Stoics and samurai
have a great deal in common
they die everyday
Month: October 2021
Amor Fati
The Stoics say focus
Control what’s in your control
Accept fate’s word
Stoicism, Comics And Horror: Donald Robertson On Writing The Life Of Marcus Aurelius
The philosophy of Stoicism has inspired the works of countless people and continues to be a driving force for many business leaders and authors today. The same can be said for psychotherapist Donald Robertson, who’s made a career out of applying the principles of Stoicism to everyday life through publications such as How To Think Like A Roman Emperor.
Robertson’s latest project is a graphic novel focused on the life of Marcus Aurelius and Stoic Athenaeum caught up with him on the process behind writing the comic. In this interview, we explore the challenges of writing a graphic novel steeped in ancient history, capturing the voice of Marcus Aurelius and how Stoicism can be interpreted through the lens of comics.
Old Norse Philosophy: Untangling The Strings Of Seidr
Of the many fascinating things about philosophy, different cultures interpret it differently and the vikings were no different. Old Norse philosophy has many similarities to the practices of ancient Greek and Roman cultures in the sense that the philosophy emphasised happiness through living a life of virtue.
Characteristics of wisdom, self-control, bravery and personal independence were all valued within Old Norse philosophy. But as Norse Mythology Org points out, the vikings didn’t express their worldview through the logos, i.e. universal concepts of rationality and theoretical exposition.
Rather, Old Norse philosophy had its foundations built on mythos, a story-based worldview of gods, heroes, myths and legends. This distinction is important when seeking to understand how the vikings approached life and I’ll be delving into different concepts across the culture and bringing them into a philosophical perspective.
The first concept is seidr.
Continue reading “Old Norse Philosophy: Untangling The Strings Of Seidr”