Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life
Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast
Stoicism in a Time of Pandemic
0:00
Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -7:35
-7:35

Stoicism in a Time of Pandemic

Did Marcus Aurelius create a handbook for coping with the plague?

Re-reading a newspaper article that I wrote at the start of the pandemic about how Marcus Aurelius used Stoicism, in the Meditations, to cope with the Antonine Plague. It struck me that, in part at least, the Meditations can be seen as Marcus’ notes to himself on coping with the psychological and moral challenges of the plague — or, if you like, as a manual for coping Stoically during a pandemic.

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Highlights

  • How Marcus used Stoicism to cope with his own pandemic

  • The Dichotomy of Control

  • Modelling virtue

  • Contemplating our own mortality

Original article titled Stoicism in a Time of Pandemic, from The Guardian newspaper, April 2020.

Thank you for reading Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Share

Discussion about this podcast

Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life
Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life Podcast
Donald Robertson, the author of "How to Think Like a Roman Emperor", and a cognitive-behavioral therapist, talks about how to apply Stoicism in the modern world, discussing philosophy, psychology and self-improvement with guests from all walks of life. Available on Google and Apple podcasts.