So Marcus Aurelius (and the Stoics) get 45 minutes of the lecture, and then Jesus and the short version of agape get the last 15 minutes. But the next lecture is mostly about expanding on those 15 minutes, and so the summary focuses on it. So here’s a brief list of the Stoic things he covers (mostly using quotes or paraphrases):
The Buddha was trying to make you realize how threatened you are, and you don’t have as much control as you think you do. Epictetus says the core of wisdom is in knowing what’s in your control and what’s not in your control, and stop pretending that things are in your control that aren’t.
Fromm, brought up before as distinguishing the having mode and the being mode, basically got that distinction from the Stoics.
The Stoics shifted focus from products (having mode) to process (being mode), because you have lots of control over the latter but not the former. This involves a lot of practices that are similar to mindfulness / remembering the being mode.
Marcus Aurelius writes a book, which shouldn’t be interpreted in the propositional way; it’s written to himself. It’s spiritual exercises.
Marcus Aurelius has the philosophical problems especially *because* he had power and fame. Unlike the Buddha, he doesn’t try to leave the palace; he doesn’t want to shirk his moral responsibilities (to use his power wisely).
The “view from above” helps you situate things correctly. Looking at situations from above, instead of your perspective, helps you be objective / treat others fairly.
Lots of modern CBT is basically just Stoicism; ‘internalizing Socrates’ is inculcating the sort of mental habits and doubt that dissolve incorrect thinking. “Everything I do is a failure!” “Everything?” asks Socrates.
So Marcus Aurelius (and the Stoics) get 45 minutes of the lecture, and then Jesus and the short version of agape get the last 15 minutes. But the next lecture is mostly about expanding on those 15 minutes, and so the summary focuses on it. So here’s a brief list of the Stoic things he covers (mostly using quotes or paraphrases):
The Buddha was trying to make you realize how threatened you are, and you don’t have as much control as you think you do. Epictetus says the core of wisdom is in knowing what’s in your control and what’s not in your control, and stop pretending that things are in your control that aren’t.
Fromm, brought up before as distinguishing the having mode and the being mode, basically got that distinction from the Stoics.
The Stoics shifted focus from products (having mode) to process (being mode), because you have lots of control over the latter but not the former. This involves a lot of practices that are similar to mindfulness / remembering the being mode.
Marcus Aurelius writes a book, which shouldn’t be interpreted in the propositional way; it’s written to himself. It’s spiritual exercises.
Marcus Aurelius has the philosophical problems especially *because* he had power and fame. Unlike the Buddha, he doesn’t try to leave the palace; he doesn’t want to shirk his moral responsibilities (to use his power wisely).
The “view from above” helps you situate things correctly. Looking at situations from above, instead of your perspective, helps you be objective / treat others fairly.
Lots of modern CBT is basically just Stoicism; ‘internalizing Socrates’ is inculcating the sort of mental habits and doubt that dissolve incorrect thinking. “Everything I do is a failure!” “Everything?” asks Socrates.