The Philosopher's Circle

Why We Want What We Can’t Have: Freud, Buddhism, and the Problem of Desire 29.09.2026 4:12 ↓

Why does desire sometimes become strongest precisely when something remains beyond our reach? Freud believed wanting was woven into the architecture of the human mind, while Buddhist philosophy warned that craving can become one of the engines of suffering. On Philosophy on the Couch, we put these perspectives into conversation and ask a more uncomfortable question: do we actually want the thing—o...

Stoicism and Emotional Control: Acceptance or Intellectualization? 24.09.2026 4:03 ↓

Stoicism teaches that much of our suffering comes from trying to control what does not belong to us: other people’s opinions, behavior, judgments, and choices. Psychodynamic psychology largely agrees, but introduces a more uncomfortable question—why do certain things outside our control affect us so deeply in the first place? The distinction between genuine acceptance and emotional avoidance may t...

Sartre’s “Bad Faith” vs. the False Self: The Psychological Cost of Living an Inauthentic Life 03.05.2026 5:36 ↓

Examine the striking convergence between Jean-Paul Sartre’s concept of “bad faith” — the self-deception that denies personal freedom and responsibility — and Donald Winnicott’s psychoanalytic “False Self,” the defensive persona constructed to meet external demands at the expense of authentic existence.
This episode explores how inauthentic living creates profound psychological costs, including emo...

Marcus Aurelius and the Internal Citadel: A psychodynamic look at defense mechanisms in Meditations 25.04.2026 5:34 ↓

In this episode of Philosophical Psychodynamics, we explore Marcus Aurelius’ concept of the Internal Citadel through a psychodynamic lens, examining how Stoic practices in Meditations function as sophisticated defense mechanisms against psychological distress. We integrate existential psychology and philosophical principles to reveal how Aurelius cultivated self-awareness and emotional regulation...

The Ataraxia Analysis: Epicureanism as Affect Regulation 22.04.2026 4:08 ↓

Explore the intersection of ancient Hellenistic philosophy and modern depth psychology. This episode deconstructs the pursuit of *ataraxia* using psychodynamic personality axes, theories of emotional mastery, and concepts of self-fragmentation. Discover if tranquility is a state of mental health or a sophisticated defense against the universal "Anxiety of Lack."

Heraclitus and the Fluid Self: The Unconscious River You’re Always Stepping Into 20.04.2026 3:57 ↓

A high-level breakdown of Heraclitus’ philosophy applied to modern psychodynamic theory, exploring the fluid self, unconscious processes, and personality development for EPPP exam success. This episode connects classical philosophy with Freud, Jung, and PDM-2 concepts to clarify dynamic versus static models of personality. Ideal for psychology students, clinicians, and licensing exam candidates se...