growing interest of Western thinkers in Eastern culture. In the field of art, such a tendency has been named “Orientalism” and is observable particularly amongst French painters. In the period 1810-1820, #Schopenhauer became acquainted with Indian #philosophy by reading its foundational texts. I am referring to the...

Stoicism is the only philosophy that aims at increasing one’s mental strength. Its founders, #Zeno of Citium (334-262 BC) and Cleanthes (330-230 BC) devoted more efforts to avoiding emotional misery than to achieving success and happiness. Seneca followed the line of thought of his predecessors, but his recommendations are more subtle. It’s not hard to understand why: #Seneca was more knowledgeabl...

It’s useless to be strong in situations where strength plays no meaningful role. Will mental strength alone help you achieve your business, professional and social #goals? Will it render you healthier and happier? I very much doubt it. #Seneca viewed mental strength as the answer to all questions. How do we minimize trouble in life? How do we prevent a nervous breakdown and maintain our motivation...

How can we grow in #effectiveness and happiness? Is there a proven method we can use to improve our station in life? Can we rely on advice given by philosophers in previous centuries? #Seneca was already aware of those questions when he wrote his Letters to Lucilius. His answers are concrete and coherent, and have been proven true in countless cases. In contrast to today’s self-development gurus,...

In history, few philosophers have proven qualified to speak about effectiveness. They were disqualified by their economic, professional and social failure, or by their sheer ignorance of practical matters. #Seneca belongs to the opposite category. He is the archetype of the realistic, savvy, experienced thinker that has been everywhere and seen everything. The 118th Letter to Lucilius leads me to...

Many philosophers have attacked Aristotle’s conception of human beings as rational and self-directed, capable of setting goals and making plans to achieve them, and driven to achieve happiness. Aristotle (384-322 BC) presented his thoughts on human nature in his works “Eudemian Ethics,” “Nicomachean Ethics” and “Politics.” All of them were written or dictated in the years 335-321 BC after Aristotl...

The cultural impact of Aristotle’s philosophy of logic begins with Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), who undertook to couple Christian theology to Aristotelian philosophy. The combination is far from self-evident and Aquinas did it only by twisting the ideas of Aristotle almost beyond recognition. In his “Summa Theologiae,” Aquinas provides a systematic presentation on how to merge syllogistic logic and...

In life, it is wise to correct errors swiftly because otherwise they will grow and grow. The longer you wait, the worse it will get. The more lies you tell yourself, the higher the barriers to recovery. Eventually, you’ll reach the point where recovery is no longer possible. Despite his enormous wisdom, Aristotle (384-322 BC) put forward the theory of the prime mover. He should have soon realized...

The sound principles established by Aristotle (384-322 BC) in the field of ethics were quickly abandoned. His philosophy of virtue and character development gathered a vast number of enemies precisely because it is fair and realistic. Too many people don’t want to hear the truths enunciated by Aristotle, namely, that human beings are rational, that they are responsible for their own choices, and t...

Various thinkers have tried to put rational systems of virtues and character development into practice. Their attempts have attained success to the extent that they are aligned with the ideas presented by Aristotle (384-322 BC) in his “Eudemian Ethics” and “Nicomachean Ethics.” In those works, Aristotle outlines his five key ideas about virtue and character development. Let’s summarise those five...

I have never been impressed by individuals who preach effectiveness, productivity and efficiency for the sake of it. They devote their efforts to finding faster ways of getting from A to B, without explaining why we should want to get to B in the first place. Seneca took the opposite approach. His ideas about effectiveness are linked to the pursuit of happiness, self-reliance, and peace of mind. S...